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...but even if you make things that users asked for, they still do not want to pay for it. Why? In the end, it will bring up money for them.

Because there are potential pitfalls:

1. You become dependent on a third party for your workflow.

2. You become dependent on a third party for your upgrade cycle.

3. You have to manually manage the installation and updating of the software across all of your machines.

4. And it can difficult to know if the developer or their product is any good without other people's reviews.

All potentially solved by a built-in third-party plugin store:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=173701

I sure would love a built-in plugin store.

But these 'pitfalls' are not that bad and let us be honest. (I know you mean it good):

1/2. If the plugin gets bought, that would mean that those developers will likely develop it further. You can also get support for those plugins and ask for new features that would suit your workflow in the feature. It's part of the users input that a plugin can get better and evolves.

3. Most of the time, this requires just 2 steps: place the plugin in your workgroup/library/user plugin folder and add it to your workspace. If the plugin is a pio, you don't have to add it to everyones workspace, just put it in the library as a symbol.

4. For some plugins, you can try a demo. If there is no demo, you could ask the developer for some kind of material for you to see (video) or try it.

Edited by DWorks
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...but even if you make things that users asked for, they still do not want to pay for it. Why? In the end, it will bring up money for them.

Because there are potential pitfalls:

1. You become dependent on a third party for your workflow.

2. You become dependent on a third party for your upgrade cycle.

3. You have to manually manage the installation and updating of the software across all of your machines.

4. And it can difficult to know if the developer or their product is any good without other people's reviews.

All potentially solved by a built-in third-party plugin store:

http://techboard.vectorworks.net/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=173701

Does the above stop you from buying apps for your iPhone/Android phone?

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Because there are potential pitfalls:

3. You have to manually manage the installation and updating of the software across all of your machines.

4. And it can be difficult to know if the developer or their product is any good without other people's reviews.

Does the above stop you from buying apps for your iPhone/Android phone?

Android yes, iPhone no because they have good quality control and good reference feedback

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Don't need to Christiaan. Drawings get done, buildings get built, clients are happy, bills get paid, firm is profitable. Why on earth would we try and mess with that formula?

VG

That's the point though. Many of us do need to and it's where VW is proving more of an "artist's" application.

Christiaan,

Out of curiosity, what type of projects are you typically working on? And who is driving the need for 3D (BIM or otherwise)?

V-G.

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Why would you take the risk? Either we want to be in business or we don't.

We've got to learn how to model in VW and figure out if we can do it economically. We've got to learn how to BIM with VW and figure out if it's up to the game. And if it's not then we need to change platforms and learn most of it again. To do all this we have three years, perhaps less if main contractors ask us for BIM in the mean time.

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Argh, just realised we need to upgrade CameraMatch for v2013 but serial purchase is not automated. Hope Matt is about, need it now! Classic example of problem 2.

Edit: bugger, no one has a mobile number for Matt do they?

Edit 2: just got him on phone :)

I don't like that Argh -- I'm in the midst of putting my 2011 CameraMatch into my v2013 workspace, with hopes that the upgrade is optional.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My two cents on this discussion, I just started using sketchup again and found that it is 100 times more pleasurable to model and develop designs than in VW. I have used VW since god knows when, maybe 10 years. 2d is fine but I trying to develop a profitable workflow taking advantage of the 3D/BIM tools takes sooooooo long that I keep spending crazy time. Coordination, with classes, tools that change with all upgrades. I lost my mojo and would like to get an idea of reasonable workflow for residential work. I feel like I am reinventing the wheel each time. Anybody actually design in 3D and produces 2D drawings from that for CDs? with all the "intelligent" section numbers, drawing lists, schedules etc....

Can someone refer me to a reasonable workflow for that kind of work?

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My two cents on this discussion, I just started using sketchup again and found that it is 100 times more pleasurable to model and develop designs than in VW. I have used VW since god knows when, maybe 10 years. 2d is fine but I trying to develop a profitable workflow taking advantage of the 3D/BIM tools takes sooooooo long that I keep spending crazy time. Coordination, with classes, tools that change with all upgrades. I lost my mojo and would like to get an idea of reasonable workflow for residential work. I feel like I am reinventing the wheel each time. Anybody actually design in 3D and produces 2D drawings from that for CDs? with all the "intelligent" section numbers, drawing lists, schedules etc....

Can someone refer me to a reasonable workflow for that kind of work?

Well, VW takes time to learn, but once mastered, it's far better than SketchUp and does BIM more than fine.

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Oh wow, I haven't looked at many new topics on here in a while. I am really glad I decided to click on this. It made me laugh quite a bit. :0)

I am highly critical of Vectorworks and I believe it still needs to step it up in a lot of areas. While some people do make points on there that are valid and should be concerns, there are a lot of them that are just flat out wrong or inaccurate and that makes me laugh.

I am also a AutoCAD users and I can tell you that I greatly prefer more things about Vectorworks than I do AutoCAD.

Just note, nothing is perfect, but I do also feel vectorworks and the people at Nemetschek, in my opinion, are more receptive and/or understanding of VW's shortcomings than the AutoDesk folks.

Just my $0.02, but that really is some great reading on that link.

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  • 1 month later...
  • 3 weeks later...

I am a professional engineer and have been using VW since Mini Cad 7. My first 5 minutes on the program convinced me it was a piece of crap. Then I started to figure out was going on and have liked it. When trying anything new on it I still swear alot before either figuring it out or posting on the community board. I am sure those that have read my posts think I am not too swift but I rather ask a simple question than flounder about. Still working on generating contours, my hardest task to date. It is nice to know that there are other engineers using VW.

Donald Franson, P.E., P.L.S.

Franson Engineering and Surveying

Using Landmark 2013(first day)

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