Program Philosophy

[Davide]

So many people around the world rely on this program for their

work, and therefore life.

Shouldn?t the next direction that VW will take be discussed in an open forum

that involves the users much more then just asking them which tools they want?

A functional effective program is much more then the sum of its tools: it?s how it interprets the way a designer now uses an electronic media instead of a pencil.

Then, it is paramount to discuss about this evolution, we cannot go on waiting for a new release to add some tools and fix bugs and be a little faster.

One year from now I guess there will be VW 11.

Will it go in the 2D/3D complete integration direction? Will it become a database oriented program (where the users at the same time defines quantities and elements to encompass the whole project more then drafting lines and attaching records) instead of linearly evolving the a ?lines first, data after? application ?

Since it takes so much developing time to create a new version, now it?s the time to talk about it.

How do we want to digitalize our projects one year from now?

What are the actions, more then the commands, that our ideal workplace would like to see happen during the execution of a project?

Linking, recording, sharing, editing, reverting, assembling etc, those are the actions.

For example (I?m talking of course about Architect), I can see areas of the program dedicated to specific parts of a building, where in few steps we can assemble roof details, or others for wall sections, like tablets with all the customizable assembly parts ready to be dropped in, like blocks of elements and all linked to symbol marks numbers etc.

In such a modal approach, you?ll see only the tools needed for that task at that moment. And directly type the scale for it and export, clip, print, insert in library,

options for that cell element only (not the whole layer) at your fingers.

Enough. Basically I will like to know and participate on how I will draft/design in the next future as a VW user, so that I can make an informative decision on which electronic media to adopt.

[Guest]

You can export a worksheet as a text file. That can be sent along with the dxf dwg file. That file can then be open in Word which can be copied and pasted into an AutoCad file.

I'm no genius when it comes to AutoCad, but based on what I can find out, there isn't a way to import a text file for purposes of a spreadsheet-esque object in AutoCad.

You can copy and paste a word document in an autocad file as text or as an image. The tab delimted text file VW exports a worksheet as can be opened in word and appears as a table like layout - looks the same as it does when on the drawing in VW. With that said, you can copy and paste the word file (which has the vw exported worksheet opened in) to get the spreadsheet with an AutoCad file, if necessary to have shown on the drawing.

If I'm wrong about AutoCad importing a text file for a spreadsheet thingie, please tell me how it's done in AC and I will see if there's a way to do this.

[jfmarch]

My philosophy for what its worth: Vectorworks is a tool, not a lifestyle.

I find it satisfies my drafting and design needs. If updates correct bugs, make the program faster, and add nifty tools/commands, so much the better. Ploppping in "customizable assembly parts" to create a building is a drafting aid, in my opinion, and not design. A designer thinks about the whole building, a drafter just draws. The only interesting thing that VW should look at is similar to what "SketchUp" does (but hopefully with a better name).

By the way, the databse component works fine for me in that I add data to symbols when I draw them (doors, windows, sinks, etc.). I have seen many complaints about the database/worksheet aspect of the program, and can't understand what the problem is. We use worksheets to track symbols, indicate areas for building footprints and renatable areas, do code analysis, graphic legends, show the drawing list, indicate project contact names, etc.

The only beef I have with worksheets is that they cannot be exported as a component within a DWG...