Newbie Confused

[Chris Stegner]

I am working with the demo version of VW to see if we should purchase it for exhibit work we're doing. It's kind of a pain not having the ability to save but I'm learning and I'm pretty sure we'll be purchasing soon. I have talked to a sales rep with Nemetschek and as far as I'm concerned they have great customer relations. The person I spoke with was VERY nice and informative. I hope that goes on after the purchase.

I have two questions, one, are there many people out there doing custom exhibit work with VW. And the second is something I've tried to do and can't for the life of me figure out (keep in mind I'm new to VW and new to CAD in general, so be nice!).

In exhibit work there's a basic exhibit component called a backwall. Simply, its a 4 x 8 x 3 panel that is connected to other panels to make up the "backwall" of an exhibit. The big part of exhibit design are the graphics. I would need to show these graphics rendered to clients. Say all I want to do is place a 2 ft x 2 ft graphic on a backwall. I want to be able to view that in 3d as well. I can't seem to figure out how to do it. I have taken a 2 ft x 2 ft panel in front view and extruded it .125" and tried to paint it with an image but it just will not work!

I would highly appreciate any help in doing this. I need to make sure I can do it because it's a very big part of what I would be doing with VW.

Thanks in advance,

Chris Stegner

[Jershaun]

Hi

We use VW to do our exhibit designs here in South Africa and VW works pretty well. I have set up most of my library of system including Syma which we use sometimes to do shell schemes and I have also done various types of boards with one size for example I have a couple versions of a 960 x 2400 board-one graphic board one perspex and one plain. This is all done with extrusions. Thereafter it just means dragging and dropping from your library to make up your back wall.

Hope this helps-if not just ask me to clarify.

A bit of advice would be not to invest in RenderWorks but in another rendering program (something like Strata 3Dpro or if you have the money Cinema4D). I wish someone could have given me this advice before I invested in RW but you won't go wrong with VectorWorks. It is excellent for designing stands.

Good luck.

Shaun

[Bryan_dup1]

If you are new to drawing on computer, (but have drawn by hand), I would recommend VectorWorks for exhibit work. It is a quicker learn than other programs and the 3d capabilities are a plus.

VectorWorks is the most widely used CAD program in the exhibit industry according to a poll of Intex Exhibit (a mfg. of protable exhibits) US distributors.

I also wouldn't suggest RenderWorks but add a third modeling program called Art*lantis Render. You can directly place graphics on any shape exhibit component from an export from an Adobe or similar software product. You can also size the graphic in scale inches or metric prior to placement. I don't know if the other programs mentioned can do that.

Feel free to contact me direct if you have any other questions.

262-787-1928

[rjtiedeman]

I am an industrial designer (32 years). I have been working with Vectorworks since it was called Minicad. I have also worked as a exhibit designer for 12 years with a design group and 2 years in house for a exhibit shop in NY. I like Vectorworks for exhibit design. The shop I worked with in NY used Archicad with Art*lantis, both are fine. I can build a 20 foot display in a day and render it, do basic plan, elevations and set-up drawings in the same software. Its vary fast and its a good for both 2d for plans fast isometrics for set-ups. If you need to get a little better rendering you can use other render packages. Since RenderWorks, I have not found a need or a client who wanted to spring for the dollars to cover the extra time required to convert file to other render engines. If you build you designs using classes you can change colors and textures for the sales department in a flash. I am presently using both Formz and Vectorworks for Product, Package Design and In-store POP display designs. I would not recommend FormZ unless you have 2 or three years to kill or require the ability to build complex NURBS shapes.

Robert Tiedemann

Tiedemann Design