Vectorworks 2016 is here, ask us anything!

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Today’s the day! First, the slick overview commercial hitting some of the biggest and flashiest features, some of which you’ve already seen in the previews:

http://www.vectorworks.net/2016/

The more specific feature videos can be found in the above link under the New Features section. There are more features than we could cover in the above videos, a full list of what is included in Vectorworks 2016 software can be found below:

(I have grouped these features by general interest, NOT by which software package they are in, just because I put something in “Architectural” doesn't necessarily mean it ISN'T in Landmark, for instance. Also some of the names are a little ominous, please feel free to ask me to explain any of them.)

Architectural:

New Options for Corner Windows

Roof Components and Styles

Energos Energy Analysis

Door Hardware Position Control

Rotate Configuration Label Control for Electrical Symbols

3 and 4 Panel Sliding Windows

3D Modifiers for Slabs

New Slab Style From Unstyled Slab Contextual Menu Item

Eyedropper and Select Similar Tool Architectural Attributes

Roof Framer Alignment to a Roof Component

Updated Functionality of Door Hardware Library File

BIM Collaboration Format (BCF) Import Support

Increased Wall Component Auto Joining Control

Wall Style and Slab Style IFC Data

Datums at Slab Bottoms

Horizontal Section from Clip Cube

Persistent Y-Joins for Wall Replacement

Add Resource Thumbnail List to Architectural Features

Louver Windows

Z Offset for Door Threshold

Add Window Option for Fixed Glass No Sash

Glazing Thickness for Doors and Windows

Improved ODBC for IFC

Story and Style edit menus

Show Prefix in Elevation Benchmark

Consolidate Wall, Slab & Roof Component Classes

BIM Worksheet Functions

Landscape Design:

Slope Dimension Tool Improvements

Improve the Plant Data Presentation

Site Model Option to Collect Modifiers on Custom Set of Design Layers

Site Model Flow Arrows Enhancements

Bank Slope Support for Site Modifiers

Site Modifier Contouring Options

Hardscape Improvements

Tight Integration of Plant Definition and the Plant Database

Paving Options for Hardscapes

New Lines in Landscape Area Tags

Stake Elevation Units Control

Saved Settings for Site Model Dialogs

Create Grade Limits Slope Definition

Landmark Workspace Update

Create Solid Section from Grade Objects Grade Object

Entertainment:

Align/Distribute Improvements

Improved Create Stage Command

Specify Curved Truss by Diameter

Remove Items from Lighting Inventory

User default controlled class for the Focus Point object

Improve Symbol Selection for the Lighting Instrument and Accessory tools

Label Containers Shown in the Label Legend

Improvements to the Lighting Device

Hoist Tools

Improvements to the Photometric tools

Add ESP Symbol Libraries to Spotlight Symbol Libraries

Spotlight Classing Structure Linked Markers

Rendering:

-Renderworks Grass Shader

-Ambient Occlusion

Renderworks Camera Effects:

-Depth of Field

-Vignette

-Bloom

-Exposure

-Chromatic Aberration

-Renderworks CineRender R15 Upgrade:

-Physical Rendering Engine

-Fullscreen Preview

-Non-blocking Auto-cancelling Rendering for Design Layers

-Renderworks Camera Usability Improvements

Miscellaneous Renderworks Improvements:

-Caustics

-Environment Reflections

-Portal Indirect Lighting

Improved Indirect Lighting for Backlit Textures

Improved OpenGL Antialiasing

OpenGL Draw Edges Thickness Control

View Bar Projection Menu

OpenGL Panoramic and Physical Sky Backgrounds

OpenGL Auto-update of OpenGL Options and Ambient Lighting settings

JPEG and PNG Panoramic Backgrounds

Opacity Control for Image Mask Transparency Shader

Elapsed Render Time in Progress Bar

General:

Marionette

Project Sharing

Full Wall, Slab, Space, Door, Window, and IFC Functionality in All Design Series Products

Walkthrough Tool Gamer Mode

Direct Editing of Worksheet Cells

VS/SDK Support for creating IFC Custom Presets

Compact Mode for Radial Dimensions

Integrate Vectorworks Cloud Services with Vectorworks

Mac Palette Docking

Migration Manager

New Worksheet Formula to Run Scripts

OBJ File Import

Subdivision Object

Replace Deleted Resources

Replace Symbol Class

Improved DWG/DXF Export of Classes from Design Layer Viewports

Improved DWG/DXF Export of Sheet Layer Viewports

Map VW Classes/Layers to DXF/DWG Layers

MVD for IFC Import / Export

New Vectorworks Installation System

Publish Usability Improvements

VPM Improvements

Mac Code Signing

Improved Support for High Resolution Displays on Windows

Eyedropper Support for Dimensions

Script Editor Code Collapse and Color

Expand/Collapse all Groups in Resource Browser

Auto Scale Option for Markers in Viewports

Option to Disable In-Place Editing of Referenced Resources

Purge Coincident Duplicate Objects

Reshape Tool support for Arcs and Lines

Point Clouds Inside Vectorworks

Add Resource Thumbnail List to the Symbol Tool

Add New North Arrow Configuration

Standardized attribute names in Custom Tools, Eyedropper and Select Similar Preferences dialogs

Use Resource Thumbnail List in Symbol Replace Dialogs

Import STL Files

Export 3D PDF (3D only)

Export PDF Subset Fonts

Extended Shoulder in Callout Tool

Flattened DLSVPs show as Hidden Line in Wireframe

The above ordering/grouping is not official by any means, I just tried to sort them for forum readers by area of interest. 122-ish features! It’s more than that this year honestly, but I cleaned the list of things like “xx tool converted from Vectorscript to SDK (Re-engineering)” since they are not important knowledge for a user and won’t change workflow at all for the time being.

Additionally, this year the trial is available RIGHT NOW! So if you don’t have a Service Select subscription and thus haven’t gotten your new version automatically through the portal, you can grab a trial immediately, here:

http://www.vectorworks.net/trial/form

The entire trial process is explained here: http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/1339/Vectorworks+2016+Trial+Installation

I am now free to discuss any and all subjects regarding the Vectorworks 2016 release. Ask away!

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

We have also updated the Getting Started Guides, which if you’ve never looked at, you should:

http://www.vectorworks.net/getting-started-guides

We did the Renderworks one in particular very differently this year with a more casual tone, if you prefer it over the more traditional instructional style, or if you hate it, please let us know!

Also, you can find installation instructions here:

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/1344/Vectorworks+2016+E+Series+Installation

and the 2016 system requirements here:

http://kbase.vectorworks.net/questions/1338/Vectorworks+2016+System+Requirements

[Kizza 8]

some nice features, roof components and slab addition and subtraction.

Still no Live Sections and materials/or section attributes via classes.

Why?

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Not everything can make it in every version, some things take a long time, also the implementation of a feature doesn't necessarily begin at the moment it is requested, some requests are on a waiting list of a year or two, if not more before they being implementation. Theres really no "why" to a specific feature other than it just wasn't up in the list yet.

[fabrica 97]

are there going to be any video tutorials for energos, marionette etc? The GSG guides are good and I liked the new render works one.

I don't think I'll ever understand marionette scripting but willing to watch a video first before conceding defeat!

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Yessir, for both. They're on my plate as we speak, I suspect you'll see the first ones within a week or so.

Glad you liked the Renderworks one specifically! We are trying out the more casual tone to see if its more comfortable/easy to work with than the others.

[Kizza 8]

No love this time

[digitalcarbon 343]

cannot find export PDF 3D

[Jershaun 9]

Hi Jim,

Has there been any changes to the send to cinema 4d feature. I'm more interested in the user control of how the model is exported to c4d. Renderworks features don't interest me as I'm a c4d and vray user and I find that vw is always over riding my changes done in c4d. Eg. Materials are replaced in c4d by the original vw ones. Eg. My vray light tags are lost it i update lights. Etc. Etc. I can only work in c4d once all work in vw is completed.

I would like to be able to control the way textures are exported. Eg. At the moment vw does what it wants and sends 2 textures to c4d although there is only 1 texture in the vw document.

Is there any possibility of bringing back the old export to cinema 4d command?

Thanks, Jershaun

[Chris Gentry 2]

Do you have to add it to your workspace? Haven't downloaded yet so just a guess.

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Did you do a Migration? It may have been missed, you can add it in Tools > Workspaces > Edit Current Workspace > Menus > Left side, All Menus > Export 3D PDF (3D Only)

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Not in this version, but the plan is to have all the functionality the original export plugin did, and more in the future.

[digitalcarbon 343]

i did a migration. i just added it to my work space. now i have it.

[Jershaun 9]

Ok thanks Jim.

Can you please add it to the official wish list? And thereafter I guess it will be a race between vw and revit to get a workable link to c4d.

Cheers,

[AlanW 522]

YAY!!! 3D PDF Export.

Fabulous.

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Ok thanks Jim.

Can you please add it to the official wish list? And thereafter I guess it will be a race between vw and revit to get a workable link to c4d.

Cheers,

I certainly can, but its already a little further along than that, it was accepted as a wish, only a matter of time now! However, ill go ahead and link your post to the current task.

[bcd 292]

Excellent work team. This is very exciting I can't wait to play with the new features ( & fixes)

Love that 3d PDF has finally made it in.

Project Sharing

Roof Styles & Components

Caustics

Hoists

Worksheet cells & Component Specific data from Walls etc.

....

[Markvl 187]

Looks like some nice upgrades but still disappointed there are some architectural features that are still on the wish lists.

Export to 3D PDF is fantastic.

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

There will ALWAYS be pending items on the wishlist, hopefully, so that we can keep advancing. Although I guess if it was ever completely empty, we could all retire...

[barkest 154]

Export 3D PDF would be nice for students but I guess you cannot give all the functionality. Its just very useful for them when they send their portfolios for job applications (which in turn benefits everyone as there are more VW users on the ground). I know our students (2 x courses which equals around 150 students in total) would love to be able to do this.

Any chance you could revisit this decision?

(I know you got the export to collada reversed last time so I have my fingers crossed)

thank you

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Export 3D PDF would be nice for students but I guess you cannot give all the functionality. Its just very useful for them when they send their portfolios for job applications (which in turn benefits everyone as there are more VW users on the ground). I know our students (2 x courses which equals around 150 students in total) would love to be able to do this.

Any chance you could revisit this decision?

(I know you got the export to collada reversed last time so I have my fingers crossed)

thank you

I'll add that to my request on regular PDFs being unlocked for students as well, thank you!

[barkest 154]

much appreciated.

btw we can already export to regular pdf

thanks again

[PVA - Jim 2,383]

Wait, do you mean that you simply don't see the Export 3D PDF option? It may just have to be manually added to the workspace via Tools > Workspaces > Edit Current Workspace > Menus, another user had that issue this morning as well.

I had thought you meant the exported 3D PDF was locked like the student PDFs are?

EDIT: But if you don't even see it to add it because its an educational version, then yes I'll go ahead and submit a request that it be included.

Edited September 16, 2015 by JimW

[Jim Smith 333]

Looks even better than what I saw in Philadelphia! I look forward to getting into many of the features especially project sharing & Marionette!

[rDesign 461]

Yessir, for both. They're on my plate as we speak, I suspect you'll see the first ones within a week or so.

Glad you liked the Renderworks one specifically! We are trying out the more casual tone to see if its more comfortable/easy to work with than the others.

I liked the more casual tone and that the videos seemed more conversational in pointing out things that might happen unexpectedly and how to fix them.

I know you can't make everyone happy with each new release, but it looks good to me so far. Keep up the good work Team NV!