The world needs more VectorWorks or How do buildings drawn in ACAD actually get built?!?

[Jim Smith]

I take (almost) every gripe I've ever posted here about VW back; almost. I have just spent two days trying to figure out why the imported plans from a base building's design firm isn't agreeing with the updated Grids they've sent us. Turns out that these knuckle heads just place stuff wherever the fig they want on their ACAD Layers then reference them into paper space. The result is one must manually find every hard point in the annotation layer & correct the VW file accordingly! 

 

I'm sure one of the reasons firms use ACAD & Revit is there are tonnes of people out there who can operate the software. The problem is; there are tonnes of people out there who can operate the software- and don't know what the heck they are doing! 

 

To paraphrase the former PoUS when addressing the Canadian Parliament in 2016: "THE WORLD NEEDS MORE VECTORWORKS!"

Edited November 22, 2017 by Jim Smith

[line-weight]

This is a problem with the users, rather than the software, surely?

 

It's also possible to create horrible drawings in VW.

 

Or is the point that VW is sufficiently unintuitive to use that the knuckleheads aren't able to operate it, thus a minimum standard of user is effectively enforced?

[AlanW]

No matter what you are doing, 

garbage in = garbage out

[Jim Smith]

I guess my point is that since lots & lots of folks have a passing knowledge of ACAD, drawings get produced in a "just get it done" fashion so a lot of shabby drafting gets produced. Generally speaking at most VW firms people have to LEARN the software; not to say that's a prophylactic for stupidity - I've seen & done enough of that! But the fundamental premise of VW is one "builds" a thing on the same x,y,z axis rather than having rely on referencing everything from Grid locations and text many, many problems are avoided. 

[nikihoops]

I was trained on AutoCad when I first joined the architecture/construction industry and knew my way around very well and could

produce great drawings....or so I thought. Having used VW for nearly 7 years now I find it much more user friendly (most of the time!) and the output is much much better too. I know its 'garbage in = garbage out' to a degree but while freelancing recently I was forced back to AutoCAD for a couple of months! I hated it, really hated it. I found that people were lazy with it and the drawings were soooooo untidy, it felt that lines, boxes etc were just placed to make things look better rather than actually produce a 'working' drawing because it was easier than trying to work out how best to actually do it - and working out how to actually do it felt long winded in a program like that. Just drawing basic stuff in AutoCAD feels painfully drawn out and the long way round. 

 

VW all the way for me please

[zoomer]

3 hours ago, nikihoops said:

I was forced back to AutoCAD for a couple of months! I hated it, really hated it.

 

No doubt here.

But I am not experienced with ACAD at all.

As I use Bricscad, I try to avoid everything ACAD inside where ever possible.

 

Is it an ACAD (or Briscad) thing

- that a tediously Selection always dies as soon as you used it for any command ?

- does every Tool stop after execution and has to be reactivated, except the Line Tool ?

- that you can select elements that are on Layers switched off ?

- that you can select elements (pick or marquee) that are on locked Layers,

  which will just prevent them from being edited ?

Edited November 29, 2017 by zoomer

[nrkuhl]

I'm pretty certain that ty 2D drawings happen no matter what the software is, and VW users are just as bad as ACAD users.

 

If anything forces people to be better, it's shifting to BIM/3D workflows, since I think it's more obvious when your bad choices don't work.  But you can still fake it in 3D too.

[nikihoops]

Yes using BIM does almost highlight those bad choices straight away and its very useful but again like you say it can still be faked to a certain degree. I just dislike AutoCAD due to it feeling like everything is done the long way.

 

Anyway I'm happily working away with my VW and getting on quite well with the BIM stuff now. (until my detailed sections need drawing!)

[nikihoops]

On 29/11/2017 at 1:47 PM, zoomer said:

 

No doubt here.

But I am not experienced with ACAD at all.

As I use Bricscad, I try to avoid everything ACAD inside where ever possible.

 

Is it an ACAD (or Briscad) thing

- that a tediously Selection always dies as soon as you used it for any command ?

- does every Tool stop after execution and has to be reactivated, except the Line Tool ?

- that you can select elements that are on Layers switched off ?

- that you can select elements (pick or marquee) that are on locked Layers,

  which will just prevent them from being edited ?

 

Yes you've pretty much hit the nail on the head there...

[zoomer]

Thanks nikihoops,

 

so those these are all existing in ACAD.

So Apps that are true compatible with ACAD will do the same and there is potentially

no way to change that. Because of the ACAD Ecosystem with thousands of 3rd party

Apps that rely on this.