VW 12 system requirements?

[Hugo]

I have been unbale to find VW 12's system requirements in Nemetschek web site or in the PDF available for download.

I am planning to buy a new computer, a Mac specifically. I like the new iMacs Apple released last week, they seem a good balance between performance and value, but I know new Powermacs are supposed to debut this week, maybe with dual core processors, probably faster graphics than iMacs, etc.

Does VW take advantage of 64 bit processors, dual core processors or dual (single or double core) processors? What about the new video card in the new iMacs? What requirements are needed for radiosity renedrings? Any info would be very useful for me.

Thank you.

[ 10-16-2005, 03:33 PM: Message edited by: Hugo ]

[CipesDesign]

VW's DESIGNER SYSTEM REQ's

[D Wood]

Thanks to Peter for that cross reference, but really 256Mb Ram and a G3 Mac is a recipe for painfully slow rendering and printing with v11.5 VWA+R, let alone version 12, so you have got to be thinking in terms of 1 - 2Gb RAM and at least a G5 processor, or preferably a dual. If you're using it professionally, it's not a lot to invest in your business. The iMacs are consumer computers, hence all the eye candy features, the Powermacs are for business.

HTH

David W

Auckland, NZ

VWA+R 11.5.1

17"iMac, 512MB RAM, OS10.3.9

[Peter van der Elst]

I think the iMac is a powerful machine and "professional" enough for Vectorworks. The new iMac has better specs than the single G5 Powermac. If you're a heavy duty renderer then a dual (or 2 dual core G5) is much better.

Regards,

Peter

[Christiaan]

Hugo, the way Mac OS X is designed to work with graphics especially means that RAM and graphics cards are big factors. Bear in mind that the iMac only takes 2.5 GB RAM (and that's with an expensive 2GB RAM module) whereas the Power Macs can take 8GB, and may well handle more come Wednesday. You're also able to upgrade later or specify a different graphics card on purchase.

If your budget can handle it I would highly recommend you go for a Power Mac of the highest spec possible. This will save you a lot of hassle and possibly be cheaper in the long run, while also putting you in good stead for VW 12 and beyond.

[CipesDesign]

Hugo, I would certainly second what Christiaan says above. I was looking for, but could not find, a second link to the NNA site, which (if I remember it ) said: These are *minimum* requirements, and depending on how you use VW's you may want much more. In fact, I am about to buy more RAM for my setup. :-)

[Kevin]

I have 2.5 GB of ram in my G5. Yesterday I found that I had only about 20 mb of free memory. I had VW, Photoshop and a few other programs open.

For me, I do not like to close programs to simply save on free memory. For that reason, it makes sense to have the ability to install more memory.

Remember that Renderworks can use both processors of a G5.

Now having said all of that, I certainly do like the idea of an iMac. I just don't think it is setup for the demands of a professional CAD user.

[alanmac]

Hugo

It's always a difficult choice when it's your own hard earned money you are stumping up, or worse putting your signature to a big fat loan to pay for equipment.

Maybe you should look at it like this. You'll never regret having too fast a computer or too much RAM but you'll always regret the reverse.

Whilst it really is a case of what each person is trying to achieve with their equipment I think if its something you intend sitting at for most of your working day it should work easily effortlessly and let you get on with doing the job.

I think for this purpose the base model Dual 2 ghz G5 Tower should be your entry level with at least 1.5 gig of ram. But I'd wait to see what happens after the New York event this week.

You may be looking at faster machines or using this fact to get a good price on an "older" model.

Certainly, as said before, the G5 iMac will be an improvement on your current machine, no doubt, and the 20" looks a cracking spec for the money.

If that's all you can really afford then at least its one of the best options available, but do try to max the ram, even if its buying the minimum at machine time but buying better value ram elswhere afterwards.

Apple's tend to be expensive although slightly better on price these days. But do buy good quality, I hear the G5's don't like cheap ram, as in poor quality.

Alan

[ 10-17-2005, 11:39 AM: Message edited by: alanmac ]

[Eoin R]

We are a firm of architects and have just upgraded to a 20" 2Ghz G5 imac with 2MbRAM and can confirm that it works flawlessly with Vectorworks.

We considered the PowerMac option but decided to invest in the imac and wait until the Intel transition is fully settled down with software native to the intel macs available before upgrading again if necessary.

From our experience 3 weeks in on the G5imac I consider that it will meet our needs without any difficulty for some time to come. It is also very good value compared to the PowerMac options.

[alanmac]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Peter van der Elst:

The new iMac has better specs than the single G5 Powermac.

Regards,

Peter

---

Hi Peter

Just as a little side note I think you'll find Apple have quietly dropped the single processor G5 Towers from its line up some time ago. I think the only available would be in stock or ex-demo etc. items

Alan

[Peter van der Elst]

Alan -> You're absolutely right. I don't look in the Apple Store often. Maybe the dual CPU's are dropped this wednesday :-)

Regards,

Peter

[alanmac]

Peter

Yes indeed.

Will it be dual core single processors machines or (and this gets the heart racing)dual core dual processor machines.

Only another day to go.

Mind you, many days before I can afford one !!!

Alan

[Christiaan]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Kevin:

Remember that Renderworks can use both processors of a G5.

---

Interesting, didn't know that. I assume then that it uses both dual-cores too. Oh man oh man, I might be ordering one of these babies at work this week.

[blimey]

Hi,

I see that you all have Mac's (I have a PC). And very powerfull. I agree with Alanmac, saying that one would never regret having a more powerfull machine. It is so true when you just wait for the machine... I've got 1Giga Ram. I thought it was a lot. But it seems that it doesn't when I read you. I've got a Pentium4 do you think thatadding 1 more G would speed up rendering? I've got problems with the hidden line. I think it is due to the windows (I have a lot). Everything is slower after I add the windows...

[propstuff]

IMT,

I can tell you that on my system, rendering an image with horrible amounts of lights, transparency and reflections, the RAM usage never gets above about 200-300Mb.

Rendering speed is really down to processor grunt

Hidden Line rendering is generally slower than other modes. Andrew Bell (I think it was) gave a very informative run down on why that is, somewhere on this board. He has also recently given an interesting explanation of multiple processor usage.

cheers

[blimey]

thanks Nicholas

I will check for multiple processor, I'm no sure my motherboard can take it though. i'll try to upgrade the pentium anyway.

Li Mei

[alanmac]

Li Mei

Pentium 4 is not available as a dual processor configuration. You'd need to be running a Xeon machine to have that capability, or the older Pentium 3 machines.

What you may have is Hyperthreading (HT) whereby the processor appears like two processors to the Windows OS.

Also don't confuse this with the latest dual core processors from Intel and AMD, which Apple now has with its latest machines.

Along the way both Intel and AMD changed their processor designs so that each processor has different pin connection configurations.

So its not a case of pulling your processor and replacing with a dual core one - only if your motherbard design was designed for it in the first place. It would have to be a fairly new machine to be that way.

AMD dual cores are regarded as the better of the two in windows machines, again they are not interchangeable. If yours is a Pentium board you can't fit AMD and vice versa.

Alan

[blimey]

ohoho... Well thank you very much Alan

(though I'm not sure I have the ability to catch it all :-) I'm not very technical).

About HT : I've heard about Hyperthreading but do not quite know what it is. How can I check I my machine does it?

About AMD : Everytime I go and ask to be advised on a computer they told me not to by AMD. They say I'm an architect and the soft I use (but which they actually don't know) needs a lot of calculation ability. So they sell me Pentium (I'm always attracted by AMD for the prices). The last AMD I had was years ago (AMD K6)... It has huge problem of heat. So I'll take your advise and by an AMD dual core next time. For now I'm afraid to be stuck with my pentium motherboard...The good news is that it is fairly recent (new socket)... so I think HT is possible (It rings a bell somewhere...)

Thanks

[alanmac]

lmt

In Windows XP, press the following keys together, control-alt-delete. This will bring up a Windows Task Manager window.

Tab onto the Performance tab.

If you have HT enabled you will see in the area marked "CPU Usage History" to the right top side two grided windows each showing the use of your processors. If you have say VW doing a hidden line render you'll see one window with the green graph line way high, whilst the other is low.

If you have Renderworks (I don't) and are rendering you may see both graph lines moving high up the scale. Just like the heart rate machines in hospitals.

If by any strange chance you don't have HT enabled its I believe an option you change in the motherboard bios.

It sounds like you are not to happy on messing about with machines, so seek advice from your supplier before going into this area. One wrong move and you have a non working PC.

Going back to the Windows Task Manager in the other tabbed areas you can see the processes on your machine working. Click on the Processes tab, scroll down to VW and see the memory usage it's using. Go back to VW choose a hidden line render, go back to that window and watch the memory usage climb !!

Regards

Alan

[ 10-25-2005, 06:53 PM: Message edited by: alanmac ]