VW12 - UK Version

[michael john williams]

I am meeting the MD of NNA and CU at the VW conference in London next week and have been asked to give my thoughts on what a UK user wants from the UK version of Vectorworks 12.

So I thought I would post the question here to give an opportunity to all UK users to post their wish list for me to present it to NNA and CU.

[michael john williams]

Perhaps there is no requirement for a UK version of VW 12?

[Christiaan]

Better support for metric, which I understand is already part of VW 12. Single platform localisation, which I believe is already part of VW 12. Better defaults for trade steel and timber sizes? Metric out-of-the-box (i.e. you never see imperial unless you ask for it)

I'll be at the conference too.

[quigley]

More UK specific wall styles

More appropriate Model setup/document setup for UK users

Option to remove all USA specific objects and settings with one preference selection

More UK appropriate object libraries

[Ted Walsh]

Now that .shp files can be imported into VW12 (from ArcGIS) we ought to be able to georeference raster maps into real-world coordinates.

TW

[Ted Walsh]

Just learned from a CEO post that georeferencing is supported! At last! This will make the upgrade worthwhile for my kind of map-based environmental work

TW

[Robert Anderson]

SHP import and export (i.e. georeferencing) are supported, but only in VW Landmark and VW Designer.

[Ted Walsh]

Robert,

I am a Landmark 11.5 user and will upgrade but had hoped that raster maps could also be georeferenced. Is this likely to be available in future grades?

TW

[Stuart Gray]

Michael,

We have been using VW for about 7 years, and it was actually our first ever CAD Program here in the office.

In older versions there were quite a few things that would have been nice to have as a UK Localised version, but now that we can make our own wall styles up, and many of the new features of 11 / 12 I can't really think of anything that is missing.

Yes more Manufacturers Libraries would be great but to be honest where would be the incentive for NNA to do this, imagine the cost.

The only thing that I still find a bit glitchy is the cavity return too at jambs of windows and doors. It would be nice if this was improved, and also had the option of say inserting a cavity closer like Thermabate etc, rather than just returning a leaf etc.

Some more British style vehicles would be nice but i'm sure if we really tried we could find some somewhere!

I'll ask around the office and see if anyone else has any ideas and post any replies.

Wish I could have got to the conference myself!

Regards,

Stuart Gray

FAW Architects

Northampton, England

[Christiaan]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stuart Gray:

Yes more Manufacturers Libraries would be great but to be honest where would be the incentive for NNA to do this, imagine the cost.

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Not sure if this was in reference to my comment but in any case I'm not so worried about manufacturers libraries and more concerned about industry standards. I'm pretty sure?although they're available in metric dims?most of the default steel sizes in VW 11 for instance are not the sizes used in real life. I haven't had a proper look into this but I do remember one of our engineers once commenting on one of my drawings in this regard.

quote:

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The only thing that I still find a bit glitchy is the cavity return too at jambs of windows and doors. It would be nice if this was improved, and also had the option of say inserting a cavity closer like Thermabate etc, rather than just returning a leaf etc.

---

Oh yes, this is a good one. I've spent much time working around this one on occasion.

[michael john williams]

Well here are a few gathered thougts from UK architects:

1. Live section tool in 12 could easily have been developed into a more construction tool rather than just presentation before it was released. At the very least it could of shown cavities in walls, so that what you see in plan you see in section.

2. Also the promotional blurb I see from NNA and Computers Unlimited is that 12 has ?live? section tools and ?makes construction drawings more easily.? That would be great if it was true but I do not think it is true, as you have to drawing over the presentation sections to make constructions which are then not live.

3. VW maybe affordable but it is not cheap, especially when you have to pay for an upgrade every two years and it takes staff at least 2 years to learn and effectively use each upgrade.

4. UK standard size sanitary fittings in 3 D format?

5. UK standard roof configurations, such as parapet walls, dormers, rooflights, hips, thatch, etc?

6. Dormers and rooflights are a real pain to use, why can they not be easier and more editable once inserted?

7. Also roofs can also be difficult and only works for simple roofs and most roofs in UK are not simple, ie hips, partial hips, valley gutters, etc.

8. UK / European 3 D cards, trees and shrubs?

9. UK English / terms rather than American English / terms, ie hopper, horizontal slider, muntins, etc

10. UK garage doors?

11. UK door, window and kitchen fittings in 3 D format?

12. Are there any demos of the UK plug ins and version 12 additions?

13. Sanitary fittings ? Armatage Shanks, Twyfords, B&Q, Kaldewei, Saneux

14. Kitchens, sinks and white goods ? IKEA, Habitat, MFI, Magnet, Smallbone, Neff, Siemens, Smeg

15. Windows and Doors ? Fitroy, Premdor, Just Doors, Rationel, Mumford & Wood, Velux, Rooflight Company,

16. Garaged doors ? Garador, Hormann

17. Furniture ? IKEA, Habitat

18. Roofs ? Eternit, Marley

19. Cladding - Kingspan

20. UK stairs, ie winders, etc

21. Why can you not have one viewport that shows line in front of render, rather than have 2 viewports for line and render?

22. Why do window / door lines look so big in elevations so that you have to mask them out?

23. Why not have sketch in the basic version?

24. Why are stone and brick renders more random?

[Chris D]

We ditched the Architect version at VW11 because it was of so little use to UK architects, but we are thinking of upgrading again with VW12.

The real basics would be nice:

UK Steel sizes to BS 4-1:1993

UK Timber sizes to BS 4471: 1996

UK Wall styles - a basic few including Brick and Block cavity

UK Kitchen cabinet sizes

UK Window styles

Terminology should also be region specific.

[mike m oz]

Chris D - this is really an issue for your UK distributor. You should lobby them.

I would have thought it was in their interests to add value to the UK Architect version by providing the capabilities you ask for in local libraries.

[michael john williams]

Mike

That is what we are doing and that is the point of these postings so that we can gather the requirements of UK users and present them to CU and NNA at the conference in London next week.

[Robert Anderson]

MJW, many of the concerns in your list have been addressed in VW Architect 12.

[Christiaan]

quote:

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Originally posted by Chris D:

Terminology should also be region specific.

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This is one the biggest issues, causing many people in our office to dismiss such tools as the window plugin. This issue in particular doesn't seem to me to be one for a local distributor to deal with. Or is it? (or maybe it's already addressed in v12?)

[michael john williams]

Apparently anything specific to the local region like the UK is suppose to be dealt with by the local distributor. However some local distributors do it better than others. CU, the UK distributor, has promised a UK version of VW12.

[quigley]

This is not necessarily the case. It depends on the agreements that have been set up. Australia has a very active distributor in OzCad PTY, who actually write a lot of the new plug ins for NNA, and sell a localised version. CU is not that kind of business, and, to be frank, the UK and Australian markets are totally different anyway in terms of volume and scope.

If you are going to the conference this week, speak directly to NNA and CU to get the full picture.

[Christiaan]

quote:

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Originally posted by michael john williams:

Apparently anything specific to the local region like the UK is suppose to be dealt with by the local distributor.

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Does this mean the local distributor has access to the source code of VW? I would have thought that would be the only way to alter the hard-coded terminology with regard to things like window plugins.

[Christiaan]

Well it turns out, the way I understand it, that Nemetschek have actually enlisted there own person to improve or advise on improving Vectorworks for the UK (Chris someone?forgot his name?and he looks to have done a pretty good job). Which is a good thing because, from what I can tell, Computers Unlimited (the UK distributor) has been woeful in this regard.

[Robert Anderson]

Christiaan, Chris BACCALA is our new "content" guy at NNA, and I'm glad to hear that you think he's done OK. What was your impression of the "roll-out" event in London? We haven't heard anything back here at HQ.

[michael john williams]

It was a very good event. Dan did go on a bit at the intro - over 2 hrs on v12 improvements and it was a bit much to take it all in but worth it as 12 seems pretty good, but it is still not available yet in the UK. The event was well attended by a mixed bunch - not just architects - and other products were covered such as sketchup and perinisse. I had a chance to present by findings from other UK users and discuss UK related issues with the NNA team and this was well received. onvinced me to get 12 and another licence.

[Christiaan]

Been on holiday Robert, hence the lack of response. I'll dig some notes out. All in all I found it immensely useful.

[michael john williams]

Got V12 now and looking forward to UK version ad ons / plug ins.