Did it just become possible to run VW on an iPad Pro??

[Kevin McAllister]

I noticed that Apple upgraded their iPad Pro line today and they are now running on the M1 chip. Does this mean that the new iPad Pro will run Vectorworks?

 

Kevin

 

[zoomer]

No.

 

iOS/iPadOS Apps can run on M1 Macs.

But to run VW on iOS, it would need a lot of tedious adaptions.

If they see a market - why not.

But I think that would need a few years of development.

 

 

Lets see how long it takes to get even VW native Apple ARM ready,

or even full Metal suport or even even getting Apple ARM "optimized"

[Kevin Allen]

I would guess that if we could run VWX on iOS, the company would be speaking. iOS is not MacOS.

[Jeff Prince]

I want this to happen so bad.  Having Vectorworks on the ipad would be amazing.

[Jens Marr]

@zoomer If there don't see the market there are totally blind or ....!

And you better be quick before other catch the bird.

Edited April 21, 2021 by JuanP
Inappropriate language

[zoomer]

I have no clue if there is a market.

I haven't had any need so far for CAD on iOS. I do mostly Visualization only

or am fine inside with my desktop.

Isn't there already an iOS Nomad App where you can open your VWX and

watch plans, dimension and take notes on site (?)

 

I think if there is a need for more VW on iOS or iPad OS,

which may easily run such things,

it would be likely more about adding VW features to Nomad App than

trying to convert VW to iOS/iPad OS.

 

But what do I know.

I don't understand even Apples strategies and why desktops should not have

Pen and Touch or why an iPad with M1, 16 GB and 2 TB SSD, keyboard and

Mouse support should not run a full macOS but only a limited iPad OS ....

Edited April 21, 2021 by zoomer

[Jens Marr]

Did you ever had  an iPad or iPhone?

If yes you can answer the question yourself (if you use it for more then just emails and phone calls) if not get one.

The question is why trying to develop an App like Nommad? I am sure almost every one like to have the full capability of VW no matter what.

I hope you don't compare apples with pears(Microsoft) regarding Apples strategies, sure there do all of this in their own interest. Who wouldn't?

I can see that apples future OS is more and more like the iOS.

Anyway If there is someone coming out with an app like VW, running on iPad and Mac, there have me onboard.

 

[Jeff Prince]

 

1 hour ago, zoomer said:

I have no clue if there is a market.

The number of tablets you see on a construction site these days being used to refer to drawings and specifications, take photos and videos, sketch, etc is staggering.

It would be interesting to know how many of those folks would benefit from having a full access to design drawings instead of markup capability only.  Creating PDFs to then calibrate and view on the ipad is kind of silly.  Marking up drawings and then having to import them into VWX to input the captured information is yet more duplication of effort.

 

I would think design/builders in the residential sector would be particularly keen to having this capability.

 

I know my field work would benefit from having Vectorworks running on an Ipad because it's the only production tool I have that doesn't run on one.

 

That new Imac looks like a giant ipad, so it's probably just a matter of time 🙂

I'll keep hoping in the meantime.

[M5d]

On 4/21/2021 at 4:51 AM, zoomer said:

No.

 

iOS/iPadOS Apps can run on M1 Macs.

But to run VW on iOS, it would need a lot of tedious adaptions. . . .

 

Maybe Mac Catalyst will evolve now, so that bringing mac OS Apps (once they're A/S native) to the iPad, is as efficient as porting iPad Apps to Apple Silicon Macs. 

 

It appears they're heading that way, with the iPad Pro being made to appear, more or less, as capable as a desktop. 

 

 

[Jens Marr]

33 minutes ago, M5d said:

 

Maybe Mac Catalyst will evolve now, so that bringing mac OS Apps (once they're A/S native) to the iPad, is as efficient as porting iPad Apps to Apple Silicon Macs. 

 

It appears they're heading that way, with the iPad Pro being made to appear, more or less, as capable as a desktop. 

 

 

There we have it! Just a matter of who dos it first.

 

[Christiaan]

 

On 4/20/2021 at 8:42 PM, jeff prince said:

I want this to happen so bad.  Having Vectorworks on the ipad would be amazing.

 

For what reasons?

Edited April 22, 2021 by Christiaan

[zoomer]

17 hours ago, Jens Marr said:

Did you ever had  an iPad or iPhone?

 

 

Since the release of iPad 1

As said not much demand from my side, so my opinion doesn't mind that much.

 

But for me iOS and now iPadOS was always a crippled experience, even for Mail or Safari.

I think I use my iPad 95% for YouTube ... I always preferred to work on Desktops.

 

But if I would need or want VW underway, I personally would still prefer to just run

it on a 13" M1 MacBook Air (which is even cheaper than the relevant iPad config)

or the 13" M1 MacBook Pro.

 

I am not against VW on iOS or iPadOS though.

I just stated that it is very likely far easier to put missing VW functionality into Nomad

App than trying to change VW code to work on iPadOS.

So I am a bit pessimistic that VW on iOS will ever happen (soon). Maybe it is more

likely to get a VW as a Web App in Safari, instead or before.

[Jeff Prince]

9 hours ago, Christiaan said:

 

 

For what reasons?

I use my iPad for every workflow except Vectorworks at this point.

For field work, it’s hard to beat...

I could see using an iOS VWX for:

capture as-built info to start a project

developing design vignettes

referring to the model

presenting the model during a meeting, especially when connected to an Apple TV.

Referring to and marking up documents during construction observation, even developing solutions on site.

 

The convenience of the iPad form factor makes it like a sketchbook, I use it for all kinds of workflows.  While it isn’t a substitute for a workstation, it sure would be nice to have the ability to directly input information and model element directly 8nto the vectorworks file instead of the current workflows.

 

I experimented with magic plan and a few similar floorplan apps.  The speed and accuracy of measuring and creating plans was over 4x faster than traditional measuring/paper field drawing/CAD.  When I was in Kuwait, I did a number of case studies of this workflow vs some senior architectural technicians and found their accuracy to be 5-10% off with the App process being 1-1.5% off.  Unfortunately, this doesn’t work for exterior landscape architecture so well, but it is amazing for interior work.  If VWK had some clean way of inputting data n the field into a file that could update the desktop automatically without a bunch of legwork, that would be interesting.

[zoomer]

5 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

For field work, it’s hard to beat...

 

 

You convinced me nearly.

(Although no field work needed here)

 

Of course it is better to directly draw your changes into your file instead

of annotating and updating files later in the office.

(But maybe that is also the faster workflow in such situations outside)

And for measuring existing buildings.

 

But on the other hand,

aren't those specific iPad Apps, that work for a single special purpose,

like measuring via Photogrametry, Lidar, .... not a better user experience

than clunky VW ?

Isn't there already a BIM PCF App where you can note your problems

already at a defined saved view of the 3D model, add Photos and Notes

..... and let do the work for you by someone at the office (?)

[Jeff Prince]

1 minute ago, zoomer said:

 

But on the other hand,

aren't those specific iPad Apps, that work for a single special purpose,

like measuring via Photogrametry, Lidar, .... not a better user experience

than clunky VW ?

Isn't there already a BIM PCF App where you can note your problems

already at a defined saved view of the 3D model, add Photos and Notes

..... and let do the work for you by someone at the office (?)

yes, there are a ton of apps for collecting data, marking up, etc.  the problem is they involves steps to get back into VWX for changes.  When I have a residential landscape project that would not justify a proper survey, I actually bring a big piece of foam core with an aerial photo mounted on it and manually draft the project using pencils and scales.  I do this because field drawing catches any measuring or relationship errors before leaving the site.  The fact that I’m doing a paper process for this is a bit silly.  I enjoy doing it, but I would enjoy it more if I could just go directly into the software.  When the weather allows, I sometime take my laptop to such sites and just model in the field.  Tomorrow, I will visit two residential jobs with paper on board and manually field draft.  One was started via aerial photography and GIS info, but I can’t work on the digital model in the field, so paper it is.  The other one starts with no data, so blank sheet of paper it is 😞. Paper is faster than Bluebeam, etc.  I’m considering purchasing a survey instrument to speed things up and at least start with fairly accurate digital information.  Such are the joys of a sole proprietor:)

 

[Jens Marr]

 

Hi Guys,

 

this was before M1!

 

 

[zoomer]

^ I watched nearly all of his Videos !

(on an iPad Air 2)

 

But my priority is to get his Style Templates for VW !!!

Edited April 22, 2021 by zoomer

[Christiaan]

On 4/22/2021 at 7:49 PM, jeff prince said:

I could see using an iOS VWX for:

capture as-built info to start a project

developing design vignettes

referring to the model

presenting the model during a meeting, especially when connected to an Apple TV.

Referring to and marking up documents during construction observation, even developing solutions on site.

 

This kind of functionally is more likely to be added to Nomad than for Vectorworks to be added to iOS methinks?

Edited July 10, 2022 by Christiaan

[Jeff Prince]

5 hours ago, Christiaan said:

 

This kind of functionally is more likely to be added to Nomad than for Vectorworks to be added to iOS methinks.

You are probably right.  I guess I could always investigate AutoCAD if I need tablet based drafting and some self inflicted pain.  It’s kind of interesting how autocad went from ignoring Apple to making their software work on the preM1 mobile processors.  Makes you wonder why vectorworks isn’t.  Maybe Autocad on the iPad is just another gizmo marketing tool that has no true function beyond being a bullet point on a feature list.

 

At least paper still works reliably:)

[jbtroost]

On 4/23/2021 at 5:03 PM, jeff prince said:

At least paper still works reliably:)

I once had a student blaming the paper size for the scale being wrong… had an interesting chat with him before we agreed on the SI-concept 😂

[Jeff Prince]

@Jan-Burger TROOST a true craftsmen always blames their tools... or something like that 🙂

 

[jbtroost]

12 minutes ago, jeff prince said:

@Jan-Burger TROOST a true craftsmen always blames their tools... or something like that 🙂

 

Fun fact: just after his graduation he mentioned the chat we had as one of his favorite ‘outer locus of control’  examples

[Matt Overton]

I would think the new hot space around the cursor in VW2021 would do a fair bit it making it work in a touch-focused environment.

Add zoom loupe to that mix and the drawing environment might be not far off at all.

 

Sure still to need to rework Object info and attributes palettes and hopefully both those are in the works because they are very much in need of overhaul.

Layer / Class Navigation short some sort of short hand or auto retraction in to the side of the screen really isn't going to get better.

Other things that make it pass or fail seem to be in the hands of the OS text input, file handling, menu commands substitutes and various others again hopefully Apple will take the lead on more of these now iPadOS is a thing.

 

Edit: to add

My assumption is that VW on Tablet would require at least a secondary pointing device or a device that can distinguish left and right hand. So we can have finger touch be interface/command gesture and pencil as drawing gestures. Works well for other apps.

Edited April 26, 2021 by Matt Overton

[zoomer]

6 hours ago, Matt Overton said:

I would think the new hot space around the cursor in VW2021 would do a fair bit it making it work in a touch-focused environment.

 

Hah,

currently I don't even manage to pick the desired Action Center points,

like top, middle, left, right, midpoint, ... illustration for e.g. Rectangles,

in OIP with the first click - even with my Mouse.

 

How should I ever get them with a more coarse Pen Input or

even by Touch.

😃

[Matt Overton]

On 4/26/2021 at 9:13 PM, zoomer said:

 

Hah,

currently I don't even manage to pick the desired Action Center points,

like top, middle, left, right, midpoint, ... illustration for e.g. Rectangles,

in OIP with the first click - even with my Mouse.

 

How should I ever get them with a more coarse Pen Input or

even by Touch.

😃

Well I was kind of hoping if they seriously looked at an iPadPro Version of Vector/Nomad it might get them looking at how bad some of the old interface like OIP is regear it totally and make it better for everyone.