Workflow

[trearchitecture1]

Do most VW users use only VW or do you supplement with Autocad or Sketchup?

[unearthed]

I use Sketchup, BricsCAD (better than Acad and a lot less $), QGIS and Rebelle - I tend to make content, and analyse in other packages and use VW to collate info (and count / sum areas and objects) and make pages.

[trearchitecture1]

4 minutes ago, unearthed said:

I use Sketchup, BricsCAD (better than Acad and a lot less $), QGIS and Rebelle - I tend to make content, and analyse in other packages and use VW to collate info (and count / sum areas and objects) and make pages.

Does VW not provide enough 2D drafting capability?  Why add BricsCad to the mix? Thanks 

[GregG]

My 5 cents.

 

Vectorworks 2D is good  enough for what we need it to do....nobody's perfect sort to speak : - )

 

I keep a current license of Revit LT Suite.  It comes with Autocad LT included.  It is helpful when working with outside consultants and others who are Autodesk based. 

We use it to open the original format files form consultants.  Need to know if something got missed in translations.

It is also most helpful when we need to verify our own drawings after converting them to something Autodesk based. 

 

Same for Sketchup.  

Edited January 16, 2022 by GregG

[Jeff Prince]

22 hours ago, trearchitecture1 said:

Do most VW users use only VW or do you supplement with Autocad or Sketchup?

Vectorworks was a replacement for AutoCAD and Sketchup for me.

[Pat Stanford]

If you already know sketchup, or have to work with someone who uses sketchup, then you might want to keep using it. If you don't, then the sketchup similar features of VW are pretty good for preliminary designs. By working all in VW you also eliminate the need to recreate the model using VW objects as you move forward.

 

I'm sure there are people who use Autocad, but VW is really designed to be both the 2D documentation and 3D modeling software. Unlike Revit where you almost need to use AutoCAD to do the 2D documentation from the model.

 

But in reality do what works for you. I suggest you try and do a VW only workflow as that will be the simplest and will eliminate the need to transfer back and forth between file formats, something that is almost always lossy. If it does not work for you then look and see what make the other portion of the workflow better for you.

[TomKen]

Over the many years,  I've used a lot of AutoDesk products,  ACAD, Revit, Inventor.  I've also used Rhino, Cheif Architect and Vectorworks and many others.

My preference has always been to use a single software for a job.  So if I'm doing a Revit Job I do it all in Revit,  If I'm using Vectorworks I do it all in Vectorworks.  It just makes life easier.    That being said I find VW the best for combined 2D detailing and 3D modelling.   I find Revit is the best for Building Modelling, but 2d detailing is painful (just my opinion).

I will also use some software's for presentation like Photoshop.

[unearthed]

On 1/15/2022 at 8:51 PM, trearchitecture1 said:

Does VW not provide enough 2D drafting capability?  Why add BricsCad to the mix? Thanks 

Bricscad is useful for pre-import checking of some files, also for cleaning / removal of data that VW would get bogged down with.  Also it is very fast for viewing things. IME any drawing office needs some type of native dwg/dxf platform.