I received my new copy of Vectorworks 2010 right in the midst of drafting several shows on top of one another. Never one to turn down a challenge, I installed the software, ported over my symbol libraries, downloaded my two main plug-ins (Autplot Tools for Spotlight and Beam Draw) and went to town. It took me an hour or so to rebuild my custom palettes, menus, and get used to the new placement of a few critical keyboard commands (must remember “H” is now the grabber tool). Once that was done I was ready to get to work.
Since at its core what I need Vectorworks for is to draft lightplots I figured the best test would be this plunge into the deep end of the pool. I plan to cover more of the functionality of this software in later parts to this review. As a basic drafting machine for the creation of lightplots Vectorworks 2010 is fantastic. I thought the process of my upgrade might be of interest to readers so I will begin there.
The first thing I noticed was the visual design. It is quite beautiful. The images for tools in the palettes are very clear and distinguishable as well as good looking. While non-essential to getting work done, it does make a big difference when you are staring at a computer screen for eight or ten hours a day. A small change around tools that I found incredibly useful was the fact the the program now remembers your last choice for tool options rather than returning to a program default every time you launch the software. For example, I often use the mirror tool to layout sidelight systems. The system default is mirror mode but I need mirror and duplicate. I can’t tell you the number of times I am racing to get a plot finished and forget to switch modes and then have to redo the work. It’s only a few seconds but it adds frustration to the process. Now that frustration is gone due to the program remembering my settings. Very nice.
The second thing about the visual design is the visual feedback the program gives specifically regarding instrument selection. Highlighting the objects and giving names and highlights to the area on an object as you pass over it is incredibly useful. While it took a little bit of time to get used to and be able to parse the visual language without it impeding workflow, I quickly became acclimated to it and very glad that it was there.
The basic Spotlight functionality is all there but no longer clustered in a single menu. As such I modified my standard lighting menu to include tools previously contained in the spotlight menu. These include convert to Symbol/Multicircuit, Assign Legend, Instrument Key, Refresh, and Number Instruments. In addition to the basic Spotlight functionality I used on these plots there looks to be quite a lot of additional material that I will be exploring in future posts.
The layout of the basic drafting window is very different from the version I was using before. All the class/layer menu information is still up top, but so too is the magnifying buttons and fit to page. While it took a little getting used to, the new layout is an improvement. Everything relating to visibility is in one place. Further, the addition of a classes/layers button is much improved over the older drop down menu item I previously had to contend with.
My biggest (and so far only) complaint is the changing of keyboard commands. While this is certainly something that can learned it is frustrating at the beginning. It should also be noted that Vectorworks keyboard commands are all fully customizable and editable(and I added back my align button). It just takes time. As I get deeper into the functionality of the program for later posts I will be approaching the software as though it were a wholly new technology for me as some of the changes are so massive that it might as well be.
I am looking forward to exploring the event planning suite of tools, new trussing, color/gobo libraries, and other new Spotlight tools as well.
As a drafting program to make a lightplot Vectorworks has maintained its edge as the industry standard setting the bar for what Computer Aided Design can do for the lighting and design community. I hope you’ll join me in future posts as I continue to explore this fantastic piece of software.
Tags: drafting, product review, software, vectorworks, vectorworks 2010
Thanks for the review. I started using VW at Version 9 and am currently using VW 2008, is 2010 worth the upgrade. Any notable improvements in 3D Tools and Rendering Engine?
Thanks,
Keith Neves
NEVES+CREATIVE, Inc.
That is a difficult question to answer. I don’t really use much of the 3D functionality so I could not give you an honest assessment there. A lot has to do with your economic situation (or need for a hefty tax write off). My understanding through he grapevine is that the 2010/LW5 combo is superb, but I have yet to upgrade the latter software so I can not fully report there.
Keith,
I use Vectorworks’ 3d tools and rendering engine all the time in my scenic design work. I upgraded to 2010 (from 2008) primarily for the LW5 and Vectorworks integration, but the updates to the 3d tools are a great benefit.
Most useful for me have been improvements in the management of working planes when drawing in 3d and the new (apparently as of 2009) unified 2d/3d environment. The improvements have saved me a lot of time and frustration.
I can’t speak to your needs directly, but for me the upgrade to 2010 was a great investment.
I have heard some rumors from GrandMA associates that VW might be implemented with GrandMA 3D. That would make a fantastic tool for us doing both LD and programming.
Best
Axel Sundbotten
LD Norway