VectorWorks 10 Review
When we had taken the Cinema 4D XL bundle for a run, it had a significant plug-in that utilized the full power of the program. Today we are looking at a CAD based software called VectorWorks.
VectorWorks is a CAD based application that is used widely around the world by many people. If you are an architect, designer or if you are someone that is going to build, then VectorWorks can help you. VectorWorks is for making 2D, and 3D sketches of the final product whether a building or a skyscraper. VectorWorks allows you to become the producer. When you make a house, you need composite sketches, floor plans, and more. What VectorWorks is, is a CAD program that allows you to do just that.
About Nemetschek
About
Nemetschek North America
Formerly Diehl Graphsoft, Nemetschek North America is an internationally
recognized leader in CAD technology. The company's flagship CAD software,
VectorWorks, is perennially the best-selling CAD program for the Macintosh.
Since 1996, MiniCAD has been marketed as a cross-platform product, thereby
bringing its drafting and design power to Windows users.
Nemetschek
AG
Our corporate parent, Nemetschek AG, has more than 1,000 employees,
of which about 600 work in Germany, about 150 in Western Europe, almost
200 in Eastern Europe and about 80 in the U.S. The company's sales network
grew to include 400 sales partners in more than 140 countries with about
160,000 customers.
Looks nice
The VectorWorks package arrived to us in a corrugated brown box with just the program box inside. The front of the box displayed the logo and an image displaying what VectorWorks is. The back of the box has some more information about the product and some in-screen screenshots of the layout and work done in VectorWorks.
The back
What is bundled with VectorWorks is the following:
- VectorWorks 10 CD w/CD-Key
- Manual
- Warranty Card and product information
Cushion support
The bundle
The CD
As you can see, you have a provided learning manual of VectorWorks. This was the only thing that made the package as big as it is.
Requirements
General Requirements for Windows
Operating
System - Windows 95 or later, Windows NT 4 or later
Processor - Pentium or newer
Other Hardware - CD-ROM Drive
Screen resolution - 1024x768 (XGA)
Installation
Just pop in the CD and install the software with the included CD-Key. There are other stuff on the CD such as Acrobat Reader, QuickTime, samples and VectorWorks modules that include the following:
These modules are tools that help you make the best out of the program easily without any problems.
The starting screen when loading
Layout
The
VectorWorks layout is easy to understand and to navigate. You have your
axis, and toolbars at the top, shapes and sizing tools on the left,
zoom functions at the bottom left, and you have your customizable toolbar
on the right. You can place any window integrated on the right hand
corner so you can work fast and effectively. Nothing will be cluttered
and all over the place. It’s like Cinema 4D’s layout which
we looked at recently.
Right in the center is your grid which all of your work is produced. Coordinates on the axis planes provided at the top handle the grids. This will help you precisely put anything anywhere on the work area. You have your resources bar as shown in the picture on the bottom right hand corner. This is where all your materials and layers will go.
What I found really cool is when you would roll over the buttons on either side, there is a balloon which you can pop down displaying information of what that tool does.
Roll over information
Learning Curve
As with all software packages, you will need to learn how to use the program. VectorWorks is easy to use first hand and you have many more advanced features to learn. They are all in the toolbar tabs at the top of the screen. This is where the manual comes in. The manual is very good at explaining what is what. There are in-depth examples of things you can create to get the feel of VectorWorks. You will need to do lots of reading because the manual is packed and is not small.
As there are many things you need to know how to use in VectorWorks, one of the more important but basic part is you need to know how and use layers. You always need to use layers because without it, the end result won’t work. Think of it this way, layers is like putting a puzzle together taking small pieces and putting them to make the puzzle. Same thing in VectorWorks, each part of the work produced here is made out of layers place on top of each other and more…
In VectorWorks, you can do professional 2D drafting of blueprints (and more), and 3D modeling and presentations. The module entitled RenderWorks is where everything 2D can become 3D. In RenderWorks, you can configure many features and render the end project such as what you want your house to look like in full 3D. You can add bump, materials, and much more within this module. To take a step up from this, what is unique about VectorWorks is the ability to use Cinema 4D “VectorWorks” Edition to render your projects in 3D while using the advanced modeling features of Cinema 4D. For example, if you have a layout of a house created in VectorWorks, you can export it into Cinema 4D and work from there and transfer vice-versa.
Throughout my use with VectorWorks, everything was stable and non-crashing.
Conclusion
VectorWorks is an excellent product for beginners and professionals that require a world-class CAD product to fulfill their needs. You can be rest assured that VectorWorks is a full-featured CAD program. Anything you can dream can be done with VectorWorks.
I rate VectorWorks a…
10/10!
Pros and Cons
+
World-Class CAD Program
+ Stable
+ Features
+ Modules
+ Compatibility
- None
I would like to thank Nemetschek for making this review possible. Visit http://www.nemetschek.net/ for more product information and more.
Visit the VectorWorks Gallery for more information and examples of what things can be done in VectorWorks.
Alternative Pricing:
- Nextag - $795 U.S.
