Vectorworks Architect 2011

This article is a snippet of the review on AECbytes.  To the read the full and in depth article please click HERE. We will in time, be uploading our very own article which we are currently polishing off! Stay tuned and follow me on Twitter for the latest CAD on Mac news!

When AEC professionals think of BIM applications, Vectorworks Architect may not immediately come to mind. While Vectorworks has been around for over 25 years now—it originated as MiniCAD in the mid-1980s—it has best been known for providing cost-effective CAD and 3D modelling capabilities on the Mac and Windows platforms. For several years, the tag-line of the product was “CAD for the Smart-Sized Firm.” Its relatively low price compared to other CAD and 3D modelling tools attracted many solo practitioners and small firms, who continue to remain a strong customer base for the product. A few years ago, its developer, Nemetschek Vectorworks (formerly known as Nemetschek North America), started adding BIM capabilities to Vectorworks Architect, allowing it to be positioned as a cost-effective BIM alternative for those architectural firms that are holding back from BIM implementation because of the cost. Let’s explore the BIM capabilities of the application and see if it is indeed possible to create a full-fledged BIM model with it. (A more detailed, comparative evaluation of Vectorworks Architect vis-à-vis other BIM applications can be found in the recently released BIM Evaluation Study Report.).

Product Background

The parent company of Nemetschek Vectorworks is the Germany-based Nemetschek AG, which also develops its own BIM application, Allplan, as well as owns Graphisoft, the developer of ArchiCAD. After the 2007 acquisition of Graphisoft by Nemetschek AG, there were some concerns about what would happen to the overlapping product lines and whether one or more of them would be phased out. However, all three product lines, ArchiCAD, Vectorworks, and AllPlan, are still around and continue to be actively developed since they each have their own distinct approaches, processes, workflows, and markets. Allplan is very strong in Europe, especially in Germany, and is focused on the entire AEC workflow: design, engineering, construction, cost estimating, and facilities management. (See the review of Allplan BIM Architecture 2008.) ArchiCAD is still predominantly an architectural BIM application, which has allowed it to have a lot of depth in its functionality—it has a powerful BIM server capability for model-based collaboration and several add-ons for MEP, energy analysis, model navigation, etc. (See the review of the last version, ArchiCAD 14.)

In contrast to both Allplan and ArchiCAD, the Vectorworks product family spans across other industries apart from AEC. In addition to the core 2D drafting and 3D modelling platform called Vectorworks Fundamentals, there are several additional modules: Architect for building design; Landmark for landscape and site design; and Spotlight for entertainment design (auditoriums, video screens, seating layout, lighting devices, etc.), lighting and set design, and event planning. A Designer product that combines all of the above modules into one comprehensive program is available for those who need it. The product family also includes Renderworks, a dedicated rendering and presentation module that works with all Vectorworks products.

Even though its developer is based in the US, Vectorworks is surprisingly stronger in countries other than the US, where BIM applications like Revit in particular, as well as Bentley and ArchiCAD, tend to be more dominant. The European market for Vectorworks has grown, despite the fact that both Allplan and ArchiCAD are developed there. While Europe is the largest region for Vectorworks, Japan is its single largest market, but with the recent disaster there, it’s difficult to predict whether it will continue to dominate there. China and Malaysia are other countries in Asia where Vectorworks has a growing presence. The application still caters primarily to small and medium size firms, as evidenced by the users and projects profiled in the Case Studies section of its website (see Figure 1). The BIM Evaluation Study Report included a detailed case study of how Vectorworks Architect was being implemented at King & King, Architects LLP, a regional firm of 75 people serving the Upstate New York area that has the distinction of being the oldest architectural firm in the state.

Figure 1. Some examples of actual projects designed using Vectorworks Architect. Left: Kingsway Primary School at Gloucester, England, designed by the UK-based Quattro Design Architects, Ltd. Right: Mixed-use development in Tarpon Springs, Florida, by rojo Architecture. (Courtesy: Nemetschek Vectorworks).

Let’s move on to take a detailed look at how Vectorworks Architect can be used for building design and documentation, including the functionality that has been added in the 2011 release. While it possible to not use Vectorworks Architect as a BIM application—as will be discussed in more detail shortly—this review will primarily focus on its BIM capabilities in order to evaluate how well it works as a BIM application.

BIM Capabilities

Vectorworks Architect really started being positioned as a BIM solution with version 2008, which was exhibited at the AIA 2008 National Convention. In addition to being more affordable, its biggest selling point was a flexible and hybrid 2D/3D design environment that allowed an easier and less intimidating transition to BIM. It still allowed architects to work exclusively in 2D using their existing CAD standards if they wanted, while at the same time benefitting from the speed and intelligence of tools creating building elements such as walls, doors, windows, and so on, similar to how AutoCAD Architecture (formerly known as Autodesk Architectural Desktop) can be used to boost productivity for architects compared to using AutoCAD alone (see the review of AutoCAD Architecture 2009). However, Vectorworks Architect goes well beyond object-based 2D CAD, allowing architects to design in 3D with free-form surface and solids modelling tools, create a BIM model with building-specific modelling tools, or use a combination of 2D, 3D, and BIM.

Thus, in contrast to an application like Revit, for example, Vectorworks Architect does not force the user to do BIM. While this flexibility can be seen as one of the main strengths of the application, it also means that setting up a project for BIM in Vectorworks Architect is not as straightforward as in Revit, where you can literally plunge in and start modelling right away. Setting up a new project in Vectorworks is typically done using three distinct commands: Document Setup, where you specify drawing-related aspects such as units, scale, drawing area, grid, text and dimension styles, sheet border, and title block settings; Model Setup, where you specify the number of levels and the height and elevation of each level of the building model; and Create Standard Viewports, where you specify the different kinds of sheets you will eventually want to print (see Figure 2). The second and third commands automatically create the design layers, sheet layers, classes (different categories of building elements), views, and viewports that will be used for the project (see Figure 3). Elements on different levels are modelled by activating the view for that level; they will automatically have the correct heights and elevations. All of the project settings that are defined can be saved as a stationery file for re-use; firms can create many such stationery files for different project types to avoid having to go through the setup process for every new project.

For the full in-depth article please visit AECbytes, call me to explore the Vectorworks world or buy it HERE

Meet our CAD expert

My interests lie in the development of Computer Aided Design which over the years has rapidly expanded into all sorts of industries. Building Information Modelling (BIM) as well as 3D packages have arrived and are making the industry change. For me it's about making a client more competitive in the current climate, enabling them to be more profitable. My role is to provide you with the tools you need and help implement these into your office.

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Meet our CAD expert

My interests lie in the development of Computer Aided Design which over the years has rapidly expanded into all sorts of industries. Building Information Modelling (BIM) as well as 3D packages have arrived and are making the industry change. For me it's about making a client more competitive in the current climate, enabling them to be more profitable. My role is to provide you with the tools you need and help implement these into your office.

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Meet our CAD expert

My interests lie in the development of Computer Aided Design which over the years has rapidly expanded into all sorts of industries. Building Information Modelling (BIM) as well as 3D packages have arrived and are making the industry change. For me it's about making a client more competitive in the current climate, enabling them to be more profitable. My role is to provide you with the tools you need and help implement these into your office.

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Want to know more?

Call our CAD Specialists for more details and pricing

Meet our CAD expert

My interests lie in the development of Computer Aided Design which over the years has rapidly expanded into all sorts of industries. Building Information Modelling (BIM) as well as 3D packages have arrived and are making the industry change. For me it's about making a client more competitive in the current climate, enabling them to be more profitable. My role is to provide you with the tools you need and help implement these into your office.

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