Vectorworks Puts its Head in the Cloud!

Vectorworks Model from Training for Design displayed Vectorworks Nomad iPad app.

In the last week, we’ve seen two announcements out of Vectorworks HQ (should it now be called Cloud Base?) Firstly, the launch of Vectorworks Cloud Services. It’s a service exclusively available to Vectorworks Service Select users—currently in the US and Canada, but it will be with us soon. Vectorworks Cloud Services enables VSS users to place files in a folder on their desktop and have it automatically synchronised to their personal space within the Vectorworks “cloud.” From there, the file is processed, creating PDF documents automatically from the sheet layers. If the sheet layers display viewports with Renderworks render settings and you have a Renderworks licence, the cloud can even render the file for you. So you can carry on using Vectorworks on your desktop while the cloud servers do the work for you! No more tying up your licence waiting for the render to complete.

Your PDFs can be opened on an iPad using the new Vectorworks Nomad® app, and annotated. So, whether you’re an architect, interior designer, kitchen designer, landscape designer, or theatre designer, you’ll be able to discuss the project with the client, mark up the PDF and have those comments sync to your desktop before you’ve even left the meeting.

Vectorworks model displayed within CadFaster app in Walkthrough mode.

In addition to PDF processing within the cloud, you can now make use of the new CadFaster plugin for Vectorworks. Once added to your workspace, you can export 3D models to either an exe file (that runs on a Windows machine and requires no additional software) or, you can export to the cloud and open the file on an iPad using the free CadFaster app. You can rotate and walkthrough the model, select elements and add markup. You can even run live collaborative sessions with other iPad users so that you can share your ideas and get feedback from all those involved in the project early. My sons (10 and 11) love the Walkthrough mode so much they snatched the iPad out of my hands to show me how to work it! So it MUST be cool. Ain’t being “grown up” lovely!

For more information, take a look at our Vectorworks Cloud Services page on our website.

BIM or SIM?

At Training for Design, we spend a lot of time talking to Architects about Building Design and to Landscape Designers about Landscape Design. However, more and more we find Vectorworks users combining the capabilities of Vectorworks Architect and Vectorworks Landmark to create a single model for the overall project. We will be featuring one such case study at Ecobuild in a few weeks time (Stand N431) and we would love to see you there.

With that in mind, on Thursday evening I visited The Royal Institution of Civil Engineers for a talk by Dr. Anne Kemp, Technical Director at Atkins.  The talk was entitled “BIM isn’t Geospatial… or is it?”

The start of the presentation covered familiar “What is BIM?” ground and again reinforced the Vectorworks‘ view that BIM (Building Information Modelling) is not a single technology, but is enabled by technology and talked about the need and move towards open standards within BIM or openBIM. However, it went further to suggest that the whole BIM discussion has focused too much on the “B” for “Building”, when in reality, holding and exchanging information about infrastructure and the site itself is equally important. This information, within a BIM process can then be used to enable more effective construction and operation decisions to be taken earlier in the Design/Build/Operate/Maintain life-cycle of any development.

As I stated at the beginning, Vectorworks users have long had the capability to draft, model and attach information to both building objects and landscape, or site objects, to allow a complete picture of the development to be enabled within an openBIM environment. Indeed Vectorworks has been using “SIM” or Site Information Modelling for the deliverables that Vectorworks can provide.

This message ties back to my post last week and is part of  the CPD session “BIM – your next step”.  So if you want to find out more, why not book your own RIBA accredited CPD session?

Vectorworks Site Modelling: A Level Playing Field?

Vectorworks Site Model Contour Plan

One of our most frequently asked questions is related to dealing with sloping sites when using Vectorworks Landmark and Vectorworks Architect. Of course, sites are rarely flat and the slightest change in level will have an impact on the realisation of the design.

For architects and landscape designers, the planning process is becoming more demanding in terms of 3D visuals and cut and fill calculations.

Our email support service is often inundated with survey files sent to us by designers, who are hoping to create a site model, only to find that the survey does not contain the required data in a 3D format. In some cases, it’s a quick call to the surveyor to ask for the correct data, but sometimes, it’s too late and leads to additional costs and delays.

With this in mind, we’ve put together a quick help sheet listing the ideal formats for Vectorworks-ready survey data, designed for the designer to pass on to their surveyor at the time of ordering the survey, so that they can get what they need and avoid delays in starting the project.

Loading the survey is just the start of the process. After that, a good understanding of the options within the site model itself for portraying the land form is essential for getting the most out of the product. After that comes a good understanding of the functionality of the site modifiers for changing the site. Followed by how to sit a building on the site, and impose a new landscape design to establish cut and fill.

We have a site modelling course running on Monday 6th February, at our offices in Newbury, so if you’re looking to hone your skills in this area, why not come along and join in the fun?

Christmas Day Twelve! Creating a Snowy Landscape with Vectorworks

Let it Snow!

So, today we offer our final Christmas gift. In this twelfth in our series of training tasters, we take yesterday’s Christmas tree and create a snowy landscape for it to sit on. We add lighting and alter the render settings to make it look cool. Again, although we’re getting a little festive here, you will touch on skills here that are useful for landscape design, architectural design and even outdoor event planning, where you need to create a model of the land. Click here to watch the movie. We hope you’ve enjoyed this series and will continue to visit us in the future to find out more about Vectorworks and the training services we can offer – either in person or over the internet.

Learning to Design, Building Excellent Constructions and Making a Profit

Last week was as busy as ever with the training team busy training Vectorworks users, supporting our existing clients and preparing our 12 Days of Christmas presents.

Adrian and I were lucky enough to visit Kew Gardens, but no, we weren’t skiving. We were dropping in on the lucky students of The London College of Garden Design, where we’ll be offering Vectorworks Landmark training and support in their Spring term. And what lucky trainers we will be! Spring plants and a classroom right next to the Orangery for tea and cake (so dear to my heart). One of the students is an former colleague from my corporate IT days who has finally made his escape. What a stunning place to learn garden design!

We also visited another firm of Landscape Architects, who have been using Vectorworks for years, but we’re amazed to see what functionality they had missed… Planting tools, hardscape tools, but the biggest delight of all was the prospect of using the site modelling tools. We’re looking forward to bringing them up to speed and saving them a lot of time in the future.

Adrian has had a few long days travelling around the country. He recently presented Vectorworks Landmark the BALI meeting in Ringwood, Hampshire. On another occasion he headed North to Knutsford to the BALI event on How to Achieve Excellence in Construction. He enjoyed the opportunity to hear Mark Gregory from Landform Consultants speak and was able to show the assembled crowd how Vectorworks Landmark can be used in a design and build situation to produce quantities and material schedules directly from the drawing, which update as the design changes.

Training for Design partners with Benchmark Estimating

Moving on from a list of quantities, we’re delighted to announce that we are now authorised resellers and trainers for Benchmark Estimating Software. For many landscapers, the limit to growing the business is all based around providing accurate estimates and specifications. With its library of landscaping items, and associated costs, all of which can be tailored to your business and locations, benchmark produces a specification document together with associated material and labour costs, ultimately reducing the risk when tendering for projects. More information can be found on our website here.

The Vectorworks Site Model – Sculpting the Land

Vectorworks Landmark 2012

I’ve often written before about using Vectorworks 3D design in general and how useful it can be to give your clients an appreciation of how your plans will look in reality. It helps to gain their buy-in to the project, and in many cases can be the key to winning the business.

However, working frequently with both Landscape Designers and Architects, I still see a look of fear and trepidation creep across their faces when I mention the possibility of using a Site Model to create the landform on which the design proposals will sit. Whilst 3D planes in Vectorworks are a piece of cake (particularly with the advent of Vectorworks 2012 and automatic plane detection), it is rare to find a site that is actually a flat plane!  I love the whole business of dealing with levels in a garden landscape and working out drainage issues etc. When I first started using Vectorworks Landmark many years ago, I must confess that I was also a little wary of the Site Modelling capabilities. How things change!

To design a buildable site, gaining an appreciation of the lie of the land is critical. Using Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, or Designer, you gain a suite of tools which will allow you to read in height data from a wide range of sources, whether you’ve taken the survey yourself or employed a professional surveyor. Vectorworks can take this information and create an instant 3D model of the terrain. The model can be presented in a variety of styles, so that a full site analysis is possible. You can determine where you have slopes that exceed a certain grade and where maintenance might be a problem, or even dangerous.

Once your analysis is complete, you can continue to design in the way you always have within Vectorworks, but send your proposals to the surface of model. Contours can be re-shaped easily and areas raised or lowered with ease to create new surfaces. Retaining walls are easy to create in Vectorworks 2012. Cut and fill can be monitored throughout the design process so you can avoid having to cart soil on and offsite. You can even show the ground worker where to cut and where to fill!

It really is the missing link in the chain and so easy to use, once you know how!

Our next Site Modelling class is scheduled for 7th November, 2011 at our training centre in Newbury, but we often teach this on a one to one basis and online. Click to view our current course schedule.