AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |
Back to Blog
Vectorworks tutorial3/9/2023 This can be powerful, but also cause confusion and cause things to disappear. Like AutoCAD, the ‘block’ object in Vectorworks can have an assigned Layer (and Class) BUT the underlying objects within the Symbol can also have their own Layer and Class. This can cause things to appear and disappear with the simple change for Top/Plan view, to Top. Because of this, VW Symbols can have a 2D or 3D geometry component or both (Hybrid). A stage lighting fixture could look like a traditional stencil in the 2D only Top/Plan view or appear as the top view of a 3D object in another view. Vectorworks has both 2D and 3D views that can be used to design and display different geometry. Unlike AutoCAD, Vectorworks ‘knows’ what these attributes are used for and the tools are more focused on stage lighting workflow. These are customisable but more commonly used ones are predefined for the stage lighting design workflow. There are also Attributes called attached Records. VW calls blocks “Symbols” and they are created, retrieved, nested and edited in similar ways to blocks in AutoCAD. If you can’t see anything you recognise, it may be because you need to toggle to the correct Workspace. Vectorworks has options for different ‘workspaces’ relating to the specialist applications available, including Spotlight. This is similar to Properties in AutoCAD and where you can change data, Layers etc. Another key palette in Vectorworks is the Object Info Palette. To organise the drawing the current active Class and Layer is selected using the Navigation palette. This means you can add two dimensions using a + sign or perform similar basic operations. One nice touch is that you can perform arithmetic during a numerical input or in any numeric data box. You can enter dimension data during a drawing operation, using the TAB key in a similar way to the Dynamic Input in AutoCAD. Instead, you use tools in the tool palette many of which have a keyboard shortcut. Vectorworks doesn’t really do Command Line in the same was as AutoCAD. Wrangling these is twice as powerful as Layers in AutoCAD but also twice as complex. This means that every drawn object has a Class AND and Layer. Layers also have a Z-height, useful for different levels in a venue and working in 3D Layers have similar possibilities for drawing organisation but do have a draw order. Classes do not have an inherent draw order. Vectorworks uses two such tools: Classes and Layers.Ĭlasses can be used in the same way as AutoCAD layers: to set line weights, colours, etc. AutoCAD uses Layers as the key organisational tool for drawing and displaying geometry. You can draw at 1:1 and hide the page border making the whole experience more like a conventional ModelSpace. You can be drawing at any old size on each layer with potentially disastrous results. EACH layer in the modelspace-y place can have its own scale. which leads us to….ĭifference: Vectorworks allows you to draw in the ‘modelspace-like’ place to scale. This means you can ‘model’ in a particular paper size. This can be used in the same way as some AutoCAD users use LIMITS and the grid. Vectorworks can also include a references the limits of a paper/page size. PaperSpace is called Sheet Layers and can be accessed via the Navigation palette. VW abstracts the drawing area from the layout elements, similar to ModelSpace and PaperSpace. Units are often displayed with a suffix (such as mm) and different unit types can be used while drawing, unlike in AutoCAD which only refers to a single unit and is unitLESS. There are similar ‘templates’ to help with your VW settings and defaults. VW deals in units of measurement and these should be set for best results, a bit like starting with the correct. Vectorworks Spotlight has more tools specifically designed for the planning and communication of stage lighting information. If it isn’t mentioned, the functionality is similar and you can work it out for yourself.įor AutoCAD users, Vectorworks has a rather alien workflow but this is the result of working with an unfamiliar tool. The purpose here is to help users of one make a transfer to the other.Īll key concepts that are worth mentioning are below. We’ll not be seeking to identify which of these two is ‘best’. In this article, we’ll be looking at two of the many CAD packages: Vectorworks and AutoCAD. *A note about choices of CAD for stage lighting communication:Īs regular as the ‘which is the best lighting desk’ topic, the question of which CAD package is ‘best’ for lighting. Meanwhile, AutoCAD users can quickly pick up skills in Vectorworks using their own prior knowledge. On Stage Lighting seeks to help Vectorworks users to transfer their learning to AutoCAD. VectorworksWhile tools in lighting planning continue to develop, there are still key professional CAD tools in professional stage lighting.
0 Comments
Read More
Leave a Reply. |