NOVEDGE blog

Interview with François Lévy, Architect

We had the pleasure of meeting François Lévy last November at the West Coast BIM Camp organized by Vectorworks and which Novedge co sponsored in San Francisco. François is not only a talented architect, but he also wrote BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design, our December Book of the Month. We asked him to tell us a bit about his current projects, what inspires him and the software he loves to use.

Photo by Karen Mosher thesebrowneyes.com / Houzz.com

Novedge: Tell us about yourself and what you do

François Lévy: I am an architect practicing in Austin, Texas. Most of my commissions are for single-family residential projects by virtue of my being a sole practitioner, although I occasionally work on commercial projects too, and collaborate with other firms on larger projects from time to time. I have also taught digital design and environmental controls courses in architecture schools off and on for about 15 years, and last year Wiley published my book on using building information modeling for designing climate-dominated sustainable architecture, BIM in Small-Scale Sustainable Design, really the first of its kind. In the book, I discuss at length how the quantitative information inherent to a BIM workflow can be used for greener design. Finally, I also engage in design research in space architecture (design for human activities in orbit and on extraterrestrial planetary surfaces). Right now, some colleagues and I are finalizing a paper inspired in part by DARPA's Hundred Year Starship (100YSS) initiative, which we hope to have published in a journal this year.

Novedge: What inspires you?

François Lévy: I'm inspired by the delicious dialog that can arise between a building and its place. When buildings are carefully indexed to their climate, the natural world can serve as a guide for architectural form. Solar orientation, prevailing winds, the scale and pattern of vegetation, the topography of the land, and the context of neighboring natural and human-made structures all can inform a project. Buildings that are responsive to their place can not only perform better, but they can be truly beautiful and satisfying—not because they parrot the mere form of natural structures, but because they are deeply absorbed in the laws of natural systems. See video animation here.

Novedge: What is a recent project that you worked on?

François Lévy: We're about to start construction on Boussoleil (a made-up French word meaning 'sun compass'), a single-family rural home I designed for a couple a short drive from Austin. They've had the land a few years, and been patiently awaiting their new home. Their sensibilities are modern, but also quite practical, and they have high standards for building performance and quality. At the same time, they wanted a home that would be sympathetic to the land and sensitive to nature.

 

Because my clients wanted a home with a modern aesthetic that could accommodate solar photovoltaics, I initially designed a shed roof that was oriented due south, with an elevation (pitch) to maximize summer solar collection (the peak load due to cooling needs). Unfortunately, an ideal building orientation for passive cooling in our climate (long axis running east and west, with maximum northern and southern exposure) created a site problem, as one end of the house would be seven or eight feet out of grade. (One requirement of the owners was that the house be all on one level, with no steps). So early in the design process, I investigated varying the building orientation somewhat, looking at the impact the deviating the long face from true south might have on solar collection and passive heat gain, and comparing that to the site work cut-and-fill implications of an orientation that was more or less parallel to the site's topography.

 

I was able to use my design software of choice, Vectorworks ARCHITECT, to evaluate these competing objectives using its built-in heliodon (solar animation) and site modeling tools. In addition, I referred to the research literature to help me determine how much I could rotate the roof azimuth from due south and not suffer a significant loss in solar collection. Simple online tools like PV Watts helped me fine-tune the roof orientation and validate its elevation, and BIM sun studies were essential in avoiding tree canopy and self-shading. Extensive sun studies throughout the design process, in fact, helped me refine roof overhangs and window sizing and placement.

 

 

There were a variety of other ways that I used the quantitative analysis opportunities of the building information model to inform my design decisions. A few examples:

• Balancing the amount of south-facing glass to internal exposed thermal mass (concrete floors and masonry fireplace surround) for winter passive solar heating;

• Designing an appropriate thermal chimney height and ventilation openings for passive cooling using the stack effect;

• Dynamically sizing the rainwater harvesting cistern based on available roof area;

• Providing material takeoffs for lumber, roofing, wallboard, brick, metal siding, concrete, etc. for project cost and material waste analysis as the design progressed;

• Optimizing the acoustic ceiling area in the living room to control reverberation times and therefore acoustical quality.

Novedge: What software do you prefer and use? Tell us why.

François Lévy: I've been using Vectorworks ARCHITECT for years, since it was MiniCAD+ in the early 90s. Like several other BIM authoring tools, Vectorworks allows the designer to produce detailed, intelligent 3D building models. Moreover, what I've found to be particularly attractive about Vectorworks is that it encompasses a breadth of modeling tools. These include the kinds of building-specific tools one might expect (walls, doors, windows, stairs, roofs, etc.), but Vectorworks also allows very flexible free-form modeling, from NURBS to primitive solids and Boolean operations. As a result, Vectorworks is very much a designer's BIM, as Jerry Laiserin has aptly described it. Also, Vectorworks' output, from 3D renderings to 2D drawings, just look great. As a result, my entire design workflow, from site analysis and conceptual design all the way through construction documents and construction administration happens in Vectorworks.

In my experience design is not a linear process, but requires frequent iteration. There's inevitably a redoing of work or loss of information when transferring files around a suite of separate digital design tools. While each of those tools individually might be quite powerful (and for some tasks essential), there's a corresponding loss of efficiency when exporting or importing files. As a result, the designer is discouraged from making too many "round trips" from, say, modeling to drafting and back to modeling. Since my model and drawings are linked throughout the design process, in many cases it's easier, not harder, to make 3D model changes even late in design. My models are always up to date, and I'm freer to make changes. That's very powerful. 

 

Novedge: What innovations do you see in your field now or in the future?

François Lévy: It's difficult to predict the future, of course. There's an obvious path before us suggesting more, better, faster of what we already have now. What's harder to see is what the next big leap will be. The Architecture/Engineering/Construction industry is also pretty conservative and slow to adopt change. While very large construction forms have been on the cutting edge of adopting BIM, small builders are slow to adopt technological innovation. So I suspect that in my world (smaller architectural projects), change and innovation will be driven by consumer products and software more so than by professional-grade hardware and software. For example, we've only just begun to see the impact of tablet computing. Tablets aren't really computers as we tend to think of them, and I doubt we will be authoring a lot of content on tablets soon, but they are getting quite powerful. There are already great tools that make documenting a site pre-construction and during construction more effective. I think those tools will evolve as tablet computing moves forward. More contractors will use their tablets in the field; perhaps the architect's model could be superimposed with live walk-through video of the project under construction, flagging inconsistencies between the two. Another consumer product that will predictably advance and get cheaper is the display. Displays may, within the foreseeable future become so lightweight, portable, high-resolution, and affordable as to replace a roll of job site drawings. This is already happening on very large projects. I don't know that paper will completely disappear over the life of my career, but digital displays may become more widespread, even on small projects. Imagine markups in the field coordinated in real-time with the entire design team (and the building official!)

 

François Lévy's book was Novedge's Book of the Month in December.

To see more of François Lévy's work, visit his website.

John Helm Reviews Vectorworks 2010

I'm proud to host on the Novedge blog a product review of Vectorworks 2010 written by John Helm of Helm & Melacini Architects. John is an architect who splits his professional time between the warm beaches of Southern California and the beautiful mountains of Northern Italy. John does a great job  going through the new features and describing his user experience. If you are interested in or simply curious about Vectorworks and you want to meet other Vectorworks enthusiasts, my personal recommendation is to join the new VectorWorking online community dedicated to everything related to Vectorworks.

Franco Folini

Choosing a CAD Program

My first thought on writing a review of an update to an existing CAD program is that the readers of the review won’t just be those already dedicated to the program and wanting to know if the upgrade is worth the expense and time to learn new features, but they might also be those looking to change programs or even those architects and others just starting out in their use of CAD. So I’ll first address some issues regarding the choice of which program or programs one might use. I’m also limiting most of my comments to the use of a program by an architect because that’s what I am and it’s what I know.

My approach to the use of the computer is that it should be a tool that makes ones work easier and allows one to be more productive and more creative. An Architect should be able to focus his or her attention on the business of being an architect and as not have to spend months or even weeks to learn to use a new tool. I also believe that in an office there should not be a huge separation between those who know how to use the most important tools in the office, for example the CAD program, and those who don’t.

This brings me to what I consider the most important factors in choosing a CAD program. That is that the program should be easy to learn, intuitive, and available to everyone working on any particular project. It should be available and easy enough to use that the principals, who don’t have a lot of time to spend getting competent on a CAD program, as well as the drafters are able to learn it and use it. And in short it brings me to why I selected a program like Vectorworks some 15 years ago. I can’t really comment on other programs which may or may not do the same things as Vectorworks because I only have second hand information on them and only a limited use of the most popular program Autocad. I should also mention that in order to fit the above criteria one should not have to use several programs to accomplish the goal of producing a drawing or drawing set containing 2D, 3D, text and pictures. That increases the time to learn, adds too many layers of complexity and creates inefficiency in the office.

Here is where we get to my choice of Vectorworks (VW). From the standpoint of graphics it can be a one stop shop, for an architectural office. It’s a design tool, a production tool and a rendering tool that can also be used for most of the graphic layouts an architect might need. The learning curve is short and the way of working with it is from my experience the way architects work.

VW is a complex program and to take advantage of its many features does take some time. But if one is at all competent in using a computer, familiar with Mac or PC graphics programs, word processing, etc. one will find many of the same commands, and procedures. So it presents a familiar face in a way. Starting out just using the basics is simple enough and gives one a feeling of confidence that moving beyond the basics can’t be that hard.

Rendered Site Plans

Design can be done all in 3D and those 3D drawings will be or can be the same drawings that become the 2D drawings making up the production drawing set. Client presentations can be rendered printouts, animations, walk throughs, or even real time views of a 3D model taken on one’s laptop to a client meeting. And if one needs to do a graphic presentation, a competition board for example, pictures, text, 2D and 3D drawings can all composed and printed right in the program.

Create almost anything

In other words, why burden yourself and your office with half a dozen programs when one will do it all. Yes there are other programs that will do some of the individual parts as well or better, but VW can compete with most of them and the results are more than adequate for the majority of what we do as architects.

Complex Models

I’ll talk for a minute about how VW works. Initially we set up a project file entering basic information about floor heights, wall heights, roof etc. Then we set up basic project parameters, dimension style, meters or feet, things like that and then from a drop menu we select the various sheets of drawings needed. That would be for example floor plans, site plans, elevations and so on. We don’t have to do this in any order and they can be changed later. But by doing this the program does a lot of the work of preparing the drawing set for us. We draw on design layers, we put things like electrical outlets, and windows in classes that can be turned on or off as needed. We use the layers as overlays to create various drawings. Drawings are then transferred though viewports to sheets for the final composition of sheets of drawings to be printed. All of this is done in one file which saves a lot of confusion and makes things simpler. If more than one person needs to work on a drawing set, this can be done through the use of references to other drawings called referenced viewports. When drawing a building plan we draw walls, not just lines, that have characteristics such as height, thickness, and finishes, which means that as we draw the 2D plan we are at the same time creating a 3D model. I can go on here but this isn’t an instruction manual it’s just a brief idea of how the program works.

Finally one thing I always hear is, well we had to choose the program our consultants use or that everyone else uses. To this I say who’s in charge here, the architect or the consultants. And do you really want to burden yourself with an inefficient program just because most everyone else is using it. Why not get a step ahead and increase your bottom line with greater efficiency. And of course you can also convert your VW drawings to a format useable by your consultants so it’s not such a big issue anyway.

Paste up Graphics

Construction docs with plans, elevations and renderings

Note that the renderings and plans show above were all done in our office using various previous versions of VW.

Vectorworks 2010, the Latest Version

Before moving on to the details of the latest version we might discuss the reasons why one would want to upgrade from previous versions. I’ve already recommended VW as a good choice or even the best choice, so if you are not already into CAD the choice is easy; buy the latest version. But if you’ve been using the program for a while then of course there ought to be good reasons to spend the money to upgrade. From a purely economic standpoint I think there are two factors to consider. Will the new version save you time, meaning money, and do you have enough cash flow during the current slow down to justify the extra expense. Only you can answer the later question except that you may justify the expense by considering the time to learn new features and the fact that if work is slow you have the time to do it. For the first factor I will discuss some features that are in the new version that I believe will more than justify the purchase by time saved. It’s interesting to note that some of the most significant time savers are perhaps the least note worthy in terms of technical development or progress.

As an example of what may be a simple change (not being a programmer I admit I don’t know how simple this was technically) is the ability to change the origin, the rotation and scale of a hatch. On a recent plaza project in Italy we had a variety of hatches all at various angles and scales. We also needed to use the hatches in the detail drawings. And the project underwent numerous changes in the pattern layouts. As a result hatches were not associated; every hatch had to be redone for each area and each change which was a several step process requiring significant time. Most of this time will be saved in the new version. But I am disappointed that they haven’t made a way to make hatches three dimensional. This would be very useful since as it is now one must copy the area hatched and then add a texture to make it show up in a 3D rendering.

Once you get used to using the dimension constraint manager it can save time and also potential mistakes. Walls can be moved and their dimensions update automatically. You can also change the dimension and the wall itself moves, while at the same time the other dimensions in a string of dimensions also changes, as does the overall dimension. One overall dimension changed and not forgotten as often happens when doing it manually might be worth the cost of the upgrade by itself. You can also lock a dimension and its associated walls so that it can not be easily changed. This would be very useful for those areas like hallways where minimum dimensions must be maintained. Also one can save time in layout and design when starting a new project. Walls can be placed in their approximate location and easily adjusted later, with adjacent walls updating automatically.

I think another big time saver will be the unified view tool which replaces the old stacked layers tool. If you do a lot of 3D modeling then this is big. Basically a unified view can be a model of the complete project. From this view one can access any layer, and modify objects while in a 3D view. There is no need to constantly switch back and forth from a model view to a design layer to elevations views etc. It can all be done within a single unified view just switching between 3D, plan and elevations views.

In place reference editing can be a time saver but it depends a lot on how one uses the program. It does not allow one to change referenced drawing files it only works on referenced resources. I think this might be a big help in coordinating drawings on a large project and also on say an apartment project one might turn individual apartment plans into symbols which could be referenced from a master file and changed as needed.

There are several other features which when added together will allow additional time savings. In viewport crops one can now see the entire drawing so there is no more guessing about where to put the crop lines. I like the find resource capability, as I seem to spend lots of time finding symbols and other resources that seem to get placed most anywhere. There is a new connect combine tool for multiple objects. The automatic coordination of sheet numbers seems pretty cool. Sheet numbers are coordinated with drawing numbers and updated automatically if changed in one instance.

So my answer to the first question of economics is a pretty strong, it’s worth it. Now what about some of the other changes and new or revised features?

Here I see a lot of good stuff. And I don’t see anything changed for the worse, (a very important feature) but I do find some of the changes or new features somewhat of a work in progress. For example file referencing has been updated. From my testing of this feature, I see that it works pretty well in 2D but in 3D it seems unpredictable. I tried to reference a floor plan onto a site plan in one case in the same file so it could be rotated. It showed up fine in a 2D view but when I switched to a 3D view the referenced floor plan disappeared. Another interesting thing is that when I referenced the same floor plan to the site plan in another file the same thing happened but also curiously when I turned off unified view and set it to active layer only, then changed to an isometric view, the dimension text showed up on the 3D view. That is a good feature but one that is not supposed to happen. I suspect that part of the problems I’ve had here are due to a lack of computing power, graphic card issues or not enough ram to handle larger complex models. I have seen it work fine on a much simpler model than the one I made. I see the new planar graphics feature as a work in progress as well. It would be much more useful if one could also project text and dimension callouts in 3D. But the ability to see a 2D site plan for example with a 3D model placed on it is very useful. The active layer plane and screen plane views will take some getting used to and I’m guessing a bit of swearing. The good news is that items made in one can be changed to the other with one mouse click. This is one place where the new “magic wand” or select similar tool can be very useful. You select the parameters from a list then click on one instance and all similar items are automatically selected. The problem I have had with this is that I could not get it to select dimensions. I had to revert to the old custom selection tool. It may just be that I don’t know how to use it properly or that it’s not intuitive enough – isn’t that a great excuse for not knowing how to do something.

The wall sculpting tool is useful. I was more excited about it before I tried it. But I still like it. I thought one could stretch the sides of a wall to, for example, fit it to some of the old odd shaped walls one finds in remodels. That can be done but one has to build a 3D object and then combine it with the wall rather than change the wall itself. The result is the same. So far the new stair tool seems great. One has many more options as to how the stair will be constructed. But on my first try, making a spiral stair it placed the railing across the upper end of the stair. I haven’t yet figured out how to remove it, but there must be a way. Corner windows are a nice little feature that I have wanted many times. Cutting holes in walls has gotten much easier.

One thing that I think we worry about is how well our old drawing files will convert when opened in the latest version. So far I can see no problem here. I have opened up some fairly complicated version 2008 files without any problems. In fact I was pleased to see some tree symbols updated and looking much more photo like. There also seems to be a decent increase in rendering speed.

Renderworks is one of the most important aspects of the program at least in the way I use it. There have not been a lot of changes but the ones that have been made are important. They have improved texture mapping and one can put one or more textures on top of each other to create labeling, signage and layered material effects.

Finally I think it’s important to address the issue of being able to transfer files to consultants and clients who need them in a format usable by Autocad. So the question is does this upgrade make that easier. The answer is a qualified yes. One can batch export several sheet layers as individual files which when viewed in Autocad present themselves as formatted sheets that I believe could be printed easily. The problem is that all the VW layers are stacked on top of each other so sorting them out for the Autocad drafter could be difficult. The other option is to export VW saved views. This seems to be a practical option if one needs to send say a floor plan to a consultant. The resulting dwg file looks pretty clean.

There are many other changes and additions that can best be reviewed by looking at the list on the VW website. For example working planes are much easier to access, 3D snapping is improved and so it’s easier to select, modify and align objects in 3D.

Overall this is very much a useful and worthwhile upgrade. There are enough time saving features to justify the cost. And the other improvements will just make one’s working life more pleasant. That is of course after one learns to use them and gets over habits and work around’s used in past versions.

If you are considering updating or purchasing Vectorworks I would suggest having a look at the videos on the Vectorworks website, http://www.nemetschek.net/library/index.php Jonathan Pickup’s website http://www.archoncad.co.nz and his videos on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/archoncad and you can have a look at many 3D models I’ve created on my website www.hm-architects.com.

Finally here is a bit of a disclaimer. I have tried to write an honest appraisal, but I will admit to wishing there were more users of the program I use in my practice because that would make it easier to work with consultants and to find employees who are already trained in using it.

If you have any questions please leave a comment below and I will be glad to answer.

John Helm

Interview with Jonathan Pickup, Vectorworks Guru and Trainer

Every CAD system has its own group of fans and gurus. The excitement of CAD fans for their favorite design system doesn't stop in front of obstacles or barriers. Vectorworks fans are no exception. Among them the most knowledgeable and active is certainly Jonathan Pickup (website, blog, twitter). Despite living in the green land of New Zealand thousand miles away, on the opposite site of the planet from Nemetschek NA, he has become one of the most active experts and trainers of the Vectorworks community. His architectural background makes him extremely effective in creating a connection between the features of Vectorworks and its users. Jonathan's training sessions avoid technical jargon and speak the language of architects and designers. He has generously published most of his training online where it's available for free. Let's ask Jonathan some questions about himself and his favorite CAD system.

Jonathan can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional activities?

I'd always wanted to be an architect and I love creating buildings

I trained as an architect in New Zealand. I'd always wanted to be an architect and I love creating buildings. After graduating the Auckland University School of Architecture and working in several places in New Zealand, I traveled to London where I worked for a large company called BDP. I was there for seven years working on many cool projects like the All England Lawn Tennis Club, National Maritime Museum, and shopping centers.
CAD was not a big thing when I got to London. Hardly anyone used it. Within a few years a few practices were using CAD. BDP had their own system. I was keen to learn the CAD, especially keen when the recession in the early '90's hit. There weren't many CAD operators and I wanted to keep my job, so I worked hard at being good. A few years layer BDP moved to MicroStation and they sent me away to learn how to use that. I was promoted to CAD manager on several projects.
It was about this time that I leaned MiniCAD 3+. That’s how long I've been using Vectorworks, since version 3.

What makes Vectorworks different from or better than other architectural design programs?

Vectorworks may not be better than other programs, but if you can learn to use it really well, it will feel better than other programs

At the time I learned MiniCAD, there were very few 3D programs. Vectorworks seemed so easy to use. Compared to MicroStation, Vectorworks was so easy to use. Now there are more programs that compete with Vectorworks. But Vectorworks still has a easy to use set of tools, and it has some powerful tools.
I have worked hard to build training resources for Vectorworks, and other programs do not have the resources we have. Vectorworks may not be better than other programs, but if you can learn to use it really well, it will feel better than other programs. My next door neighbor uses another CAD program and we've know each other for several years. We chat over the letter box at the end of the driveway. He wishes that his CAD program that the resources that I write, and the regular monthly training I provide. I told him to swap to Vectorworks and he could enjoy it too!

You have extensive experience producing training material. How are new technologies changing the way we learn and use our design programs?

a lot of people just don't realize how easy it is to learn a program with the embedded movies

When I first started writing manuals, I used Microsoft Word. It allows you to do a great deal, and write short manuals quickly. Combine that with a reasonable computer and printer and you can generate high quality manuals. Now you can create PDF files and get the manuals printed on demand.
I have been producing manuals with embedded movies for several years now. I think a lot of people just don't realize how easy it is to learn a program with the embedded movies. The movies let you get the whole picture, and get it quickly. Giving my clients movies has really improved.
The change in the last year has been my ability to provide online training. This has allowed me to offer small amounts of training when the client needs it. I run all my courses on line now. This allows me to be really flexible and it allows me to have students from all over the world.
I only have a few people at each course, I can see their screen if I need to, I can watch them work and I can correct any mistakes. This technology has been a big change for me and my clients. I have started to train clients all over the world.
This allows small amounts of training, bite sized bits of training. Small amounts of training allows the training to be digested before the next session. It allows practice between sessions, which reinforces the learning.
Before this, clients had to travel to my sessions, and I had to travel to different towns. Now I travel to their computer where ever they are. Should I mention the environmental savings?

Vectorworks users have access to several sources of information, from help files and manuals, discussion forums, online videos, and now, your book. Where does your book fit in this crowded set of options? Who should read your book?

my manuals are designed to show you how to compete a task

The Help Files and User Guides are great at showing exactly how to use one tool, but they are no good at showing you how to complete a task. A task uses several tools and commands. Some of these will not be obvious. My manuals are designed to show you how to compete a task. Each month I write a manual for my subscribers, and these show how to complete tasks that are not in any other manuals. For example, one month we covered a room finish schedule. from start to finish, all the steps need to complete the finish schedule, why some things work and why some things don't work. I like to give the reasons why things work, and the reasons why I do things. So, for example, if I'm talking about making layers and classes, I like to tell people why I use these layers and classes. I guess this is what sets my manuals and movies apart.
As for the 3D manual, it has been designed for people that want to get into 3D modeling. The manual starts with very simple modeling, covering all the basic tools and commands. 3D working is a lot of fun and I wanted everyone to see how easy it can be and how much fun you can have. So, if you want to use Vectorworks like SketchUp, if you want to draw a building with out walls, or you want to get into free-form design, try this manual.

Architectural design comes late to the world of 3D modeling. How do you explain this delay?

the problem is that many architects do not see that 3D modeling with a CAD program is useful

I'm not sure I can explain it. I started 3D modeling in MiniCAD 3+. That was a long time ago.
Not all of my employers have been keen to allow me to work in 3D. One employer was quiet strong on preventing me working in 3D, but I did anyway and he used to the 3D model to solve several design issues. So, maybe it's just the the employers do not think that 3D modeling in any CAD program can help them. Vectorworks has had some pretty cool 3D abilities for a long time. I could be wrong, but I think we have have had NURBS modeling since Vectorworks version 9.
So, I don't think the problem is the lack of software. The problem is that many architects do not see that 3D modeling with a CAD program is useful. After all, they have been drawing and sketching all these years without a CAD program.
I used to work for an architect. I taught him and his office Vectorworks, and I also worked for him as an architect. We were working on a renovation and extension project for a school. The architect had sketched the 3D look of the project, and had decided how the connections and junctions between the old building and new building should be. I was told to get on with the drawings, there is no need to much around with the 3D model. However, I noticed that the sketch wasn't accurate. The buildings were not relating they way the architect wanted. So, against instructions, I spent ten minutes to work on a 3D model to show the architect what the real situation was. When he came over to see me there was the 3D model, and the connection problems. He was happy to see the model and we spent thirty minutes working on the project, resolving all kinds of issues. At the end he was really happy with the solution, and it wasn't the same as his sketch.
I've always thought that 3D model to speed up the construction drawings, but more importantly, we should use the 3D model to improve the quality of the design. The challenge for a lot of users is learning to model the design when it is not a traditional building, or how to create a fast block model, like I did for the architect. That is where my 3D modeling manual comes in. Clients that buy this manual will learn the basic tools first, the ones that are quick to use, and they will learn how to take a block and cut it, pull it and shape it to make a concept. And, they will learn those cool curving shapes.

Many design software programs sustain an of ecosystem of blogs, online communities, technical books, etc. Vectorworks users are only now recognizing and organizing themselves online. As one of the most active Vectorworks users, can you help us understand the new surge in online participation?

When I started to blog [...] I wanted something that would be useful for my clients and other users of Vectorworks

Many younger people are especially active online. When I stared blogging a few years ago, there was a lot of people already blogging, but it was mainly for personal reasons. Now there are a lot of blogs for business, and many more are blogging now. An online presence is now an essential part of your business.
When I started to blog, I didn't really want to make my blog about me and my life. I thought that might be too dull! But I thought I could make my blog about Vectorworks tips and tricks. .
Vectorworks have started to invest in the community board and they have really made an effort in blogging, and social media. You interviewed Jessie Newburn recently, she is amazing with the effort she puts in and I think that is bringing more users online.

How did you approach the task of writing a technical book such as "3D Modeling in Vectorworks"? How did you select the content and organize it?

when my students start to have fun with Vectorworks, they start enjoy it more, and they learn more easily

The 3D side of Vectorworks has always been the most fun. When my students start to have fun with Vectorworks, they start enjoy it more, and they learn more easily. I have been teaching simple 3D modeling for a long time, since the days of MiniCAD (the name before VectorWorks). It was fun to teach and fun for the students.
A simple introduction to 3D modeling has always been part of my Essential Tutorial Manual, but I had requests from some clients that wanted to see more. As I showed more techniques with 3D modeling, the students asked for more. This manual is the result. Like all my manuals, the students tell me what they want to learn, and I develop exercises that make it simple.
For the manual I used these exercises, and developed more basic exercises to explain all the basic 3D tools and commands. Then I developed a bus stop exercise that was designed to bring together several techniques. I used the bus stop because it would suit several people, architects, landscapers, urban designers and exhibit designers.

I would like to thank Jonathan for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any questions for Jonathan or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.

Franco Folini

Jonathan Pickup Sample Training Jonathan Pickup training books are available
from Novedge (Look on the Training section)

Interview with Jessie Newburn, PR Gal at Nemetschek NA

Who is the face customers identify with a typical CAD company? Maybe the CEO whose smile appears on the cover of business magazines, or the tech support guy who handles the most challenging cases, or maybe the well-dressed salesperson who convinces big customers to buy dozens of licenses? All of them or none of them, it depends who you ask... Until yesterday. Now, if you ask people who is the most familiar face at Nemetschek NA, very likely most would respond Jessie! Jessie is not the CEO, not a member of technical support team, nor a saleswoman. Jessie is the person in charge of Social Media, or the "PR Gal," as she likes to be called. Everyday Vectorworks users find Jessie online in a variety of environments, from Facebook, to Twitter, Delicious, and so on. I managed to disconnect Jessie from her laptop and her iPhone for a short while in order to get some insight about her online activities and her role inside Nemetschek NA. Here is the interview.

Jessie, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional activities?

the company (has) a loyal, passionate and, perhaps, a bit geeky customer base

Certainly. I’m the PR gal on the global mar-com team at Nemetschek North America. We develop CAD products for designers under the name Vectorworks. Strengthening our global community and supporting our international distributors is a key component of my job. I was drawn to work with Nemetschek NA because I could tell – even from the outside looking in -- that the company had a loyal, passionate and, perhaps, a bit geeky customer base. As I have a strong orientation to the opportunities emerging in and around social media, this was a perfect storm, so to speak, of the type of company I wanted to work for. I’ve been with NNA for about a year, and it’s been everything I hoped for … and more.

How do you see the current state of social media in the CAD industry? Is it affecting only a small community or is it having a larger impact?

social media opens the doors to serve people more specifically and genuinely

Well, as a newcomer to the CAD industry, I don’t believe I’m qualified to speak to how social media is impacting this one industry differently than others. I think for all companies, the touch points for reaching customers, prospects and the press have exploded. As well, consumer sentiment in wanting actual engagement and personal value, and less messaging about a product’s grandness, has shifted. Social media opens the doors to serve people more specifically and genuinely.

Do you think social media technologies will ever become a daily tool for CAD end users?

I know, with a personal certainty, that social media is, for some, a daily tool, indeed

LOL. Well, in my eyes, social media technologies already are a daily tool for some people. Present company included! For others, of course, the tools don’t even register as significant. But weighing in on the side of daily use, my morning includes reviewing my Google Alerts to discover what new content about our products and brand is now online. I check in on Twitter for reasons similar, engaging with users and scanning the tweets to see what others in our community are reading and saying; I communicate with press and the public in Facebook, and I use, for example, social book-marking tools for tracking press activity and sharing it with my colleagues. In my own life, I also approach data, projects and communication using many of the same tools and technologies I use at Nemetschek NA. So, I know, with a personal certainty, that social media is, for some, a daily tool, indeed.

People approaching the new social media tools frequently complain about the amount of time they must invest in them in order to get some tangible feedback. Would you say they have wrong expectations, the wrong tools, or a wrong approach?

to ignore social media tools or think they can be avoided in the long term is, in my opinion, a mistake

I think their frustrations probably stem from a combination of all three points you mention. Let’s call a spade a spade: Anything can be a time suck, right? News, TV, even relationships and hobbies can pull my attention in a disproportionate way. My experience is that I’ve had to invest time in learning social media … and not just learning the technology, but also the culture around these technologies. Oh, and as an early adopter, I’d add that I’ve even had to invest time to monitor shifts and adjust my activities as the culture shifted. So, yeah, it can take some time. Then again, I used to spend gobs of time on email, and now I’ve pared that down to a bare minimum. I used to organize files and data on my hard drive, and now delicious.com, YouTube, my blogs and Twitter carry more of that function for me.

Frustrations and worries aside, to ignore social media tools or think they can be avoided in the long term is, in my opinion, a mistake. So, I believe that professionals in any industry benefit from learning more about these tools, both for technical skills gained and for being connected to the cultural vibe around them.

The new social communication channels promote individual relationships rather than companies, brands, or products. How can companies participate in this new world?

Cultural values have shifted with more people wanting personal communication along with corporate branding

I approach this corporate dilemma differently than a lot of folk. I think social media tools are ascending in use specifically because they facilitate individual relationships, raw-and-real communication and personal branding. Understanding that component of the motivation for using these tools is one of the keys for how companies can “participate in this new world.” The tools don’t make someone be a fool. Or be likeable, for that matter. If someone lacks even a modicum of style and elegance in their personal behavior, social media will just exacerbate that fact. And make it public. Likewise, I believe there is a significant amount of untapped intelligence and capacity trapped in hierarchical-based organizations. Social media can help identify that and bring it forth. I think companies have a golden opportunity at hand in helping people inside their companies by modeling online activities that are engaging, real, respectful and professional. Cultural values have shifted with more people wanting personal communication along with corporate branding. Not one. Not either. But both.

Getting feedback from a customer is not as easy as social media gurus sometimes often promise. More vocal users are not always the most representative of the community. What are your suggestions on this topic?

I listen.
I respond.
I engage.

This is a loaded topic and not one easily answered in but a paragraph or two. Yes, I agree that vocal users are not always the most representative of the community. But the bigger question here is how to get more feedback from customers. I’d add that “feedback” is much more than a call-and-response process, where companies ask questions and customers dutifully respond. Feedback, vis-à-vis social media, is much about watching where users are. Engaging with them on their turf and in their culture. And then listening, participating and adding value to the community. I don’t mean to sound like a broken record of the social media mantra, but this stuff is not about automation and gimmicks. It’s about engagement.

Twitter is just one example of where this is possible. It’s a bit awkward, but I use it and love it. Nemetschek NA has three broad categories of users: architects, landscape architects and entertainment designers. We’ve also got a large and diverse international community, student users, long-time users and brand-new users. With Twitter, I watch the conversation in and around our brand. I listen. I respond. I engage. I also bring in other people from the company when I need their help to answer specific questions. And our CTO, interviewed earlier on Novedge, is the recipient of the stream of tweets about our products’ features and functionality. So, “feedback,” in today’s environment, starts with listening, not asking.

What is the Nemetschek NA strategy for social media and how does it fit in the Nemetschek group strategy?

our product, our customers’ success with it and their clients’ satisfaction with their work is what counts

Now, Franco, as you know, our global headquarters are in the Washington, D.C. region (read: DOD/NSA/CIA). We have a popular saying in these parts: “If I answer that question, then I’d have to kill you.” :-) But for real, people can easily find us on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Delicious, Netvibes, Flickr and a few other sites. Plus, we have some neat global-facing projects on the horizon, so stay tuned.

For now, we’re like many companies: engaging and monitoring, measuring where we can and dynamically adapting to a shifting landscape. At the end of the day, our product, our customers’ success with it and their clients’ satisfaction with their work is what counts. Social media can facilitate and support many of our goals in supporting our customers and in deepening our engagement in a worldwide community of users, so it certainly has our attention. The reasons I was initially attracted to Nemetschek – the loyal, passionate and just a bit geeky customer base – give us – and all industries in the CAD industry – an opportunity to serve our customers and support their success with our software. Now that I have a stronger sense of the company’s direction, the people working here, and the capacity of our users, I’ll answer your question by saying, “Our future’s so bright, I gotta wear shades.” :-)

I would like to thank Jessie for taking the time to answer my questions. If you have any questions for Jessie or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer.

Franco Folini

Jessie Talks about Marketing in 2008 This video interview was released by Jessie to Jonny Goldstein in 2008. At the time Jessie was not working at Nemetschek NA.

Vectorworks Trial Download Now Available at Novedge

If you always wanted to try Nemetschek Vectorworks but never found a trial demo available I have great news for you: we now have the free trial available at Novedge!

we now have the free Vectorworks trial available at Novedge!

Vectorworks is a high quality professional design product very popular with architects, landscape designers, and interior designers. If you are in any of these professions I think you will really like what Vectorworks can do for you and the trial will be well worth your while.

You can download your free Vectorworks 2009 trial, Win version or Mac version, now!

Cristiano Sacchi

Vectorworks 2009 Viewer Makes Architects' Life Easier!

in order to view and print a Vectorworks file you don't need a Vectorworks license

People at Nemetschek, the makers of Vectorworks, have a little secret I would like to reveal to you: in order to view a Vectorworks model or drawing you neither need to own a Vectorworks license, nor to convert your files into some data exchange format. You only need to download a copy of the free Vectorworks 2009 Viewer, and have it installed on your or your clients' computers.

you can easily set up a collaboration process without having to worry about budget constraints

The Vectorworks 2009 Viewer can open any file (.mcd and .vwx) created with several versions of your favorite CAD system including 9, 10, 11, 12, 2008, and obviously the latest 2009 (with all the enhancements of the Service Pack 4). Using this free tool you can easily set up a collaboration process with your clients without having to worry about budget constraints or loss of information due to data conversion. Simply send them your Vectorworks files with a link to the Vectorworks 2009 Viewer download to let them open, explore, and print your 3D models and 2D drawings.

Now that you know this little secret you can go on the Novedge website and download a copy of the Vectorworks 2009 Viewer for your PC or Mac. And the the best part is you are not bound to keep this secret. Tell all your colleagues about it!

Franco Folini

Nemetschek NA Releases Vectorworks SP4

Today Nemetschek NA announced the release of Vectorworks 2009 Service Pack 4 immediately available free of charge as a downloadable updater for all commercial licenses. To install the SP4 start your copy of Vectorworks 2009, go to the [About Vectorworks] dialog box and click [Check for Updates], or visit the Vectorworks 2009 Service Pack 4 Download Page.

This Service Pack includes many quality improvements, including enhancements related to stairs, performance, and overall stability. Nemetschek published an official list of issues addressed by the SP4.

The error reporting option has allowed us to quickly identify and address stability issues

According to Mark Farnan, Director of Software Development at Nemetschek North America "We [Nemetschek] continue to get great feedback from our users. The error reporting option in the Vectorworks Preferences dialog box has allowed us to quickly identify and address stability issues."

I'm pleased to see how committed Nemetschek is in keeping all Vectorworks customers updated with their latest improvements. A product that was released on September 15, 2008 can now be upgraded to the Service Pack number 4. Unlike many of their competitors, you don't have to pay Nemetschek an expensive subscription to enjoy those benefits, the only requirement is to own a regular license.

Franco Folini

"Light Plot Deconstructed": A New Book for VectorWorks SpotLight Users

Just two days ago Vectorworks Press (Nemetschek NA) announced the publication of "Light Plot Deconstructed", a new book written by Greg Hillmar, an accomplished scenic and lighting designer based in Richmond, VA.

"Light Plot Deconstructed" is a great companion guide for anyone seeking to learn the fundamentals of lighting design

Over his more than 15 years of experience using Vectorworks, Greg has developed proven methods for drafting light plots. His successful techniques for designing with Vectorworks have been exhibited many times over the years, whether it was to fellow colleagues at tradeshows or in the classroom where he has taught scenic and lighting design to many aspiring professionals at Randolph-Macon College. Light Plot Deconstructed is a great companion guide for anyone seeking to learn the fundamentals of lighting design with Vectorworks SpotLight.

The book is written in a conversational style, taking the reader through the process of creating a light plot using Vectorworks SpotLight. If you are interested in learning more about the book you can download a PDF file with the Table of Contents and a Sample Chapter. To learn more about Greg Hillmar you can visit his website or follow him on Twitter at @ghillmar.

Franco Folini

UPDATE: an interesting review of Greg Hillmar's book has been published on the iSquint blog on June 18, 2009.

Interview with Biplab Sarkar, CTO of Nemetschek NA

With the recent release of Vectorworks 2009, Nemetschek NA made an important change in the product architecture with implications that are expected to extend well beyond this release. They replaced their obsolete geometric software library with a powerful and reliable state-of-the-art geometric engine: Parasolid. While geometric engines have been widely used in mechanical CAD for at least two decades, the large majority of AEC systems are based on simpler and more obsolete solid modeling technologies. This kind of decision requires clear vision, a brave approach, and a leadership that few players in the AEC market possess. Based on my MCAD background I can only fully support Nemetschek's choice and strategy. To explore the complex implication of such a change and the future plans of Nemetschek for his flag product Vectorworks, I interviewed Biplab Sarkar, the CTO of the company.

Biplab, can you tell us a bit about yourself and your role at Nemetschek NA?

I joined the company, in 2000, just after it had been acquired by Nemetschek AG. My background was primarily in MCAD at the time, with about ten years experience in the development of several products at ICEM Systems (ICEM DDN), Intergraph (Solid Edge), and Computervision/Parametric Technology (Pro/Desktop).

recently, I was appointed Chief Technology Officer of Nemetschek NA

Initially, my responsibility was to enhance the modeling and rendering capability in the Vectorworks product line as a manager of the 3D geometry and rendering teams. Subsequently, I oversaw the design and development of a number of other areas of the product, including presentation and drafting. Just recently, I was appointed Chief Technology Officer of Nemetschek NA, in charge of development, documentation and QA.

Vectorworks 2009 adopted Parasolid as the geometric kernel. What was your experience with the transition process going from the previous geometrics system to Parasolid?

Vectorworks 2009 is the first phase of our transition to Parasolid. It took the 3D team about a year to implement the first phase.

what Parasolid provides is performance and robustness unparalleled with any other kernel

The primary problem we faced was the forward translation of older files, mainly because of geometric issues; for example, the G1 continuity angle in Parasolid is different from what we used in older files, or the fact that although Parasolid supports tolerant modeling, the files from prior versions had models with very high edge tolerances, leading to intersection problems. Also, we had to focus a lot of our attention on processing the self-intersecting geometry and non-manifold conditions in our existing files. But of course, what Parasolid provides at the end of the day is performance and robustness unparalleled with any other kernel that I have used.

When compared with MCAD, AEC systems have been late in adopting solid modeling as a foundation. How would you explain the delay?

I think there are several reasons behind it. Traditionally, the geometry for most of the architectural objects has been planar, requiring a polygonal model, and not as complex as in the MCAD world requiring solid models. Clash detection and accurate volume calculations are easily obtained using solid models, and we are hearing more and more about these with the acceptance of BIM in the AEC world.

the geometry for most of the architectural objects has been planar, requiring a polygonal model, and not as complex as in the MCAD

BIM also requires model-view coordination and change-management schemes that solid models—along with constraint solvers—are quite capable of producing. As the products move more towards the building life-cycle model, the solid models would become an integral part of the modeling foundation. So the delay of solids adoption in the AEC CAD products could be attributed to lack of: (a) complexity of the models, (b) cost of implementation—and thus, cost of the CAD products, and (c) need for a single digital model across the design, construction, and maintenance phases prior to the adoption of BIM initiatives.

What are the specific benefits of Parasolid compared to other geometric engines such as ACIS?

Parasolid provides unsurpassed modeling quality and robustness. The quality of the kernel is never in question, as they go through rigorous regression testing daily. Also, the number of man-years that has gone into developing Parasolid is quite astonishing, much more than what has gone into developing ACIS.

the number of man-years that has gone into developing Parasolid is quite astonishing

Another aspect that I must mention is the customer support, which is superb; the responsiveness of the whole support team is commendable. And in my opinion, the modeling operations in Parasolid are much more powerful, especially in exploring “what if” conditions, doing extreme modeling, or in handling drastic topology change conditions - where you can end up with a topology quite different from what you started with.

What are the limitations and benefits of developing a complex software such as Vectorworks for both Windows and Mac platforms?

The benefit of developing Vectorworks on both platforms is freedom of design; users can select the operating system of their choice. The Mac platform, especially, has a very strong appeal in the product design community.

the maintenance of platform specific subsystems like user interface, event handling, file formats, etc. needs regular attention

Some of the problems we face are OS-specific behaviors from third party systems like OpenGL libraries, imaging systems like Quartz (on Mac), and GDI plus (on Windows), printing issues because of OS-specific driver implementations, etc. In addition, the maintenance of platform specific subsystems like user interface, event handling, file formats, etc. needs regular attention. We are occasionally limited when a specific functionality can only be implemented on one platform, but not on the other because of technical reasons.

How much of the design of a new version of Vectorworks is based on user feedback versus the company's vision?

Up until a few years ago, most of the new features were driven by user feedback. We were reacting to customer wishes and suggestions on a regular basis. Since then, we have taken more of a theme-based approach to product development. Internally, we have developed a number of major theme areas according to the company’s vision on where we want the product to be in the long run.

we have developed a number of major theme areas according to the company’s vision on where we want the product to be in the long run

We have been working on at least two of the major themes in every release of Vectorworks. Having said that, we still provide a number of usability features in every release, as a result of direct feedback from customers.

While the CAD market seems to be in the process of re-orienting itself toward a direct-modeling/explicit approach, Nemetschek is announcing a plan to implement the parametric approach in the next major release. Why has Nemetschek chosen parametric over direct-modeling?

The direct-modeling approach is winning the hearts of CAD users in the MCAD arena, as it vastly increases design freedom when compared to history-driven CAD systems. And, I think after 20 years (since Pro/Engineer was introduced in 1988), we are seeing a paradigm shift in some sense.

we think the parametric approach is key for enhancing the BIM workflow in Vectorworks

What these explicit or direct-modeling systems are providing is a way to design parts without retaining the history, but while maintaining some of the parametric relationships of the model; this is true of many systems, including the synchronous technology introduced by Siemens/UGS in Solid Edge. The constraint driven relationships between model elements are essential for inferring the design intent, as well as for performing design changes. So, we think the parametric approach is key for enhancing the BIM workflow in Vectorworks.

The parametric approach fits well with mechanical design because there is a good match between design features (e.g. fillets, holes, extrusions, etc.) and 3D solid modeling operations. Can the same be said for architects and landscape designers?

The way we think about the architectural model is similar to the assembly of parts in an MCAD system. You have the floorplan, consisting of a network of walls constrained to each other, similar to sketches on a working plane for an extrude. Once the walls are created, you can insert doors and windows in them—essentially creating cutouts or holes.

we think that the architectural and landscaping designs can benefit a lot from solid-modeling support

You could also add other projections or niches to the walls, similar to additive or subtractive features on the top of the initial extrude. Once the model is designed for one story, it can be constrained to the floor or ceiling of other stories of the building, similar to constraints between mechanical parts in an assembly. In Vectorworks 2009, the wall creation and the window/door insertion process is completely based on Parasolid solid models, very similar to an extrude with holes on the side faces. So, we think that the architectural and landscaping designs can benefit a lot from solid-modeling support.

I would like to thank Biplab Sarkar for taking the time to answer my questions. A special thanks also to Jessie Newburn for her valuable support in putting together this interview. If you have any questions for Biplab or for Novedge, please leave a comment below and we will be glad to answer. All VectorWorks versions are available through the Novedge website.

Franco Folini

VectorWorks Government and Educational Prices Now Available

We are happy to announce that we are now able to offer government and educational prices for Nemetschek VectorWorks.
This allows US federal and local government agencies and departments to purchase VectorWorks at a 15% discount over list price. It also offers educational institutions access to deep discounts for the lab version of VectorWorks.
VectorWorks is one of the leading 2D and 3D design software systems, especially for architecture, landscaping and interior design. VectorWorks supports both the Windows and Macintosh platforms with seamless data exchange between the two. It also offers robust data exchange with other CAD systems through various standard formats like DXF and DWG.
We believe this is a great opportunity for government entities to have access to Nemetschek VectorWorks at a very affordable price for their design and facilities management needs. It also offers the opportunity to schools and universities to setup training facilities for future designers and architects with VectorWorks at a very attractive price.

Cristiano Sacchi