archoncad

VectorWorks movies on youtube

Mon, 22 Sep 2008 20:59:53 +1200

I've started to place my podcasts on youtube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/archoncad

don’t get too excited though, they are the same as the podcasts...

VectorWorks 2009 Announced

Sat, 20 Sep 2008 08:25:53 +1200

You might all know this already, but the latest version of VectorWorks has been announced:

http://www.nemetschek.net/

I am now in the process of upgrading my manuals to the new version. i always take this opportunity to look at the manuals, see if I can make them easier to use and make VectorWorks easier to learn. I will be adding podcasts to my podcast site and adding the same podcast to youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/archoncad

Sorry I’ve Been Away

Wed, 17 Sep 2008 20:42:56 +1200

Sorry if you have been wondering where I am. i have been really busy with updating my manuals. Maybe you saw the news that Vectorworks 2009 has been released:

http://www.nemetschek.net/

Every time they update Vectorworks, I update my manuals. There is a lot of work to be done, but I will try to get back to blogging here.

What Does the online Use Group cover

Fri, 23 May 2008 07:18:00 +1200

I had an interesting chat the other day with one of my old clients. They were unsure about some of the recent topics that we have covered in the online user group. They had a phone call recently from a large client the other day that wanted to know if they planned a new development, where would it be seen from. We covered a technique for this a couple of months ago.

The interesting part of me was that when my client originally saw this topic they weren’t sure that it was a useful technique. Now they have a need for this and they can respond to their client positively and show a skill level far above the competition. This is what I want the user group to do for everyone.

Check out the user group at:
http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php

Is VectorWorks powerful enough

Mon, 12 May 2008 07:34:43 +1200

I was chatting to an old friend the other day and he suggested that there are many people that can use VectorWorks in a way that looks competent, but really they don’t understand the power of VectorWorks.

That got me thinking, do people really understand the power of VectorWorks? For example I have know people that use groups instead of symbols, or they cut and paste instead of using layer linking (or design layer viewports). Some of these simple techniques can make VectorWorks faster and make it easier to use VectorWorks.

there might be several (maybe hundreds) of tricks that could make you more effective at VectorWorks. These are the sorts of topics we cover in the cadsupportonline user group. check out the user group at:
http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php

WinDoor

Sun, 11 May 2008 11:15:09 +1200

I have just finished my cadsupportonline user group manual on windoor. This 3rd party plug-in for VectorWorks is well worth the money you have to pay for it. One thing that I really like about windoor is the ability to number the windows and doors.

Notice how the window numbers are not in order.

If you want you can re-order the numbers...

This is a really productive trick and makes Windoor well worth while.

interiorcad manual ready

Tue, 6 May 2008 07:41:35 +1200

for the past couple of months we have been busy working on an update to our interiorcad manual and now it’s nearly finished. If you are in kitchen design or manufacturing or commercial interior design then you need to use interiorcad and this is the manual to get started.

The new manual will be on my web site in a few days and we will be running an interiorcad course in Auckland, New Zealand next week. For details refer to our courses page at:
http://www.archoncad.co.nz/courses/courses.php

Layer Linking or Design Layer Viewports

Mon, 5 May 2008 07:14:13 +1200

if you have upgraded to VectorWorks 2008 you might be looking for the Create Layer Link... command. If you are using VectorWorks Fundamentals you will find it, but not if you are using VectorWorks Architect or Landmark or any of the other flavours of VectorWorks. That’s because the command is not longer in the same place, in fact the command has been removed from the menu bar al together.

Instead of a layer link use a Design Layer Viewport (DLVP). The DVLP is similar to a layer link when you use it, but it is much more powerful. In VectorWorks 2008 you can crop layer links, but with a DLVP you can turn classes or layers on and off and change the graphic style of classes/

cadsupportonline user group meetings

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 06:31:14 +1200

The user group meetings went well, and we had a lot of new interest in the user group this month. Let me know what areas are giving you trouble, or what situations you wish were easier.

Next user group meeting Dates:
Auckland 12th May 6:30 -8:00 pm, room 1009 Unitec, Mt. Albert
Wellington 19th May 5:00-6:30pm 8 Tennyson Street, Te Aro
Christchurch 20th May 4:30-6pm Technology Block, St Margaret's College

Macintosh Leopard and VectorWorks Quickview

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 21:44:38 +1200

I’ve just installed VectorWorks on my new macintosh and i noticed that the VectorWorks files show you a preview of the file before you open it. It’s really odd to see the rendered view of the project in the finder.

This is a real advantage. You can see the plan before you open the file, so you know if you are opening the correct file, or the correct version of the project.

cadsupportonline user group meeting in Wellington

Wed, 16 Apr 2008 16:50:27 +1200

The cadsupportonline user group is meeting in Wellington on 21st March 2008 at the offices of Inside ltd, 8 Tennyson Street Te Aro.

cadsupportonline user group coming to Christchurch

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:18:05 +1200

The cadsupportonline user group is coming to Christchurch, New Zealand. The first meeting will be 20th May 2008 at St Margaret's College Christchurch.

From then on there will be regular meetings while we build up the user base in Christchurch.

cadsupportonline tutorials available on Cadalyst

Sat, 12 Apr 2008 09:12:35 +1200

I have started to write a monthly tutorial for VectorWorks at the Cadalyst web site. They will be focused on beginner topics mainly. You can see the topics at the Cadalyst web site:
http://aec.cadalyst.com/aec/article/articleList.jsp?categoryId=45352

cadsupportonline user group topic past movies

Sat, 9 Feb 2008 09:12:14 +1300

I’ve just finished uploading the movies for user group manual and extended podcasts. I realised that there are now 150 movies in all the issues to date and 26 extended podcasts! I was just surprised at how much was available....

When you join the user group you get access to all the current back issues (and the movies and podcasts).

If you are not a member of the cadsupportonline user group you should visit this page to join.

http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php

cadsupportonline user group topic February 2008

Fri, 8 Feb 2008 12:00:59 +1300

I am just finishing off my user group manual for February 2008. The topics this month are:

Workshop
Setting up a landscape plan. Starting with an imported DXF file learn how to set up a fast landscape plan with paths, gardens and plants. Count up the plants and areas. Even if you are not a landscaper you will learn something.
Q&A
How to build a window with a slopping bottom.

Podcast 1
How to make a 2D/3D symbol.

Podcast 2
How to apply a Texture to a picture frame.

PS. If you are not a member of the cadsupportonline user group you should visit this page to join.

http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php

Environmentally Friendly VectorWorks Support

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 13:59:56 +1300

I have been helping several of my clients over the internet now, ant it just occurred to me that this is one of the best ways to provide environmentally friendly support. If you ask a consultant to visit you for support, they might have to drive 30 minutes for more to get to you office. Of course they have to drive back to their office afterwards. That is leaving a carbon footprint, it’s using petrol and so on.

What about getting training when you need it over the internet. It leaves a small carbon footprint, but you will be using a computer anyway, so it’s not like driving your car for an hour or too.

So, for environmentally friendly VectorWorks support, contact me, Jonathan....

jon@archoncad.co.nz

cadsupportonline User Group Topics

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 08:15:15 +1300

Ever wanted to know where the cadsupportonline user group was meeting, or what the topic is?

There is a on line calender you can use:

You can view the calendar at:
http://ical.mac.com/jpickup1/User%20Group

You can subscribe to the calendar at:
webcal://ical.mac.com/jpickup1/User%20Group.ics

If you are on a Macintosh you can use the subscribe option. That way your iCal will tell you every month what the topics will be.

VectorWorks 2008 updated

Fri, 1 Feb 2008 07:24:14 +1300

One of the new features of VectorWorks 2008 is the ability to keep it up to date. On the About VectorWorks screen is a button now to check for updates.

On a Macintosh you should :
Go to the Menu Bar
Choose VectorWorks > About VectorWorks...

On a Windows machine you should:
Go to the Menu Bar
Choose Help > About VectorWorks...

If you have installed the first version of the Service Pack 2 then you will see this Check For Updates... button.

Click on this button to check for updates.

You will be taken to a web page that will tell you if your software is up to date or not.

If you nee to download a new version, you will be given the instructions you need.

My only concern is that the latest update is called Service Pack 2. This is not the first time the update has been called service pack 2 and my clients are starting to get confused about their updates...

Landscape Course Coming Up

Thu, 31 Jan 2008 06:24:48 +1300

I have arranged a 1 Day Landscape course for Tuesday 11th of March 2008.

This Course is designed to build on your beginners knowledge, and it is expected that you will have a beginners level of knowledge in VectorWorks before you attend. The course is structured in a way where we learn about a concept through working on a series of projects. The first project will be set up ready for you to add plants, the second project will start with blank page, we will then work through the project importing the site plan, adding the plants and hard landscape and then scheduling the plants and hardscape areas...

for more information visit my web site (http://www.archoncad.co.nz)

cadsupportonline user group topics 2008

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 16:05:04 +1300

I have just finished the cadsupportonline user group notes for January 2008. The user group notes are much more like a manual than notes, so from now on I’ll be referring the notes as a manual, or monthly manual. The January manual covers 30 productivity tricks that you should be using. Starting at the beginning of the year using VectorWorks productively seemed like a good idea to me and some of the users agree...

“I have been working my way through the latest issue of cadsupportonline - slowly as there are a lot of interesting points. So far I have thought "Yes I know that" but in quite a few cases there has been an extra bit that will make things so much faster.

Thanks for starting the year with such a good topic and I look forward to staying in touch and learning heaps more.”

I have a list of topics for the user group manuals for 2008, but there is room for your comments and suggestions. Leave comments here. Thanks
Jonathan

PS. If you are not a member of the cadsupportonline user group you should visit this page to join.

http://www.archoncad.co.nz/usergroup/join_int.php