Vectorworks 11.5

[knurrebusk]

I´m thinking of getting a license of this product to solve the long standing problem of
pathetic site tools in Revit.

On smaller residential projects there is a need to document the site, but the average client often bails out when an engineering company assists.

But since Vector works 11.5 seems to support "sat" format, these customers can be helped, and delivered a package that´s affordable.

I´m a bit shocked infact!, by the features the Landmark ver offers, like the road features etc.

I got a client setting up a small engineering office next month, this might be a better solution then Land desktop.

Sorry! forgot the link.

http://www.nemetschek.net/

[Wes Macaulay]

Ugh. Vectorworks is just poor stuff. I used the software a lot and did enjoy its modeling and printed output. But sections are dead, and no one ever does a building model -- really -- in VW. Workgroup referencing means xrefs. So basically VW is ADT. The DWG exports are still painful.

You need to read awhile at http://techboard.nemetschek.net before you proceed too much farther down the road.

The users never lie -- I always tell people to read what the users are saying BEFORE buying software.

[Wes Macaulay]

Since you're looking at the Landmark version of VW: do have a look in that section of the forums. Doesn't look pretty there either.

When you compare how far Revit has come versus VW in the same period of time, you would come to the conclusion I did: run away! run away!

[juggergnat]

Just a suggestion, but try to create interior elevations in Vectorworks like you can in Revit. Go to the Nemetschek forum and do a search on that...I think you will be surprised (and disappointed) by the advice that the power users will give you. The section tools, the elevation markers...these things are really fantastic in Revit.

There's really no perfect design system and unfortunately we all have our gripes. But Revit has the most powerful viewing tools by far...and a great family system that's really without equal. Revit has accomplished some real innovations and its sometimes easy to forget the power of those tools. The Revit team has invented a new paradigm of working.

Just my two cents!

[Wes Macaulay]

Just a suggestion, but try to create interior elevations in Vectorworks like you can in Revit. Go to the Nemetschek forum and do a search on that...I think you will be surprised (and disappointed) by the advice that the power users will give you. The section tools, the elevation markers...these things are really fantastic in Revit.Well no kidding. Nemetschek, while they do flog Allplan (which is more of a "heavy" application like Revit), have the nerve to lump VW in with Revit as a BIM application. Someone should sic the SEC dogs on them: VW is nothing of the sort. I get quite irritated when people try to market VW at this level: it's a big lie.

Compound that with the fact that elevations are generated from layer links, etc etc and you get the picture that VW's technology is at nowhere near the level Revit's is.

I don't deny that Revit users could benefit from better site/civil tools, but even Landmark looks little better than Revit for this sort of work. If at all. I wish people could be more gracious and thankful for what Revit offers -- even the site tools. Though it would be great if there was some way of extending Revit for site work / road design.

As for what to use for sitework and road design in concert with Revit? Tough choice. Autodesk is moving everyone towards Civil 3D, but the program is a work in progress from what I hear. It's not like any of the civil apps are designed to readily interface with Revit: it's a disconnect right now. I would love to hear that AEC and civil product designers at Autodesk are getting together to talk about how data could be shared between these wildly different programs.

[mtogni]

The users never lie -- I always tell people to read what the users are saying BEFORE buying software

Totally agree!

[knurrebusk]

Thanks for warning me!
The demo of the road tool seemed to be just what I needed.

I´ll look into Rhino/Easysite as an alternative solution, but time is short.
Need to document roads/parking for many projects that suffer from very sloped site:(
syndrome.

[Wesley]

Well then Wes - based on your last post, you should be a very happy man right now...
Cheers,
Wes (the other one)

[Andre Baros]

If you're just looking for site layout tools, maybe the Sketchup sandbox and drape tools would help.

http://www.sketchup.com/?sid=78

[Wes Macaulay]

Well then Wes - based on your last post, you should be a very happy man right now...
Cheers,
Wes (the other one)Heh -- generally Revit makes me happy... though a bad Revit day is still better than a good AutoCAD day ;-)

[knurrebusk]

Seems like I´ll end up with Civil 3D 2006, got Viz 2006 as a render engine in the same package.

Will attend a demo next week, but I´m sure this is what I need.
Thank´s Wes! for your advice.

Don´t like that Autocad interface though ;)
But Civil 3D is way more than Autocad.

Regards!

[Wes Macaulay]

Wow - you're a brave guy! I got to work with Civil 3D a bit -- apparently it shares a lot of code with ADT :screwy:

I guess ADT's way of storing style-based object data is what they wanted.

[knurrebusk]

I´m not brave Wes!, just desperate.

We all know that Revit is the preferred way of working.
I´vie concluded that Autodesk is determined to push the old horse on GIS.

So I´ll bite the dust and try to enjoy some of the fancy parts of Civil 3D 2006.
If I find an alternative next week (big construction congress), I´m gonna spit it out.

Time being! there is only Bentley/Autodesk!Nova point for me.

None! is even close to what the Revit team can accede.