New CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar previews new technology at Vectorworks Design Summit in Chicago
Vectorworks has given its users a glimpse of the future, previewing seven planned developments for its Mac and Windows-based CAD / BIM tool, including faster graphics, realistic walkthroughs and enhanced structural members. Here’s the list in full.
1) A revamped, interface for accessing Vectorworks resources, the Resource Manager feature will enable direct browsing of resources from multiple library sources, including online libraries. Metadata tags will be attached to each resource to improve the searching, filtering and discovery of resources based on user criteria.
2) Structural Member Objects will allow designers to more easily and accurately model common structural elements. Key components of the feature include the availability of Polyline modes for creating curved structural members, the capability for interactive editing in 3D views, enhanced 2D Top/Plan representations of structural objects and interactive manipulation of a network of structural elements.
3) Irrigation Tools will aid in the design documentation and analysis of irrigation systems, including automatic calculations for water pressure, water velocity, pipe sizing, gallons per minute and water coverage.
4) With Vectorworks Analytics, the collected data from users who opt in to share data usage, will be used to improve the workspaces and interface of future lines of Vectorworks software. This will provide customized interface optimisations, improved data collection and analysis for diagnosing performance issues.
5) Vectorworks Cloud Services for All will be enhanced to allow all professionals, clients, collaborators and students to automatically view 3D scenes in the Nomad app and download files shared by other users.
6) Significant performance improvements to the Vectorworks Graphics Module (VGM) will include faster, smoother and more accurate graphics during zoom, pan and animated Top/Plan view changes. In addition, the new VGM engine will allow faster interactive drawing operations.
7) Web View/Virtual Reality will offer the ability to export designs from Vectorworks to a web-based interface that works on essentially any hardware and operating system that supports a web browser. The developers say the feature will enable ‘game-like’ controls and realistic walkthrough experiences of 3D models for improved communication with clients.
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