I am very pleased to announce that VectorWorks 2008 has arrived, and we begin rolling it out today!
It has been a long time coming—nearly two years since the launch of VectorWorks 12. You spoke. We listened, but it took some extra time to put in the long list of improvements we developed. The rest of this e-Dispatch, our beautiful, brand new website and other marketing materials will help you learn more about what's new—there are simply too many new features to describe in a few sentences.
One thing you will notice right away: with this version we're switching to a new version-naming format. "2008" is more than just a name change; it signals our change to a new product cycle. In the past, we've released features every 9 months, first with a major upgrade, and then mid-cycle with a .5 release. Thanks to your feedback, we learned that standardizing on a once-a-year release with only maintenance patches during the year was a better cycle to deliver improvements with minimal disruption to your business. Now you'll be able to anticipate a release at the same time each year as you plan your technology training and investment.
So, this is a special release for us because, although it marks the first of our annual releases, it packs double the features. Whether you use VectorWorks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Machine Design, Renderworks or the entire Designer package, you will see enhancements to make your job—and your life—easier. The entire VectorWorks team has worked hard and long to make this day happen, and we hope you agree that VectorWorks 2008 is truly the tool for designing for the future.
Sincerely,
Sean Flaherty
CEO, Nemetschek North America
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Nemetschek North America Launches VectorWorks 2008: Nemetschek North America today announced the release of the latest upgrade to their award-winning VectorWorks line of precision design software: Designer, Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Machine Design, Fundamentals, and RenderWorks. Two years in the making, VectorWorks 2008 features a new name in addition to new features and enhancements developed with the direct input of VectorWorks users. VectorWorks 2008 offers new technology to optimize workflows, enrich presentations, and facilitate collaboration. READ MORE
New VectorWorks Website Unveiled: After months of input from dozens of web designers, programmers, graphic artists, writers and technology gurus, today the switch is being flipped on the new VectorWorks web site. The unveiling of the new web site coincides with the release of VectorWorks 2008. READ MORE
VectorWorks 2008 beta testers had lots of enthusiastic comments to share with us about the software upgrade. Their favorite features were the Rotate Plan command, classable wall components, the extensive new symbol libraries and expanded color palette. They also were impressed with the DWG support offered in the 2008 beta release. Now that the real thing is out there, we wanted to share some of their comments with you.
About the Rotate Plan Command, Ion Webster an Associate with Steven D. Pults, AIA, & Associates, LLP in San Luis Obispo, CA, had this to say: "I love having it. I was able to work in an entirely new way." Katerina Panagiotakis of Thalassi Architecture of Boston was even more impressed. She says that "…to be able to rotate the view and see orthagonally while in an alternate angle is more genius than we wished up." Taine Gilliam of JTK Development says "Plan Rotate is something I've been waiting for …A long awaited feature." And Mathias Rauh of r2 Landschaftsarchitekt, Landscape Architect, Wolfratshausen, Germany feels "It is a great improvement in our daily work." "I think it's very useful, especially in complex drawings with more angled lines," says Andrea Michelini of PAPERJAM in Italy.
Multiple selection of objects inserted in walls was a real hit with Ion Webster. "Incredible, incredible, incredible!"
Katerina Panagiotakis calls the classable wall components, "excellent" and Andrea Michelini agrees that they are "very useful."
"I really like this feature," says Ion Webster of the classable wall components. "I feel that this will allow our work flow from Schematic to CD to be easier as the person working can limit the wall to overall thicknesses or simply the structural part of the wall."
Ion also likes the new symbol libraries. "They are really nice for doing schematic presentations to have clean quite cool looking furnishings"
The expanded color palette is another enhanced feature that is getting rave reviews. "I think it is going to be a huge boon to the program, being able to swap color libraries and name generated colors to be able to easily find them later is wonderful," says Ion Webster.
Katerina Panagiotakis feels this is "…a step closer to the art in the profession." And Mathias Rauh of r2 agrees, calling this "…a great step for more color flexibility." In a word: "Fantastic!" says Andrea Michelini.
Expanded DWG support is another important new component. VectorWorks 2008 makes "…DWG files are easier to open with less errors" says Katerina Panagiotakis and Ion Webster says, "Improved DWG support has been incredibly useful, both for late AutoCAD and better handling of documents that came to us unbound."
Chad Doane of the Fleetwood Group, Holland, Michigan, was most enthused about the Reference and CAD Manager improvements: "Two way worksheets are great! Plus the ability to recalculate a worksheet without having to open it up. Both of these have saved me a lot of time." Chad also likes the Resource Browser improvements. "I use the resource browser constantly and this has also been a time saver."
San Francisco Firm Uses VectorWorks Architect in Award-Winning Renovation: International Design magazine recently awarded VectorWorks user Kuth/Ranieri Architects of San Francisco its Design Distinction Award in the "Environments" category of their Annual Design Review 2007. Architects Byron Kuth and Elizabeth Ranieri, used VectorWorks Architect in the design of the Iann/Stolt Cottage, a 1906 earthquake refugee cottage in San Francisco. The cottage was rebuilt by the local architecture firm to hold a gallery and entertainment space with guest rooms.
VectorWorks 2008 Preferences: A description of the changes and improvements to the new VectorWorks 2008 preferences. WATCH
Object based Opacity: An explanation of the new Layer, Class and individual Object opacity settings and their many uses. These frequently requested features are now present and available for both Window and Mac operating systems. WATCH
Trade Shows
Sept 13-14: JLC Live, Minneapolis, MN
Sept 15: USITT Chesapeake, Winchester, VA
Sept 26: APLD Tech Expo, Palo Alto, California
Oct 5: AIA New York, New York, NY
Oct 6-7: ASLA Annual Meeting & EXPO, San Francisco, CA (Booth #1457)
Oct 19-20: TSA Convention & Expo, Austin, TX (Booth #503)
Oct 25-27: GIE, Louisville, KY (Booth #6001)
All Trade Shows
Training
Oct 31 - Nov 2: Intro to VectorWorks and VectorWorks Fundamentals, Columbia, MD
Nov 12 - 14: Intro to VectorWorks and VectorWorks Fundamentals, Chicago, IL
Nov 28 - 30: Intro to VectorWorks and Landmark Fundamentals, Columbia, MD
Nov 28 - 30: Intro to VectorWorks and VectorWorks Fundamentals, NY, NY
Nov 28 - 30: Intro to VectorWorks and VectorWorks Fundamentals, San Francisco, CA
All Training
User Group Meetings
Sep 19: Chicago VectorWorks User Group Meeting
Sep 25: Cincinatti VectorWorks User Group Meeting
Sep 25: NYC VectorWorks User Group Meeting
Sep 25: Eastern PA VectorWorks User Group Meeting
Sep 25: San AntonioVectorWorks User Group Meeting
All User Group Meetings
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