computer science

Vectorworks

Vectorworks is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Vectorworks rather than just read about it. In short: Vectorworks, Inc. is a U.S.-based software development company that focuses on CAD and BIM software for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), landscape, and entertainment industries. Vectorworks is owned by the Nemetschek Group, a multinational company.

Key takeaways

Vectorworks belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Vectorworks to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Vectorworks from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Vectorworks, Inc. is a U.S.-based software development company that focuses on CAD and BIM software for the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC), landscape, and entertainment industries. Vectorworks is owned by the Nemetschek Group, a multinational company. It operates as an independent subsidiary of Nemetschek Group.

History The company was founded in 1985 as Graphsoft by Richard Diehl. Diehl later changed the name to Diehl Graphsoft. The first version of the company's software was named MiniCAD, designed for Apple Macintosh. Version 2.0, MiniCAD Plus was released in 1989 and allowed architects to model custom details similar to hand-drawn work. The software was subsequently rebranded as Vectorworks in the late 1990s. In 2000, the company was acquired by the Nemetschek Group and became Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc. It rebranded again in 2016 adopting its current name, Vectorworks. In 2015, Vectorworks announced it was acquiring the ESP Vision product line, to further enhance its stage lighting and pre-visualization software. In April 2016, Biplab Sarkar was named the company's third CEO. Sarkar took over the position from Sean Flaherty, who assumed the role of Chief Strategy Officer on Nemetschek's supervisory board. That year, Vectorworks' annual software release for its CAD and BIM programs included updates and new features that were 70% based on customer feedback. That year, the company also introduced its Algorithms Aided Design (AAD) tool, Marionette. In 2017, Vectorworks acquired Design Software Solutions Limited and opened a new office in the UK. In 2019, Vectorworks shared that its 2020 release would include live data visualization as well as games style level of detail (LoD) control. In April 2019, Vectorworks became the first architectural software developer to receive the IFC4 Export Certification from buildingSMART International (bSI). With the certification, the developer meets export criteria for International Standard ISO-16739. Vectorworks further expanded its platforms in August 2019 by acquiring the ConnectCAD plug-in, for use with its AV installation software. In 2020, Vectorworks released support for multi-core processing. The core processing for Vectorworks is handled by the Vectorworks Graphic Module (VGM), while the processing for external technologies connected to the company's software, like Enscape and Lumion, uses Vectorworks Graphic Sync (VGS). Vectorworks hosts an annual Design Summit to allow users of its software to provide feedback, meet the company's developers, and learn about new developments and updates.In addition to receiving feedback in person, users have the option to choose whether they want to share their usage data with the company. Around one billion user interactions are logged daily by Vectorworks. Vectorworks also licenses Pixar's OpenSubdiv library for 3D mesh modeling.

Software Vectorworks supports tight integration of all building elements, providing architects with Building Information Modeling (BIM). Vectorworks software utilizes Siemens' Parasolid modelling kernel to underpin its geometry creation. Users can choose from eight different options of the software: Landmark for landscape architecture and design, and site analysis; Spotlight for stage and lighting design; Fundamentals for basic 2D/3D modeling and documentation; Architect for conceptual design, construction documents, and fully coordinated BIM models; Braceworks for rigging analysis of temporary structures; Vision for lighting previsualization; ConnectCAD for signal flow designing; and Designer which provides Architect, Landmark, and Spotlight in one package. Vectorworks' software also includes the ability for customization using, Python, VectorScript, or the included algorithms aided design feature called Marionette.

See also Architectural drawing List of BIM software List of CAD software

References

External links Vectorworks website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Vectorworks

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Vectorworks claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Vectorworks before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Vectorworks ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Vectorworks

In research: Vectorworks appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Vectorworks in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Vectorworks is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Building information modeling, Computer-aided design, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Vectorworks outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Vectorworks in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Vectorworks means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Vectorworks out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Vectorworks in simple terms?

Why does Vectorworks matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Vectorworks?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Vectorworks.