Accelerate Your Designs.
Increase your efficiency. Up your productivity. Go where you want to go. With new technology in the Vectorworks Fundamentals 2012 software, you can create whatever you dream up—with even greater efficiency and increased productivity. Our flexible, intuitive, and smart features continue to give Vectorworks Fundamentals software the edge in 3D modeling, detailing, documentation, presentation, and integrated rendering. You get better collaboration, easy usability, and seriously efficient features. So where would you like to take your work? Where will it take you? Start here. Accelerate your designs in 2012.
Flexible: Enjoy the Freedom to Design the Way You Want
With the Vectorworks Fundamentals application, you’re not limited to a prescribed workflow, so you have the freedom to work the way you want to work. Incorporate your existing approach to design to make the best use of the skills you already have in-house. Collaborate seamlessly with colleagues and coworkers
and with other software applications. Here are some compelling reasons to purchase or upgrade:
- Freeform Modeling
With our intuitive interface, you can draft or model from any 3D view using modes in modeling tools that automatically infer working planes as you move your cursor and enjoy the superior quality that allows you to manipulate your model with ease. More accurate object information and better snapping make drawing in 3D easy. The SmartCursor helps you by showing hints, like the angle from the previous segment, as you draw. Plus, an advanced suite of solid and NURBS modeling tools allows you to create any shape and easily explore organic geometry. Push, pull, blend, twist, sculpt, deform, or punch holes. Anything’s possible with the Vectorworks Fundamentals 2012 software.
- Efficient Workgroup Capabilities
Break up complex projects. Whether you’re a sole practitioner collaborating with other professionals or a large firm dividing work among different members of the team, workgroup referencing provides a flexible way to split even the most complicated project into manageable pieces.
- Easy File Translation
Get on the cutting edge of digital practice, and move your projects fluidly between design, analysis, and construction packages with Vectorworks Fundamentals’ vast import and export options.
Import and export AutoCAD 2012 (and earlier) files. Send models to 3D CAD/CAM machines, CNC routers, and other 3D printers. Vectorworks Fundamentals supports a number of standard 3D file formats, including IGS, SAT, and STL.
- Endless Digital Images
Make your work even more compelling and easier to communicate with digital imagery. Import scans, digital photos, or web images. Import or export a wide array of image files, including Illustrator EPS and native Photoshop PSD files. Also, export your design for inclusion into your firm’s marketing materials or website.
Versatile: Create, Model, and Present with One Application
Move easily between tasks. From design concepts to construction documentation and every design phase in between, the Vectorworks Fundamentals application marries precision drafting and flexible modeling with state-of-the-art technology. Create, model, and present easily and precisely with one application. With Vectorworks Fundamentals software, you can do it all. The program boasts a comprehensive set of design tools to support your entire practice. You have complete functionality for:
- Powerful Conceptualization
Find your inspiration and start drawing. Or if you would like, import hand sketches, pictures of the site, and even documents from other applications. Invoke ideas in 2D, and explore them in 3D with free-form models. Win the job, then invest the time in your design.
- Superior 2D
Make drawing fast and fun, no matter how complicated the design. Our streamlined drafting environment includes a suite of drawing and editing tools that make quick work of any type of project. Explore parametric constraints that maintain relationships between 2D objects. Use a full spectrum of dimensioning tools that support common standards. Take advantage of text and notation capabilities that make your drawings even more powerful. For your finishing touches, stylize the text with a choice of fonts and sizes, check your spelling, and extrude text into 3D.
- Powerful Presentations
Define and communicate your signature look with our advanced, high-end technology that’s famous for helping our users achieve superior, graphically rich presentations. Tap into our large libraries of symbols and unlimited palettes of colors. Your style is not limited by “cookie-cutter” looks. Add gradients, tile and image fills, and hatching. Easily import digital images and graphics. Multiple page layout options make it simple to arrange presentation boards.
- Renderworks
If you think Renderworks looked good before—wait until you see this! We’ve teamed with the award-winning CINEMA 4D render engine to provide rendering capabilities that are faster and easier. Renderworks is fully integrated into Vectorworks, so it works seamlessly to allow you to visualize your work throughout the
design process, producing clear and accurate renderings. With the click of a button, rendered viewports will update as your design evolves.
Intuitive: Work The Way You Think
Out of the box and out of the gate, the Vectorworks Fundamentals software was designed to think like you do, so you will be up and running right away.
- Easy-to-use Interface and Drafting Tools
Do what you like to do best—design. You won’t waste time getting up to speed because our simple, customizable interface and what-you-see-is-what-you-get display make it easier to learn and use than other CAD applications. No matter what you’re switching from, our application’s interface will be familiar. Make the leap from the board to the computer without any trouble. Vectorworks SmartCursor technology replaces manual drafting tools, so inexperienced CAD users can make the switch easily.
- Tailored for Your Success
Work in tandem with the application. The Vectorworks Fundamentals program is designed to work the way you think. In addition to designing with lines, arcs, and circles, you can design with intelligent objects, surfaces, and solids. The objects are easy to edit and automatically display in both 2D and 3D views. With our
Pascal-based scripting language, VectorScript, you can program everything from simple scripts that automate routine tasks to full-blown commercial applications.
Smart: Invest in Yourself
Affordable, customer-focused, and proven as the tool of choice for 450,000 designers worldwide—Vectorworks software is a smart investment.
- Affordable
You won’t find another professional design application that packs so much into such a reasonable price. In one package, you get state-of-the-art tools and technology and the ability to work from conception to completion—a great value. You also get free software updates and affordable upgrades. With free technical
support and cost-effective training options, you get value far beyond your initial savings. We never force subscriptions, so you’re free to upgrade when and how you choose. As your business grows, we add extra seats at a discounted price. We offer exceptional value and no hidden fees.
- Customer Focused
Relax. We’re here for you every step of the way. Your relationship with us doesn’t end when you install the software. That’s just the beginning. We provide many channels for you to get the information you need. If you’d like training, take advantage of our multiple offerings: onsite, online, or in the classroom. If a technical issue stumps you, contact our technical support team for help. You can also tap into our worldwide Vectorworks community, as well as user groups on the local level. E-mail listservs provide assistance
around the clock, or you can use our service directory and job board to find help. Vectorworks users often find themselves in Internet-based dialogues with our engineers and managers. We take pride in cultivating lasting relationships with our users, and we translate their feedback into positive product developments. With your input, we can continue to develop software that exceeds your expectations. After all, your success is our success.
- A Tradition of Excellence
The company was founded over 25 years ago, and the Vectorworks product line now counts more than 450,000 professional designers worldwide. We listen to our customers and use their feedback to create a product that continually exceeds their expectations, delivering superior design flexibility and world-class graphics. The Vectorworks product line is the best-selling cross-platform professional CAD software and the preferred application for world-renowned designers and artists, as well as countless others who move the design world forward every day. The Vectorworks product line is produced by Nemetschek Vectorworks, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Nemetschek AG, which is the world’s leading IT company for the design,
construction, and management of buildings and real estate. Nemetschek software solutions are used by professional designers in 142 countries and are available in eight languages. With Vectorworks Fundamentals 2012, the tradition continues.
The following are real-world system recommendations for running Vectorworks 2012. In some demanding cases, we would suggest a more capable machine than is described by these recommendations. Likewise, there are some less demanding situations where Vectorworks will perform well on older hardware. The Vectorworks user experience is always improved by faster processors and additional RAM.
Macintosh
- Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later
- QuickTime
- Processor: Intel Core 2GHz or better
- DVD-ROM drive [dual layer]
- Screen Resolution: 1024 X 768 minimum; 1280 X 800 recommended
- Display Color depth: 15 bit or higher
Windows
- Windows XP SP 3, Windows Vista SP 2, Windows 7
- QuickTime 7.6.0 to 7.6.9 [higher versions not recommended]
- Pentium 2GHz or better
- DVD-ROM drive [dual layer]
- Screen Resolution: 1024 X 768 minimum; 1280 X 800 recommended
- Display Color depth: 15 bit or higher
Vectorworks
RAM 1GB minimum, 4GB recommended
Video Cards
IMPORTANT - Vectorworks 2009 introduced a completely new document interaction interface which depends on a high bandwidth interface between the CPU and the screen. This has the potential to provide a very fast and fluid screen interface if used on appropriate hardware or a noticeably slower interface if used on the wrong hardware. It is especially important to choose a CPU and video card which are current-generation if you use Vectorworks on a very high resolution 30" monitor. Some users may be dissatisfied with 30" monitors when used with older generation processors or video cards. In general, starting with Vectorworks 2009, the more powerful your video card is, the better your Vectorworks experience will be.
We strongly recommend that all users check that their video drivers are current. Most functional problems have been traced to older video drivers during our testing.
Please also note that, while modern GeForce cards on the Mac generally behave pretty well with sufficient VRAM, some users have reported stability and performance problems with older NVIDIA GeForce 6800 and 7300 cards starting with MacOS 10.5.6, even when using the most up-to-date drivers. While some users may experience acceptable performance using these cards, we recommend using a more modern NVIDIA card for those users who use NVIDIA cards.
For the latest information on our video card recommendations for Vectorworks 2012, go to the Vectorworks Knowledgebase and search for "opengl".
Remote and Virtual Machines
We do not consider remote login environments such as Remote Desktop, Terminal Services and VNC or virtual machine environments such as Parallels and VMware to be appropriate for regular work, so Vectorworks performance in these situations is not of primary concern to us. They may be appropriate for administrative testing or utility purposes, and Vectorworks is fully functional in these environments. You should not expect high performance in these environments, however, especially with interactive screen feedback.
We do support Vectorworks running under Bootcamp on Intel Macs. As long as you have appropriate and current drivers for the hardware on your machine, you can expect fast and reliable Vectorworks behavior.
Maintenance Releases
Unless there is a known problem with a maintenance release of the operating system, we recommend the latest maintenance release at the time we ship a new release of Vectorworks as a minimum because that is what we test with. If you have problems with an earlier maintenance release, we will often ask you to update as an initial troubleshooting step.
On Windows, we recommend against updating QuickTime primarily because most Windows users are not aware that Vectorworks depends on QuickTime and can possibly change behavior when QuickTime is updated. We have never had problems, however, which were traced back to bugs in newer releases of QuickTime, so updating QuickTime on Windows is not a risky choice.
64 Bit Windows
While Vectorworks is fully supported in both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows environments, we generally recommend using a 64 bit Windows operating system for Vectorworks 2012.
While Renderworks is fully supported in both 32 bit and 64 bit Windows environments, we strongly recommend using a 64 bit Windows operating system for Renderworks 2012, as it will take full use of 64 bit addressing.
Optimizing Performance
RAM requirements are usually driven by performance considerations. Large files and especially complex rendering modes consume large amounts of memory. On the Mac the operating system will take advantage of nearly all of the RAM that you have up to 4GB. On Windows the operating system will by default only take advantage of 2G of RAM, but can be coerced into using up to 3G. For users who have 64 bit machines and work with large files and complex renderings, we recommend installing 8G of RAM to give the rest of your system more RAM breathing space when Vectorworks is approaching the maximum. When RAM runs out, Vectorworks usually continues to function, but is slowed significantly by the need to access the hard drive to provide virtual memory. Extreme lack of RAM may cause operations to generate errors in cases where given sufficient RAM they would otherwise succeed. Faster hard drives can have an unexpectedly large impact on system performance especially when virtual memory is actively being used.
RAM requirements are usually driven by performance considerations. Large files and especially complex rendering modes consume large amounts of memory. When RAM runs out, Vectorworks usually continues to function, but is slowed significantly by the need to access the hard drive to provide virtual memory. Extreme lack of RAM may cause operations to generate errors in cases where given sufficient RAM they would otherwise succeed. Faster hard drives can have an unexpectedly large impact on system performance especially when virtual memory is actively being used.
Faster or slower processor clock speeds have a predictable impact on Vectorworks performance. We choose our recommendation based on our perception of mainstream needs and the current available hardware.
Hard drive size requirements are driven by the total size of Designer with Renderworks including all content files. You can easily reduce this size by opting to not install some Vectorworks content files. The following are real-world system recommendations for running Vectorworks 2010. In some demanding cases, we would suggest a more capable machine than is described by these recommendations. Likewise, there are some less demanding situations where Vectorworks will perform well on older hardware. The Vectorworks user experience is always improved by faster processors and additional RAM.
Important note: For Vectorworks 2011, the minimum requirement for the Macintosh is MacOS 10.5 running on an Intel processor.
