Vectorworks Architect 2017
(costs are shown in $US)
In this course we will be working through a domestic project for a client. Even though we are using a domestic project, Vectorworks is designed to be used for commercial and industrial work as well. The concepts we cover in this manual are useful in domestic and commercial work.
One of the main concepts in using Vectorworks Architect is called Building Information Modeling (BIM). This means is that as you draw a wall in Vectorworks, it is more than a plan representation of a wall. The wall has texture, knows when a window is inserted, and can have information attached to it. Many parts of the Vectorworks drawing are much more than they seem. A door, for example, is more than the plan representation of the door. It has a model part, and you can attach information about the door, door hardware, or even the supplier and cost of the door. This information can be generated as a report whenever you want it.
Live sections and elevations are a development of the Building Information Model that allow you to keep the sections and elevations up to date as you change the form of the building.
In this course we will start with an empty drawing file and work through the steps needed to create a concept design, developed design, and contract documents. Most times, you will start with a blank file, so that’s how we will start. This will give us the opportunity to look at document setups: the page setup, the units setup, the dimension settings, and text styles.
Our first task is to draw the existing site. We start with the property line. The property line is the site plan, which you can draw from information like the certificate of title, Google Earth, and so on. We will start using the information from the surveyor.
Then we will create a site model, which is a model representation of the spot levels on the survey drawings. This allows us to see the constraints on the site as models in order to turn the model around and look at the constraints from many different views.
We will create our concept model using spaces. Spaces are great. They allow you to make a model of your concept in a very short time. We can link this to our site to see how the concept relates to the site constraints. This is an important step because we can easily make changes to the concept model and see how the changes relate to the site constraints. We could check the recession planes, solar studies, the effects of the neighbors, and so on. We can use this to make better design decisions.
You could show the client the concept drawing at this point with the form of the building. Showing the clients a model of the concept will help them to understand your visions, and it will help to develop trust with your clients. Using BIM, we can then use the model to create the drawings.
We will assume that the clients approve the design, so we can look at design development. This means taking the concept and turning the spaces into walls, doors, windows, slabs, roofs, and so on. We can copy the concept drawings and edit them to show the developed design with very little extra work.
We will finish off the manual with a section that discusses ways of creating the contract documents. There is more than one way to create the drawings, so we will look at the concepts around creating the drawings, which will allow you to make your own choices.
When you finish this course, you will have a file with most of the layers, classes, viewports, and so on that you need for most two-story projects. This file can then be saved as a template file, or you can use the file to start your next project by using the Save As… command from the File menu.
Let get started!
Course Features
- Lectures 58
- Quizzes 0
- Duration 35 hours
- Skill level All level
- Language English
- Students 125
- Assessments Yes
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Step 1 - File Setup
In this chapter we will learn about the commands and to set up the file.
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Step 2 - Property Line
In this chapter we will learn about creating the site outline.
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Step 3 - Setting Up The Model
In this chapter we will learn about setting up stories, layers, and levels, and how they will speed up Building Modeling.
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Step 4 - Creating A Site Model
In this chapter we will learn about creating a site model and recession planes, and how they can be used for design.
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Step 5 - Quick Bulk And Location
In this chapter we will learn about creating a quick model that we can test against our site model to check our design.
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Step 6 - Creating Concept Drawings
In this chapter we will learn how to set up drawings using viewports so that the drawings are up to date with the model.
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Step 7 - Creating The Walls
In this chapter we will learn about creating walls, saving Wall Styles, and drawing walls.
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Step 8 - Creating The Roofs
In this chapter we will learn about creating and editing roofs.
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Step 9- Setting Up Developed Design Drawings
In this chapter we will creating more detailed drawings showing the existing and proposed design.
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Step 10 - Doors And Windows
In this chapter we will learn about inserting doors and windows, door and window styles, and how to create a schedule.
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Step 11 - Modifying A Site Model
In this chapter we will learn about modifying the site to create roads, excavations and changes to the land form.
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Step 12 - Stairs
In this chapter we will learn about creating stairs and the various tools for that.
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Step 13 - Finishing off
In this chapter we will finish off the project. This chapter covers annotation, detail viewports, inserting fixtures, floor framing, and roof framing.
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Step 14 - What To Do Next
