Introduction
It is common at this time of the year to look at the added features and benefits of the new Vectorworks release, so that’s what we’re doing in this manual. Following along from other years, there is a table that shows the new features and benefits of the new Vectorworks. As I have done in previous years, I will not be detailing every improvement, just the ones that are fundamental.
Vectorworks typically introduces a multitude of small updates that will really speed your workflow. These small updates may not be one of these major features listed below, but they can still dramatically improve your workflow.

The other manuals this year have had a beginner section followed by an intermediate user section and advanced user information. This strategy doesn’t work very well for these improvements, so the manual will follow the sections listed in the table below.

Needs	Features	Benefits
Basic productivity	Multiple Drawing Views Direct Section and Elevation Editing Enhanced Resource Manager Streamlined Worksheets Plug-in Styles for More Parametric BIM Objects Streamlined Drawing Distribution Improved Vectorworks Cloud Services Detail Callout Improvements	Multiple Drawing views allows you to look at the same model from different views at the same time. You can view the design layer while viewing a sheet layer. Direct editing of sections and elevations is a fantastic improvement for editing sections and elevations, showing you the true section through your model. The resource manager has had an overhaul making it easier to see and find objects. Worksheets have had a massive overhaul so that is much easier to understand the technology behind them. The Sheet Border has had an overhaul and allows you to have a more complex title block, similar to the VAA Title Block.
3D modelling	Improved Subdivision Modeling Upgraded Renderworks with Maxon CineRender	Improvements to Subdivision Modelling introduce new modes for editing the model. Render work has been upgraded with the latest Maxon CineRender, which will speed up your rendering and improve the quality.
Better Importing and Exporting	Improved Revit Import IFC4 Enhanced Web View Export New Rendered Panoramas Improved DWG Export for Classes Improved Vectorworks to DWG Mapping Improved DWG Sheet Layer Export	There are several improvements to importing and exporting that are important, as the programs that we’re importing from and exporting to are continually being updated.
Architect	Robust Wall Modeling Options Improved Graphic Output for Architectural Documents More Accessible IFC BIM Data	One of the important changes to the Vectorworks wall object is the ability to edit individual components on a wall, even though that wall is connected to a wall style. There have also been several graphic improvements that will improve the quality of your drawings.
Landscape	Enhanced Plant Tags Easier GeoTIFF Image Import Direct Site Model Contour Editing New Foliage Tool New Import/Export Tree Survey Options
Event Planning	Enhanced Seating Section Command
Spotlight	Braceworks New Zoom Option for Video and Blended Screens

 Basic Productivity [ms-protect-content id=”34491,34492,34493, 34494, 34495, 34496, 344927″]

Multiple Drawing Views

One of the biggest changes in Vectorworks 2018 is the ability to open more than one view of the same drawing. Clients have been asking for this for several years. It’s something that I experienced when using MicroStation many years ago. In those days, we used to set up a main drawing window and two small windows, one of which would be the printing view (similar to the sheet layer in Vectorworks).
If you have been using Vectorworks for many years, you will be used to a workflow that uses only one drawing window and you might not see the productivity to be gained in having Multiple Drawing views. I have found that it’s very effective to have a main drawing window and a smaller view of the sheet layer. That way, I can draw on the design layer and see the results of what I’m drawing on the sheet layer. Another effective way of using Multiple Drawing views is when you’re working in 3D. You can start drawing on one view and finish drawing on another. On a large building project, this is extremely useful, as you could have each view looking at a different end of the building.
This image is from a project where I needed to change the floor framing and walls for the upper floor of the building. I was able to see the changes on several drawings (framing plan, floor framing plan, demolition plan) as I made the changes on the design layer. This is a huge time saver, allowing you to see your changes on several drawings simultaneously.

Direct Section and Elevation Editing

This is another feature that clients have been requesting for some time. Editing an object in a section can be tricky without this feature. This new technique allows you to edit the section or elevation directly on the sheet layer, meaning that you do not have to go back to a design layer. Moreover, it can be difficult to get exactly the same view as the section if you go back to the design layer. This is not the same as going back to the design layer and choosing. Neither is it the same as going back to the design layer by using edit design layer, which would show you the entire model. When you edit the section in place, you are able to edit the section and all the objects in the section directly. It might take people a little while to get used to this feature, but it’s going to be fantastic.

Enhanced Resource Manager

Last year we got the Resource Manager, this year it got an upgrade. The icons are easier to read, the searching has been improved, allowing you to use AND and OR when searching. There have also been a few subtle changes to make it easier to navigate the Resource Manager.

Streamlined Worksheets

It might seem like a small change, but Vectorworks has edited the worksheet interface. Not only have they made it easier to create a report, they have made it easier for all users to edit the sorting and to control the database header rows. The changes make it easier to understand how to get information from objects. It used to be very difficult to understand how to edit the database headers, as if there was some sort of hidden code that found all the information. This has been completely overhauled, making it easy for everyone. In addition, the database headers only appear now on the open worksheet window; they don’t accidently appear on your printed drawings.

Plug-in Styles for More Parametric BIM Objects

The addition of styles was a great improvement, and now there are a lot more objects that use object styles. Objects such as columns and ramps can now be controlled by using styles. This means that you can save copies of your objects as styles, choosing which parameters are controlled by the style and which are free to be edited. I recently used these options on a project that needed floor piles. I used a column style that allowed me to change the heights of the columns so that they followed the site’s sloping terrain.

Streamlined Drawing Distribution

The Sheet Border tool is gone – replaced by a new Title Block Border tool. This is a massive change. If you are used to using the VAA Title block, you may be thinking that it looks familiar. The new Title Block Border tool is a combination of all of the best features of the VAA title block and the Sheet Border tool. Eventually I think the VAA Title Block will vanish, so we might as all start to use the new one. Editing the title block is more straightforward. It uses object styles, so you can choose which parameters you want to control and which you want to be flexible.

Detail Callout Improvements

I didn’t realize at first that they had made this change: It is the ability of Vectorworks to keep the line connected to the callout when you change its size. Before this, if you made a change to the shape of the detail area, you would have to reconnect detail label. And you couldn’t just reconnect the detail label you have two set it to a different position and then reset it back to its original position, wasting a lot of time.
This update is a nice productivity improvement.

3D Modeling

Subdivision Improvements

Every year since introducing Subdivision Modeling, Vectorworks has been adding improvements; this year is no exception. Some individual modes have been combined so that the options have become contextual, changing according to the situation. The new Add Edge and Remove Edge tools allow you to add an edge where you need it, rather than having to split the entire object.

Architect

Improved Wall Modeling

2018 adds the ability to edit a single component on a wall style. This saves a great deal of  time and effort, and it keeps walls with the same style together. Previously, you had to un-style a wall or create a new wall style to control different wall conditions.

Landscape

Enhanced Plant Tags

Several users have asked for more control over Plant Tags, so Vectorworks has responded with better tags and tag control.

Direct Editing of Site Model Contours

This is a big change. Instead of using site modifiers to change site model contours, they can now be edited directly. This makes it easier to change the site when you want to simply push contours around. You can edit the existing or proposed contours in this way. Site modifiers will still be required when you want to create flat or sloping areas.

New Foliage Tool

I have shown the Foliage tool before. It is a tool created by Andrea Faccinello that has now been incorporated directly into Vectorworks. This tool is ideal for creating 3D hedges for concept modeling and for adding realistic foliage to your models.

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