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 optimise workflows, enrich presentations, and facilitate collaboration, says the company.
VectorWorks 2008 offers interface improvements, placing at the user's fingertips the exact controls needed to finish designs with little wasted effort or distraction. A new heads-up Data Display bar brings precision drawing into the user's line of sight, with the ability to switch quickly between mouse and keyboard inputs.
A new View bar consolidates often-used viewing and organisational controls and places them within easy reach. The programme has been streamlined with fewer mouse clicks and many new batch-editing capabilities, such as the ability to select and edit multiple windows and doors in walls at one time. In addition, a new Rotate Plan command makes it easy to work on parts of a design that lie at odd angles, while still drawing orthogonally.
For higher-quality presentations, VectorWorks 2008 features unlimited colour choices and pre-configured colour swatches from Pantone, Benjamin Moore, Sherwin-Williams, and more.
Users will also find object-by-object opacity control; improvements to dashed lines; new end marker styles; and new symbol libraries from Herman Miller, Marvin Windows and Doors, Sub-Zero and Wolf, and others. VectorWorks' add-on programme, RenderWorks, offers improved OpenGL rendering, final gather rendering technology, and new texture libraries and bump shaders.
"VectorWorks 2008 heralds a new year of groundbreaking changes for the VectorWorks line of products, and a whole new collection of cutting-edge technology for our users," says Paul Pharr, Nemetschek North America's chief technology officer. "As always, we've listened to customer feedback, so users will see many requests incorporated in the latest version of VectorWorks."
(Jim Evans)
