Vectorworks

Sun Studies and Solar Animation—Heliodon

With this easy-to-use tool, you no longer need to know coordinates or a time zone to position the sunlight on your model. This 2D/3D tool contains attached data including the region and city. You can animate shadows live on your drawing including shadow analysis on walls. You can create QuickTime solar animation movies and“view from sun” animations.

Geographic Information Systems—GIS

With Vectorworks 2012, you can georeference your designs with the most accurate information. You can store georeferenced information on each Vectorworks design layer, transform geometry to a different map projection type or georeferenced coordinate system, and enjoy improved Shapefile import and export functions. This vastly improves the ability to work alongside other professionals and consultants on larger projects and coordinate information between you leading to greater accuracy and efficiency.

GIS files such as Shapefiles include a variety of records and data. Vectorworks 2012 includes a very powerful set of options for making modifications to selected objects or an entire drawing based on record values. With this command you can automatically modify the attributes of objects, resize objects, and even create extrudes for objects based on their record value. For example, building plots can be coloured differently based on their area.

Site Modelling

When changes were made to a site model, in previous releases you would have to remember to update the model. Now, visual feedback reminds you that the site model needs updating. When the modifications to the site mean that the model is missing out contours because its range of height values is not sufficient, Vectorworks will automatically offer to change the range for you to continue to show an accurate model.

Customize the shape and elevation of the underlying pad of the site modifier on an object. Site modifier sides are now included on retaining walls, making a much more accurate model update around retaining walls.

The Stake tool gets a makeover too. There are different marker styles, and new display options for the tag, including X, Y and Z coordinate points. Placing stakes on a drawing is much easier now, with a new mode for quick placement of stakes along a path.

Planting

Now the Landscape Area Object has clearer control over the distribution rate and custom coverage percentages, giving you a high level of control over how much of the area is devoted to one species. The plant database has two new Water Needs and Climate Zone fields in the plant database.

Hard Landscaping

The Hardscape tool includes some significant changes, with better control over hardscape creation, a new convert option between boundary and path configurations, and the ability to specify different pattern sizes for grid and running pavers. There are changes to the Wall tool allowing different components within the wall structure to be stepped or fitted to other 3D geometry and set at different heights.