Vectorworks is rolling out a host of new changes, the most exciting of which is the 2016 release of its 2D/3D CAD and BIM software.
Vectorworks is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year and has rebranded itself "Vectorworks, Inc." from "Nemetschek Vectorworks."
Vectorworks 2016 features over 100 new updates from the 2015 version. Over 70 percent of these updates are in direct response to customer feedback. English-language versions of the software are already shipping out to Vectorworks subscribers.
The update provides streamlined project sharing, built-in graphical scripting functionality, point cloud support, subdivision modeling and even a module that can measure the energy performance of a design.
With the rising importance of graphical scripting, Vectorworks 2016 introduces a new tool called Marionette, a cross-platform graphical scripting tool for the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), landscape and entertainment industries.
The new tool supports freefall modeling and gives the user the freedom to create and document more varied forms.
The update also introduces an alternative to manual field surveys. The point cloud lets the user deploy their preferred 3D scanner to generate a 3D representation of any real-life location. This information can then be imported into a Vectorworks model as a highly accurate point cloud.
A new project-sharing module makes collaboration much easier. Members of a team can work on the same file simultaneously without any extra hardware or software. Shared files can also be accessed and worked on offline.
The update also introduces Energos. This tool uses Passivhaus's calculation method to evaluate a building's energy performance at any step in the design process. The user can check their design against a multitude of energy standards like LEED, ASHRAE, BREEAM and MINERGIE.
All this information will be encapsulated within the Vectorworks file.
Vectorworks 2016 will be localized in nine other languages and will be sent out within the next couple of months.