Last week, global design and BIM software solutions provider Vectorworks, Inc. released the 2019 version of Vectorworks Architect, Landmark, Spotlight, Fundamentals, and Designer, as well as Braceworks™ and Vision.
Live Design chatted with Vectorworks CEO Dr. Biplab Sarkar about some of the new features in Vectorworks 2019, including Spotlight-specific updates.
The first of which that he dug into was the Data Tag tool. “Let’s say you have a stage and a bunch of objects, and you want to put a tag on each of those objects,” says Sarkar, “what the tool does, in one click, is identify all those objects and put the tag in the middle of them, depending on the data of the objects.”
Another neat feature all Vectorworks users can benefit from is image effects: Users can now edit images for warmth, color, and more within Vectorworks rather than having to leave the program for Photoshop or another photo-editing software.
Instead of scrolling through a hundred layers to identify one in particular, save time with the new layer and class filtering system. “Let’s say you have a class for the lighting devices,” explains Sarkar. “Now you can just type in a keyword and all those classes with that keyword will appear in the dropdown, and then, once they appear, you can save that particular operation as a filter. At the bottom of the dropdown are all your filters.”
Now Spotlight users can proof light plots faster than ever. “In Vectorworks 2019, on the sheet layer, you can have multiple viewports, and depending on the complexity of the geometry in the viewports, when you pan and zoom, or take any viewing action, even loading the file, is now up to 4x faster.”
In an exciting collaboration, Vectorworks has partnered with MA Lighting and Robe lighting on a new open-standard format known as the General Device Type Format (GDTF), and the 2019 release introduces My Virtual Rig (MVR). “MVR is an open standard that contains the packages of the GDTFs as well as the 3D scene, so it does the description of the whole rig, not just the lighting gear you want, but also other lighting, scenic, and AV equipment,” explains the Vectorworks CEO. “This is a format that can be used to communicate the gear and the positions so that everyone can get a unified vision. We are hoping that manufacturers as well as the visualizers can use it. The GDTF format is already supported by the grandMA3 console and will be supported by more than 20 of the largest lighting manufacturers in the near future, so that is going to be big for us.”
Check out the GDTF website to see the list of all the different manufacturers. “We are going to have more on this during LDI 2018,” adds Sarkar. “There will be a press conference at our booth #3139 on Friday, October 19 at 3 pm. We will also have an interactive fixture builder that we will unveil at LDI as well.”
Spotlight users will also enjoy an improved instrument numbering command and object placements in 3D. “We are going more and more towards 3D where you can not only create the light plot according to need but you can also use some of these operations in 3D,” says Sarkar. “Creating a 3D design is becoming a critical need, and we are responding to that so now some fixtures in Spotlight can be numbered and moved around and positioned properly in 3D. That is going to be our focus from now on. We are going to continue our support of the 2D world, but also provide more and more functionality for the 3D environment.”
Braceworks, the structural analysis package that was introduced last year, has a couple enhancements in 2019. “We added a tool that allows you to create and calculate bridles so you can not only put the bridles to support the trusses, but you can actually get the structural background including a list of all of the parts in the bridle assembly that is required. And then on the truss side, the new heat map gives you a color-coded map of the truss load and its stress areas, giving immediate feedback about the loading.”
Check out more of the new features here, and get hands-on training at the Vectorworks Design Summit, which invites professionals, educators, and students in the entertainment industry to join Vectorworks, Inc. from November 4 to 6 at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Ariz., for industry sessions, tech support, networking events, inspiring keynotes, and hands-on training.
Receive $100 off your 2018 Vectorworks Design Summit registration by using the promo code: LIVEDESIGN18. Register today!
