Home Design and Architecture Guide

VectorWorks by Nemetschek North America

Vectorworks is a computer-aided design (CAD) software program developed by Nemetschek North America (NNA) that is used for drafting, technical drawing and 3D modeling.

Vectorworks offers 2D, 3D, production management and presentation capabilities for all phases of the design process. In addition to offering traditional CAD tools, Vectorworks allows its users to design with real-world components. Users can sketch ideas with lines, arcs, and circles, then build and document designs with real-world objects, such as walls and windows, cabinets and stairs, plants and patterned walkways, lights and trusses, and more. The objects are easy to edit and automatically display both in 2D and 3D views. Vectorworks 3D models can be generated out of 2D drawings, and vice versa.

Vectorworks is able to communicate with other applications via DXF/DWG and IFC file translation and by importing and exporting a variety of file formats. Some of the file formats Vectorworks supports include SketchUp, 3ds, Shapefile/SHP, JPG, TIF, EPS, GIF, and BMP. Support for IGS, SAT, and STL allows users to send Vectorworks models to 3D printers and rapid prototyping machines.

Vectorworks provides automatic data tracking capabilities, which allow users to generate schedules, reports and materials lists based on the information contained in a design.

Advanced graphics capabilities allow users to create client presentations. Vectorworks gives users the ability to control line weights, as well as add colors, patterns, hatches, and gradient fills to designs. Sketch rendering technology enables users to give hard-lined drawings the appearance of soft, hand-sketched illustrations.

For more advanced 3D rendering capabilities, the plug-in Renderworks is available. Renderworks integrates with Vectorworks to provide both realistic and artistic effects. Some of the technology incorporated in Renderworks includes radiosity, raytracing, solar animation, non-photorealistic rendering, volumetric lighting, physical lights and area lights, a library of more than 1,250 textures, advanced texture mapping, background images, free image props, atmospheric effects and Macintosh and Windows support for QuickTime VR.

Vectorworks also incorporates a scripting language called VectorScript that lets its users create custom tools. VectorScript is a lightweight programming language that syntactically resembles Pascal, incorporating many of the programming constructs of that language. VectorScript is actually a “superset” of the Pascal language, extending basic Pascal capabilities with a number of APIs (application programming interfaces) that provide access to the features and functionality of the Vectorworks CAD engine. The Vectorworks product line includes:
• Vectorworks Fundamentals
• Vectorworks Architect
• Vectorworks Landmark
• Vectorworks Spotlight
• Vectorworks Machine Design
• Vectorworks Designer

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TurboCAD by IMSI Design

IMSI/Design’s TurboCAD software family features more than three dozen separate products, addressing needs as specific as woodworking, furniture-making, mechanical work and bathrooms. Many products are available in both PC and Macintosh versions.

TurboCAD Pro, now in version 16, has been serving 2D and 3D users for more than two decades. This CAD software was designed to meet the needs of designers, mechanical and industrial engineers, architects, builders and contractors. It offers a robust set of 2D drafting and 3D modeling tools that let users create designs for an array of industries and disciplines. TurboCAD Pro was designed with a customizable graphical user interface, Single Key Entry commands and a Part/History Tree to enable editing of complex designs in any order, according to IMSI.

TurboCAD Pro 16 is compatible with other graphics and CAD software applications and formats. It supports data imported from more than 30 file formats and can export to more than 25 formats. TurboCAD software also features several third-party technologies, such as Spatial Technology’s ACIS solid modeling engine; LightWork Design’s photo-realistic rendering and lighting engine and material libraries, and Siemens PLM Software’s D-Cubed geometric and dimensional constraints engine, according to IMSI.

For Mac users, IMSI offers TurboCAD Mac Pro, now in version 4. This TurboCAD software includes professional-level 2D drafting tools, 3D modeling tools and thousands of parts, symbols and floor plans, as well as photo-realistic rendering and animation, IMSI said. TurboCAD Mac Pro includes dozens of advanced 3D surface modeling and ACIS solid-modeling tools, and a Drafting Assistant that lets users draft complex elements as though they were being sketched freehand, according to IMSI.

TurboCAD Pro 16 Platinum Edition includes all the capabilities of TurboCAD Pro. It also comes with parametric slabs, doors, windows, stairs and railings and a Style Manager for architectural objects, which come from TurboCAD Pro 16 Architectural Edition, as well as enhanced 3D design tools for facet-editing, lofting, object bending and unbending, which come from TurboCAD Pro 16 Mechanical Edition. The Pro Platinum edition of TurboCAD software offers compatibility with almost 40 CAD and graphic file formats, IMSI said.

TurboCAD Deluxe 16 2D/3D includes professional drafting tools, photo-realistic rendering and extensive file support. The software lets users create presentation-ready home plans, technical drawings, mechanical designs, artistic illustrations, crafts and school projects, among others, according to IMSI. This TurboCAD software can import documents created in AutoCAD and Google SketchUp.

IMSI offers many complementary products for its TurboCAD software family, including training guides and tutorials and TurboCAD add-ons for animations, computer-aided machining, mechanical drafting, cylinder design and more. A complete list can be found on the TurboCAD software products page.

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What Is a Floor Plan?

A floor plan is a simple line drawing showing rooms as though seen from above. Walls, doorways, and windows are often drawn to scale.

When shopping for house plans or building plans, you may study the floor plans to see how rooms are arranged. However, a floor plan is not a blueprint or a construction plan. To build a house, you need a complete set of construction plans that will include floor plans, cross-section drawings, electrical plans, elevation drawings, and many other types of diagrams.

A floor plan, or floorplan, in architecture and building engineering is a diagram, usually to scale, of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure.

Dimensions are usually drawn between the walls to specify room sizes and wall lengths. Floor plans will also include details of fixtures like sinks, water heaters, furnaces, etc. Floor plans will include notes to specify finishes, construction methods, or symbols for electrical items.

It is also called a “plan” in architectural terms, as opposed to “elevation” which means how the object will look when seen from a side, or a “cross section” where the building is shown cut along an axis to reveal the interior.

Examples:
Although usually drawn to scale, a floor plan can be a simple diagram showing the layout of the rooms. The drawing shown here shows a floor plan from a single-family home

AutoCAD by Autodesk

AutoCAD is a CAD (Computer Aided Design or Computer Aided Drafting) software application for 2D and 3D design and drafting, developed and sold by Autodesk, Inc. Initially released in late 1982, AutoCAD was one of the first CAD programs to run on personal computers, and notably the IBM PC. Most CAD software at the time ran on graphics terminals connected to mainframe computers or mini-computers.

In earlier releases, AutoCAD used primitive entities — such as lines, polylines, circles, arcs, and text — as the foundation for more complex objects. Since the mid-1990s, AutoCAD has supported custom objects through its C++ API. Modern AutoCAD includes a full set of basic solid modeling and 3D tools. With the release of AutoCAD 2007 came improved 3D modeling functionality, which meant better navigation when working in 3D. Moreover, it became easier to edit 3D models. The mental ray engine was included in rendering, it was now possible to do quality renderings. AutoCAD 2010 introduced parametric functionality and mesh modeling.

AutoCAD supports a number of application programming interfaces (APIs) for customization and automation. These include AutoLISP, Visual LISP, VBA, .NET and ObjectARX. ObjectARX is a C++ class library, which was also the base for products extending AutoCAD functionality to specific fields, to create products such as AutoCAD Architecture, AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Civil 3D, or third-party AutoCAD-based applications.

AutoCAD currently runs exclusively on Microsoft Windows desktop operating systems. Versions for Unix and Mac OS were released in the 1980s and 1990s, but these were later dropped. AutoCAD can run on an emulator or compatibility layer like VMware Workstation or Wine, albeit subject to various performance issues that can often arise when working with 3D objects or large drawings.

AutoCAD LT
AutoCAD LT is a version of AutoCAD with more limited capabilities. It costs less (approx. US$1200 versus around US$4,000 for the full AutoCAD). In addition to being sold directly by Autodesk, it is also available for purchase at computer stores, unlike the full version of AutoCAD which must be purchased from an official Autodesk dealer. It was developed so that Autodesk could have an entry-level CAD package available to compete in that price class. AutoCAD LT is marketed as a CAD package for those who only need 2D functionality.

Compared to the full edition of AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT lacks several features: most notably, it has no 3D modeling capabilities (although it has several 3D viewing functions for looking at 3D models created in other CAD packages) and blocks the use of any programming interfaces, such as support for most third party programs and does not allow AutoLISP programs. A full listing of differences is on the Autodesk website. AutoCAD LT originated by taking the codebase of AutoCAD and commenting out substantial portions,[citation needed] which allowed AutoCAD and AutoCAD LT to be developed simultaneously.

Student versions
AutoCAD is licensed at a significant discount over commercial retail pricing to qualifying students and teachers, with both a 14 month and perpetual license available. The student version of AutoCAD is functionally identical to the full commercial version, with one exception: DWG files created or edited by a student version have an internal bit-flag set (the “educational flag”). When such a DWG file is printed by any version of AutoCAD (commercial or student), the output will include a plot stamp / banner on all four sides. Objects created in the Student Version cannot be used for commercial use. These Student Version objects will ‘infect’ a commercial version DWG file if imported[citation needed].

The Autodesk student community provides registered students with free access to different Autodesk applications.
[edit] Vertical programs

Autodesk has also developed a few vertical programs, for discipline-specific enhancements. AutoCAD Architecture (formerly Architectural Desktop), for example, permits architectural designers to draw 3D objects such as walls, doors and windows, with more intelligent data associated with them, rather than simple objects such as lines and circles. The data can be programmed to represent specific architectural products sold in the construction industry, or extracted into a data file for pricing, materials estimation, and other values related to the objects represented. Additional tools allow designers to generate standard 2D drawings, such as elevations and sections, from a 3D architectural model. Similarly, Civil Design, Civil Design 3D, and Civil Design Professional allow data-specific objects to be used, allowing standard civil engineering calculations to be made and represented easily. AutoCAD Electrical, AutoCAD Civil 3D, AutoCAD Map 3D, AutoCAD Mechanical, AutoCAD MEP, AutoCAD P&ID, AutoCAD Plant 3D and AutoCAD Structural Detailing are other examples of industry-specific CAD applications built on the AutoCAD platform.

File formats
AutoCAD‘s native file format, DWG, and to a lesser extent, its interchange file format, DXF, have become de facto standards for CAD data interoperability. AutoCAD in recent years has included support for DWF, a format developed and promoted by Autodesk for publishing CAD data. In 2006, Autodesk estimated the number of active DWG files to be in excess of one billion.

The current AutoCAD file format (.dwfx) is based on ISO/IEC 29500-2:2008 Open Packaging Convention.

In the past, Autodesk has estimated the total number of DWG files in existence to be more than three billion.

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What is CAD?

Definition:

“Computer-Aided Design (CAD), also known as Computer-Aided Drafting, is the use of computer software and systems to design and create 2D and 3D virtual models of goods and products for the purposes of testing. It is also sometimes referred to as computer assisted drafting”.

Before the age of computers, drawings and blueprints were drafted by hand. CAD is more efficient because the software records lines as vectors based on mathematical equations. Portions of a drawing can be twisted, stretched, or moved. The picture as a whole will automatically adjust.

CAD Software will let the designer:
* Switch between two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) views.
* Zoom in and out for close-up and distant views.
* Rotate images to view them from different perspectives.
* Change the scale of images: When one value changes, related values are automatically adjusted.
* Manipulate the shape of images: Changing one portion of an image automatically changes the entire picture.

Popular CAD programs used by architects and engineers include:
* AutoCAD
* TurboCAD
* Vectorworks

For more professional CAD Programs, visit CAD and CAM Software.

Simplified versions of CAD tools can be found in home design software tailored for non-professionals.