Features (Summary)

'Intelligent' Object Technology'
AutoCAD® 2004 Support and ACIS Solids Import/Export
Batch Print
Better Annotation Tools
Completely Customizable
Create Object from Polyline
Create Seating Layout Command
FREE Framing Module
Faster, More Robust 3D Modelling
Flexible Classing Options
Grid Bubble Tool
Improved Site Modelling
Integrating Information Design
Issue Manager
New and Improved Building Objects
New artistic rendering
Notes Management
Over 60 FREE libraries
Redline Suite
Revolutionary Drawing Organization Features
Roofing Enhancements
Site Design
Smaller File Sizes and Faster Hidden Line Rendering
Tools to Help Sell the Job
Viewports
Wall Types
Workgroup Referencing
Mac System Requirements
Windows System Requirements

Features (Detail)

'Intelligent' Object Technology'
Now, instead of simple lines and static symbols, interact with your design on an entirely new level. 'Intelligent' Object Technology, a feature typically reserved for programs costing many times more, makes it easy to create and change design elements without having to redraw them. Want to see the ramifications of using a 6' bi-part door rather than a standard 3' simple swing? No problem-simply type in your changes and VectorWorks ARCHITECT will automatically update the design. It's so easy you can make complex design changes on the fly, in front of clients. And, because objects in ARCHITECT display in 3D as well as 2D, you'll be creating 3D models as you draw.

AutoCAD® 2004 Support and ACIS Solids Import/Export
AutoCAD 2004 compatibility, support for AutoCAD viewports and paperspace, batch DXF/DWG translation, DXF/DWG 3D Solids Support, Import/Export ACIS/SAT are just a few of the new and improved Import/Export options you'll find in ARCHITECT 11.

Batch Print
Forget about waiting at your desk to print a set of drawings. With the new Batch Print command, you can print a complete set of drawings without any interruptions. The new Batch Print command allows you to easily define a set of drawing sheets or saved views to print. You can choose to print sheets in either black and white or color. And, you can save Batch Print sets for easy retrieval.

Better Annotation Tools
We dramatically simplified ARCHITECT's Notes Manager. With ARCHITECT's new notes databases you can now easily create, store, and manage your notes right in VectorWorks. A new General Notes tool makes it easy to place perfectly formatted general notes from your General Notes database. And, a new Callout tool allows you to precisely place Callouts or Keynotes from your Callout Database.Plus, you can automatically reconcile the notes that are in the database with the notes in the drawing-assuring that the text you place on the drawing is correct. This is great when working in a multi-user environment where teams of designers are sharing the same notes database.

Completely Customizable
Easily customize your workspaces by configuring new tool palettes and menu commands, deleting unused ones, or rearranging their order and location. You can also assign, modify or delete keyboard shortcuts for any palettes, tools and commands. Plus, a complete, self-contained development environment is built right in. It's simple enough to be used by a beginner, yet powerful enough for even the most experienced CAD programmer. You can create everything from simple scripts that automate routine drafting tasks, to full-blown commercial applications! It's all up to you.

Create Object from Polyline
Now, objects like handrails, guardrails, and walls can be drawn along curved and straight polyline paths. Once drawn, their length, overall angle, and any radius information can be easily edited and ends can be correctly mitered.

Create Seating Layout Command
ARCHITECT's Create Seating Layout command is a huge time saver. Simply define a seating area, the focus point of the audience, the distance between the rows and seats, and select a seat type, and ARCHITECT will automatically array the seats either linearly or concentrically, and report the seat counts. Best of all, you can generate 3D views of your layout.

FREE Framing Module
Easily generate 2D framing plans, 3D framing models and quantity take-offs. You can represent wood and steel joists or beams in solid or trussed configurations.

Faster, More Robust 3D Modelling
An enhanced 3D modeling kernel results in faster and more reliable solids modeling operations. Plus, you'll find new NURBS modeling tools that give you more control over complex 3D surfaces. And, a Volumetric Properties command that automatically calculates the volume, surface area, and center of mass of any 3D solid.

Flexible Classing Options
A new document preference allows you to assign dimensions to any active class, as opposed to forcing them into a default dimension class. Now when you create a group, it is automatically set to the currently active class, as opposed to the None class in previous versions. Plus, new dialogs make it easier to manage layer and class visibilities.

Grid Bubble Tool
Easily create a dimensioned grid line with bubble markers, to help lay out building grids and locate columns and other primary building features.

Improved Site Modelling
We've streamlined the DTM interface, eliminating dialog boxes and reducing mouse clicks. We also improved the Road tool to allow you to simply sketch roads or paths onto the DTM. For easy editing, you can interactively reshape roadways using the 3D Reshape tool. And, an improved site section command makes it easy to cut sections through your site.

Integrating Information Design
Automatically track your project's costs and materials. Easily attach information such as manufacturer, size, part number, and order and pricing information to objects in your drawing. This information can be accessed at any time during the design process and can be used to generate reports. And, because the information and the drawings are linked, any changes to the design will automatically update your reports and schedules.

Issue Manager
ARCHITECT's Issue Manager records when drawing sets are released, who released them, and to whom they were sent. It also maintains a history of all drawings issued. Plus, with the Print Sheets command, printing the current issue is automatic.

New and Improved Building Objects
ARCHITECT 11 ships with many new and improved building objects. A new Ceiling Grid tool that makes it easy to layout ceiling grid tiles, an improved stair tool that allows you to dynamically adjust the break, as well as an improved piping run and adjacency score object are just some the new an improved objects you'll find.

New artistic rendering
New artistic rendering modes allow you to produce non-photorealistic effects that soften hard lines and mimic many hand-sketched styles, including cartoon, color wash, contour, tapered lines, hatch, ink print, lines and shadows, mosaic, oil painting, overlapping lines, soft lines, and stipple. Plus, both the Macintosh© and Windows© version of RenderWorks 11 support Apple's QuickTime Virtual Reality technology. QuickTime VR adds another dimension to your presentation capabilities by allowing you to create realistic 3D panoramas from your models that can be navigated without any special hardware or software. And, because QTVR is automatically web-enabled, you can easily post your QTVR scenes to your website.

Notes Management
ARCHITECT helps you accurately and quickly annotate drawings. Draw curved or straight leaders, then automatically place pre-formatted note blocks from your General or Keynotes libraries. Word processing features make it easy to format text and even check spelling.

Over 60 FREE libraries
With ARCHITECT, there's no need to purchase separate symbol libraries. You get access to thousands of intelligent objects and symbols at no extra charge. Organized in accordance with the 16 Construction Specifications Institute divisions, anything you need to complete your project is just a mouse click away.

Redline Suite
We know that there are a lot of changes from the first drawing to the final drawing. Therefore, ARCHITECT contains a suite of Redline tools that reduce errors and help track your changes.

Revolutionary Drawing Organization Features
New setup commands take the hassle out of setting up new projects. They can create all your drawing sheets complete with title blocks, plus automatically link your plans to your elevation and perspective views. They also make it easy to add and delete levels or floors from your design. These management commands make it easy to set up new layer naming standards, use the AIA / National CAD standards, or use your firm's existing CAD standards. For added flexibility, you can easily switch between the naming standards-great when working with subcontractors or consultants.

Roofing Enhancements
We've included better support for gables, dormers, and skylights. Plus, the new roofing commands support curved walls and can automatically join walls to roofs in 3D. Never before have you been given greater control over how roofs are framed.

Site Design
An integrated Site Modeler allows you to create precise 2D topographical maps, 3D terrain models, and can even perform cut and fill calculations. In addition, ARCHITECT ships with many landscape and site design objects to help create everything from plants to parking lots. Plus, a new Massing Model tool makes it easy to represent building is an urban setting.

Smaller File Sizes and Faster Hidden Line Rendering
New image compression technology significantly decreases the file size of VectorWorks drawings that contain bitmap images. Now, files that contain bitmaps will open more quickly, save faster, take up less hard drive space, and are generally easier to work with. Plus, Rendering in VectorWorks ARCHITECT's Hidden Line modes can be up to 40% faster.

Tools to Help Sell the Job
Not only does VectorWorks have all the tools you need to complete your project, it can even help you sell the job! Create high-quality renderings with dramatic lighting effects, and even animated movies of your designs! Plus, by adding VectorWorks' advanced rendering plug-in, RenderWorks, you can map textures, add shadows, background and prop images, and weather effects to give your presentations a photorealistic look.

Viewports
Advanced page layout features make it easy to arrange multiple views of your design on a single drawing sheet. Each view of the design, or "viewport", can have its own scale, orientation, projection, and rendering option, as well as layer and class visibility settings-making it easy to create drawing sheets that are comprised of multiple views of your design. For added flexibility, viewports can be cropped by any shape and have the ability to be annotated separately, which makes creating detailed or enlarged plan views a very simple and straight-forward process.

Wall Types
Define an unlimited number of wall types, and let ARCHITECT manage them for you. Walls can be straight or round and contain information such as sound and fire ratings, r-values, and bearing data. With all of this information pre-defined, you can automatically generate Wall Type schedules and other reports.

Workgroup Referencing
It's easy to design in a team environment with ARCHITECT. Team members can view the entire project, but make edits only within their individual area of responsibility. Then, final drawings are assembled by pulling together all of the component drawings from your team. And you'll never have to worry about controlling your firm's standard resources. Workgroup Referencing allows your design team to use a master document containing the firm's standard symbol library. How much easier can it get?

Mac System Requirements
Mac OS 9.2.2 or later and CarbonLib 1.5 or later,
Mac OS X 10.2.8 or later,
PowerPC 604e or newer
CD-ROM drive
Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 (XGA)
512MB RAM
110MB free hard drive space

Windows System Requirements
Windows 98 or later, Windows NT 4 or later,
Pentium or newer
CD-ROM drive
Screen resolution: 1024 x 768 (XGA)
512MB RAM
110MB free hard drive space