Best in 3D

Automatic Working Plane
     
Significantly improve your modeling efficiency by using modes in modeling tools to automatically infer working planes as you move your cursor around the model. Simply select a tool and click to create objects on any 3D surface.

Instant Push/Pull Mode
     
We added this user-friendly feature to our planar tool set so you can instantly push or pull profile geometry without additional steps. It's a great time saver.

Optimized 3D Dimensions
     
It's easy to dimension 3D features by sensing the 3D working planes with the mouse. Simply click on 3D features with your constrained, angular, or radial dimension tools and dimension away.

Heliodon
    
With this easy-to-use tool, you no longer need to know coordinates or a time zone to place a Heliodon object with a directional light when it contains attached data like the region and city. You can create QuickTime solar animations and create "view from sun" animations too.

Unified Reshape Tool
     
The 2D and 3D reshape tools have been consolidated into a single powerful tool that reshapes both 2D and 3D objects.

Reshaping Multiple Vertices of NURBS Curves
     
With one drag, you can reshape NURBS curves with great precision and control by moving individual or multiple vertices.

Better BIM

Stories
  
Now it's even easier to make changes that move with your design. You can express the elevation of design layers relative to a story elevation. As you edit the story elevation, all design layers with that story adjust their elevation by the same amount.

IFC Support Upgrades
  
Vectorworks Architect's support of the openBIM file standard, IFC, allows data and geometry to be input or imported, stored, retrieved, and exported in a much cleaner fashion.

Component Joins at Wall Y-Joins
  
With more robust wall joining you won't have to fix component joins. Now you'll quickly achieve joining of walls and wall components no matter what kind of connection you wish to make.

Better Door Capabilities
   
Use new options to create unequal bi-part leaves and several bi-part and double acting door configurations. Define a doors threshold to extend into and even beyond the doorjamb. Even define door muntin depths for glass leaves, transoms, and sidelights.

Floor-to-Floor Linking and Display of Stairs
  
Enjoy a more capable and efficient stair object that can calculate total rise based on the layers to which the stair connects. You will also see the 2D representation of the stair on both layers of connection.

Clearer Management of Space Label Symbols
  
We've greatly simplified the creation, editing, and storage of space label symbols. You can now directly create space labels using the space label settings dialog- no need for creating specific space label symbols. Also, you can edit existing space labels to quickly adjust the definitions and attributes of text tags in your label.

Rendering

Renderworks Styles

Make a statement with your own signature rendering style. You can create custom configurations of lighting, backgrounds, and render settings as re-usable and sharable resources. When you're ready to render, just drag and drop your custom resource and all your settings will be applied.

Realistic OpenGL Shadows

Better accuracy, better quality- need we say more?

Artistic Renderworks Styles

Try your hand at these intuitive editing style controls; you can even save Artistic settings as style resources to use with a simple drag and drop action.

Attribute Mapping Tool Improvements

We've simplified the tool by improving the responsiveness of surface snapping, adding a new scale by center option in the mode bar, and addressing additional interface complexities, making attribute mapping more intuitive and more reliable- just simpler to use.

New Metallic Shaders

You'll be stunned by the clearer definition and true-to-life appearance of shiny, brushed, or turned metal.

Brick Shader Dimensions

Create your perfect brick shader by editing width, height, and gap parameters based on real world coordinate values.

Collaboration

Increased DXF/DWG Support
     
Discover the advantages of efficient collaboration. You'll have better support for image fill export and import, transparencies, and gradient types, plus a new ability to save user defined settings for DXF/DWG export. You can pick and choose the objects you want to export to DXF/DWG- even hatches. You can interface seamlessly with AutoCAD 2012 files and even import clipped AutoCAD blocks as cropped Design layer viewports or as symbols without cropping. We've also made it simpler to save your defined mappings of DXF/ DWG colors to Vectorworks line weights.

Export to Five Previous Versions of Vectorworks
     
Now it's easier to collaborate with users of previous versions of Vectorworks software with the ability to export all the way back to Vectorworks 12.

Add New Parasolid Version Number in Export Parasolid X_T
     
Use this new option to specify a version number on the Parasolid X_T file format export.

Wish Granted

Faster Access to Frequently Used Settings
     
Get ready for a super time saver. Now you can access frequently used tool settings directly in the tool bar without having to open a settings dialog.

Modify by Record Value
    
You've received 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 sharing a specific record value.

2D X-Ray Mode
     
No more hide and seek! Just press the "B" key while you're using the selection tool and you can easily see and select objects that are hidden behind filled objects.

Hidden Line Intersection Edges
     
A new option in Hidden Line rendering modes gives you the flexibility to have Vectorworks calculate and draw the lines between intersecting geometry.

Faster Viewport Visibility Navigation
     
Another huge time saver- we've significantly improved the speed of navigation between sheets and from sheet layers to design layers for larger files.

New Hatch from Customized Hatch
     
Save your newly customized tiles and hatches as standard tiles and hatches so you can easily reuse them.

Landscape

GIS
   
With our new GIS capabilities, you can store georeferenced information on each Vectorworks design layer, transform geometry to a different map projection or georeferenced coordinate system, and enjoy improved Shapefile import and export functions.

Site Model Enhancements
   
New visual feedback notifies you when the site model is out of date. We've also added alert dialogs to let you know if you're losing contours when elevation ranges are not updated.

Miscellaneous Landmark Changes
  
Now the Landscape Area Object has clearer control over the distribution rate and custom coverage percentages. Also, we've enhanced the Offset settings for the Create Stepped Wall command and we've improved the New Water Needs and Climate Zone fields in the Plant database.

Better Stake Objects
  
Among other smart enhancements, you'll see the following new parameters and new values for existing parameters in the Stake mark offset and marker rotation fields: "None" and "Filled Triangle marker styles, and XY and XYZ Coordinate Point options.

Retaining Wall Site Modifier Improvement
  
Customize the shape and elevation of the underlying pad of the site modifier. Additionally, the site modifier sides can be reshaped around retaining walls.

Hardscape Improvements
  
Thanks to your detailed feedback on hardscapes, we have made some significant changes. Look for 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.

Entertainment

Lighting Device Color Names
  
To save you time, gel colors assigned to a lighting device are now automatically added as a named Vectorworks color in the document. Use any of the unlimited color choices in the named color palettes.

Soft Goods Object
  
The new Soft Goods Object enables you to easily create curtain, border, and pipe-and-drape models in both straight and curved configurations.

Multi-Circuit Lighting Device Focus
  
Multi-circuit lighting devices now automatically orient to focus points. Simply move your focus point and watch your instrument update to follow the focus.

Modernized Video Screen Objects
  
The powerful Video Screen Objects now provide even greater flexibility for placement and display of Video Screens. You can place lenses based on distance, make your screens glow, and calculate lens sizes based on the projector and screen location.

LED Video Screen
  
A new LED Video Screen Object, originally from Landru Design, gives you the added ability to model and represent low-resolution LED screens in a series of configurations and formats. Specify the height and width of module shape, format for the array, and the base structure for creating the object.

Focus Instruments at Next Click
  
Focusing instruments is now even more intuitive. Simply right click on an instrument or selected instruments and choose the new command to focus them with your very next click.