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Vectorworks 2010 Getting Started With

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Getting Started with
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Spotlight 2010
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  • Page 1 Getting Started with Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 ®...
  • Page 2 Published in the U.S.A. Vectorworks is a registered trademark of Nemetschek North America, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and other countries.Macintosh is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc., registered in the U.S.

  • Page 3: Table Of Contents

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Table of Contents Introduction ................................7 How to Use this Manual ............................8 Getting Help ................................9 The Spotlight Workspace ............................11 Creating and Editing Workspaces ..............................12 Creating a Template .............................. 15 Organizing the Drawing ............................17 Working Planes ....................................
  • Page 4 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Duplicate ......................................37 Convert to Polygon and Re-Shaping ..............................38 Exercise ......................................38 2D – 3D Drawing & Modeling ..........................39 Sweep ....................................... 39 Extrude Along Path .................................... 42 Chain Extrude ....................................42 Multiple Extrude ....................................43 Editing 3D Shapes .....................................
  • Page 5 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Adding Accessories ................................... 63 Adding Gobos ....................................63 Vertical Lighting Positions ................................. 64 Shutter Cuts for Visualization ................................64 Projection/Monitor Tools ..................................65 Photometrics/PhotoGrid ..................................65 Scripting ......................................66 Creating Custom Lighting Symbols ..............................67 Create Plot and Model View ................................
  • Page 6 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Presenting your Drawings ............................ 89 Viewports and Sheet Layers ................................89 Key to Instrumentation ..................................91 Dimensions and The Annotation Space ............................92 Drawing Border Tool ..................................93 Custom Title Blocks ................................... 93 Graphic Scale Tool .................................... 94 Drawing Labels ....................................

  • Page 7: Introduction

    Introduction This guide is not designed to make you an expert in Vectorworks, Spotlight or Renderworks. It is designed to teach the basics of working with these software tools. This is one of many possible workflows. Your own methods may vary slightly over time. This book only begins to scrape the surface as to what can be done with Vectorworks Spotlight.

  • Page 8: How To Use This Manual

    • This manual covers a lot of ground quickly. Yet, you will see it still just skims the surface of a powerful application. Everything is here so that you can get up to speed with Vectorworks Spotlight quickly. • Alternate methods are shown for activating/using many tools, commands, and modes.

  • Page 9: Getting Help

    First: learn to fall. Fortunately, Nemetschek North America has made getting back up easy. First let’s look at the Vectorworks help system. You can select Vectorworks Help from the Help menu, which will open the Help application or select “What’s This?”...
  • Page 10 Since Vectorworks is used widely internationally, it almost doesn’t matter when you are working; there are other people working around the world. You will find links to the online community as well as RSS feeds in the favorites tab of the Help application. As you explore Vectorworks online, you can add other links.

  • Page 11: The Spotlight Workspace

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide The Spotlight Workspace When first opening the Vectorworks Spotlight application, if your screen doesn’t look like this, you either don’t have Spotlight or you’re in the wrong workspace. Go to the Menu and select Tools>Workspaces> Spotlight.

  • Page 12: Creating And Editing Workspaces

    The Resource Browser allows access to symbols, textures, and other data within your file and other files that may or may not be open. Select the disclosure arrow at the top right of the Resource Browser and select Add New Favorite Files. Navigate to the Vectorworks directory and add the following files toyour favorites: •...
  • Page 13 Over time you may find additional tools or plug-ins that you would like to add to Vectorworks. Some come with their own workspace. Other add-ons need to be, well, added-on to any workspace where you might want to use them.
  • Page 14 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Grab the New Menu from the left column and drag over to the right. Name it. Note that you can readily rename the other menus just as you can rename a file. You can also delete a Menu by selecting and hitting the delete key.

  • Page 15: Creating A Template

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Creating a Template As mentioned, Vectorworks is completely customizable. We’re going to begin by looking at some of those customizations, just to get a basic setup established. Go to File>New to create a new document; you will have a choice between selecting a Blank Document or using a Template. A Template file has various predetermined characteristics.
  • Page 16 Click OK. Now, let’s save the tile settings as a template file. Go to File>Save as Template and the Save as Vectorworks Drawing Template dialog box will open and suggest that the file Default.sta be saved in the Templates folder of your User folder.

  • Page 17: Organizing The Drawing

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Organizing the Drawing Vectorworks documents use several conventions for organization: • Design Layers • Classes • Saved Views • Viewports • Sheet Layers Let’s look at the Organization dialogue box. Select Tools>Organization. The design layer is the basic level of organization.; Some people think of layers as sheets of vellum on a table; architects use layers to distinguish floors of a building.
  • Page 18 Create the Normal Weight and Section Style classes as illustrated and re-save your Default.sta document. Classes truly allow full use of Vectorworks and as a best practice no object should be drawn without having a class assigned. Going further, consider that your theatre walls may have one color and your set wall to have another color.

  • Page 19: Working Planes

    Locus Points Vectorworks has two tools for adding locus points, These are also called ‘datum’ if you have ever worked with a British company. There is a 2D Locus Tool in the Basic Tool Palette and a 3D Locus Tool in the 3D Modeling Tool Set.

  • Page 20: Layer Plane And Screen Plane

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Layer Plane and Screen Plane Not a drawing modes, but planar modes. Is the opposite of what is written. Layer plane will rotate 2D objects in space. Screen Plan 2d object will not rotate.

  • Page 21: Understanding Symbols

    Available Resources Go Back to your Vectorworks application directory and look at the many libraries provided. You can add more as favorites so their contents can be accessible via the RB or you can open some of these files and then access via the RB. In the latter case, you can right click on a symbol and either ‘import’...
  • Page 22 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Note: To insert the light click once and you are then free to rotate the light. Click a second time to lock down the rotation. Double click on insertion if you do not want to rotate at this time.

  • Page 23: Creating Image Props

    I try to keep most image files under 1MB. When making an image prop, Vectorworks allows you to mask out the background in a couple of ways. Again, this is often a chore best tackled in an image editor. In Photoshop and Corel Painter you can create an image mask or channel that Vectorworks can find and use as a mask.
  • Page 24 Go to Model>Create Image Prop and you will see a standard open file dialogue. Find your file and select it. Notice that if you saved your file as actual size, Vectorworks knows this. Also notice that you adjust the size of the image prop at this time.
  • Page 25 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Check ‘Use Mask’ and then ‘Create Mask’ finally select ‘This Prop’s Color.’ I have an image with an Alpha Channel, if you do not an Alpha Channel select “Transparent Color’ and follow the prompts.

  • Page 26: Symbol Types

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Notice in the illustration at right that I have selected transparent color and have tried to drop out the white background, not the Alpha channel I made in the image editor application. Here not only has the background been masked, but parts of the model’s clothes as well.

  • Page 27: File Referencing

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide File Referencing Another thing that I have mentioned and deferred discussing. It is very difficult to be linear when going through so many options. Go to Tools>Organization and open the Organization dialogue. Select the References tab on the far right. There will be nothing there.
  • Page 28 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide The image above makes extensive use of Image Props. In addition to the people we have just discussed, the statuary, fountain and fountain water are also all Image Props. While these items could have been modeled, that process would have added considerably to the development time and the rendering time.

  • Page 29: Primitive Drawing

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Primitive Drawing Vectorworks has many ways to draw. For the user, it is a matter of choice to determine what works best for him or her and/or specific scenarios. Flexibility in drawing is one of the many great reasons to use Vectorworks.
  • Page 30 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Select the rectangle tool and hover the cursor near another rectangle. Note the smart cursor hints and alignments indicated. Align with a corner, indicated by the red extension line and hit the “T” key to lock in that alignment.
  • Page 31 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Double click on the rectangle tool and enter the following data: width=3” [76.2mm], height=3” [76.2mm], deselect position at next click, and select the middle circle in the object position locator. Then in the data fields next to the object position locator, enter x=0 and y=0.
  • Page 32 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Select all and go to Modify>Clip Surface. You will now only see the circle selected. Delete the circle. The square has been clipped by the circle. Double click on the circle tool. Enter the following data; radius=1/2”...
  • Page 33 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Let’s make this a 3D object. Go to Model>Extrude (Command-E) and enter 3” [76.2mm] in the Extrusion field and click OK. Select the Flyover tool and look at the object in different views. Do the same with the current view drop down menu in the View Bar and/ or your numeric keypad.

  • Page 34: Other 2D Shape Tools

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Other 2D Shape Tools We have seen how simple it is to draw using simple 2D shapes, add and subtract from those shapes and extrude into 3D. Let’s look at the other 2D tools in the Basic Tool Set and see how they can be used.

  • Page 35: Offset

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Offset The Offset Tool allows you to quickly duplicate a surface inside or outside of an object. Select the tool and go to the tool preferences in the Tool Bar. Consider that if you have just drawn some crazy shape that you will use as a platform and you want to allow for the thickness of the reveal and/or the structure.

  • Page 36: Fillet And Chamfer

    1/100 of a degree. You can also freehand rotate by clicking on an object, dragging to another point on the object and clicking then dragging. Note that Vectorworks tells you when you are horizontal or vertical. Note also that you can rotate and duplicate in the Tool Bar.

  • Page 37: Duplicate

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Duplicate So you have this wonderful shape. Now you want more. Maybe you want to have a pattern. All of that Absolute Positioning! No worries, meet Duplicate Array! Go to Edit>Duplicate Array and note that at the top left drop down menu you have three modes;...

  • Page 38: Convert To Polygon And Re-Shaping

    Up to this point the exercises given have been pretty vague and about experimentation. These things have been suggested to acclimate you to the Vectorworks environment. Now you’re actually ready to do something. Create a document with 11 design layers. On one layer create a rudimentary title block (like so much else we’ll get to using proper title blocks later), with your name and date.

  • Page 39: 2D - 3D Drawing & Modeling

    JPEG or PDF image. PDF images created as vector files are especially useful for tracing in Vectorworks as you can snap to points in the PDF. Please refer to the file Martini.vwx included on the disc. The file shows how I have broken down each step onto different layers and classed all of the objects.
  • Page 40 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Note: I add what seem to be ‘extra’ points when drawing with corner points. Once I had the basic glass shape, I duplicated its layer and edited the glass to become the form needed for the liquid.
  • Page 41 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide With my shapes drawn and positioned, I go to Model>Sweep, enter a full 360° and accept the other defaults and almost instant Martini. You can add the olive later and once you have seen and explored the 3D Drawing Tools.

  • Page 42: Extrude Along Path

    I have taken a standard moulding profile. In this case I previously traced the catalog from one of my local lumber yards. Vectorworks ships with a library of US nationally available profiles as symbols.

  • Page 43: Multiple Extrude

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Multiple Extrude Multiple extrude allows for the creation of truncated and tapered objects. Draw a simple 2D primitive, a rectangle or a circle. Offset inside of that object. Select both profiles and go to Model>Multiple Extrude.

  • Page 44: 3D Modeling

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide 3D Modeling We’ve looked at a number of ways to work in 2D and convert those objects to 3D. Let’s take a brief look at ways to manipulate 3D objects and work directly in 3D.

  • Page 45: Project - The Lighthouse

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Project — The Lighthouse Believe it or not, you now have enough knowledge to model and render something like this. Well maybe not render, but read on and that too will be explained. Where I teach, this project is seen as a rite of passage. It is always known as The Lighthouse even though I have varied the assignment from year to year.
  • Page 46 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Plan your project, consider the number of finishes and object types that you will wish to class. Plan first, make the classes first. For a finished product, I ask to see a plan, section and elevation of the Lighthouse. Plus a rendering. Your choice of colors and textures, you do not have to match the original scheme, be creative.

  • Page 47: Using The Wall Tools

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Using the Wall Tools Open a new document with your Default.sta template. We are going to create a theatre space. As you have noticed, VW creates a zero-zero point on the page. We are going to assume that zero-zero is the intersection of the Plaster Line and the Center Line in a traditional Broadway size proscenium theatre.

  • Page 48: Wall Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Wall Tool Select the Building Shell Tool Set and select the Wall tool. Select the right control line option in the Tool Bar and set the wall’s Overall Thickness at 9” [228.6mm] in the Wall Tool Preferences in the Tool Bar. Click on the locus, drag up, tab into the Floating Data Bar and enter 30’...

  • Page 49: Curtain Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Curtain Tool Select the Spotlight Tool Set and the Curtain Tool. Select the Preferences in the Tool Bar and change the Current Height to 24 feet [7.315m]. Click to insert the curtain and hit Tab to activate the FDB, place a 60’ [18.288m] long curtain 25’...

  • Page 50: Create Seating Layout

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Create Seating Layout You now have a fairly complete and well masked stage house. Let’s add a few seats. Draw a rectangle from the midpoint of the DS edge of the stage (draw from CL to SR) 20’ [6.096m] wide by 12’ long [3.658m], select it and go to Modify>Move>Move and move -2’...

  • Page 51: Wall Sculpting

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide The wall height should be set to 42” [1.067m] but now we are going to edit the wall with the 3D Reshape tool from the 3D Modeling Tool Set. Switch to the Left View and grab the DS Edge of the curved wall; drag it to the ground, changing your wall to a ramp.

  • Page 52: Column Tool

    Select the Column Tool and go to the Preferences in the Tool Bar. While it is not yet possible to create a full Corinthian Capital in Vectorworks, you do have a lot of options in regard to base, capital and shaft. Make some choices and Inset a Column into your room.

  • Page 53: Stair Tools

    These classes need to be assigned, Vectorworks will create the classes and you then need to go back and define the class attributes. Once created, if you want consis- tent line weight, you can add to your stationery.
  • Page 54 Note: The choices of available classes in the drop down menus. As you have explored the contents of the Vectorworks libraries, you will note that there are other stair symbols available for use in the libraries.

  • Page 55: Roof Tools

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Roof Tools Let’s make your 20’ [6.096m] square room into a small house. In the plan view, select the left wall and use the drop down menu in the view bar to go to the Left view. Select the 3D Reshape tool from the 3D Modeling Tool Set, select ‘+’...
  • Page 56 Nice house, no roof. Select the four walls and go to AEC>Create Roof. For our purposes, accept the defaults and Vectorworks will build a hip roof that can be edited. By default you will have a four sided hipped roof. Double click on a control point on a side of the roof and select gable, repeat on the opposite side.

  • Page 57: Drawing A Light Plot

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Drawing a Light Plot We have a basic theatre and set, and we have added some resources into our document. Now we can begin to create a light plot. In Top/Plan view, your drawing should look something like this: First we need some instruments in our document.

  • Page 58: Focus Point Objects

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Select Edit Fields. For simplicity I have only selected three of the many possibilities: Unit Number, Color, and (way down near the bottom) Focus. To select a data field, just check in the left column.

  • Page 59: Lighting Positions

    “T” key and position. Adjust the position and set the Z height in the OIP. Name the position in the OIP on the Data tab. Repeat for the onstage electrics. Consider the Vectorworks duplication options for adding electrics. Vectorworks 2010 Products...

  • Page 60: Truss

    FOH position at center. Look at the OIP and notice the number of options available. Select a focus for the unit. On the Light Information tab, select Draw Beam. Click OK. Notice that Vectorworks Spotlight calculates the angle and coverage of the instrument.

  • Page 61: Coloring Your Lights

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Coloring your Lights From either the Lighting Device dialog box or the OIP, you can assign Rosco, Lee, or GAM color in the color field. A Rosco color is noted as R36 and a Lee as L36. Hexidecimal or RGB values can also be entered.
  • Page 62 Edit opens the Lighting Device dialogue. Edit Light accesses the dialogue at right, reaching into the symbol to access the Vectorworks light source (more on those ahead a few pages). Properties is another route into the OIP data.

  • Page 63: Adding Accessories

    You can easily import a gobo texture into your document or create a custom black and white or full color gobo. Any square graphic image can be imported into Vectorworks as a gobo texture. Got to Modify>Convert>Create Gobo Texture and follow the steps through the creation of the texture.

  • Page 64: Vertical Lighting Positions

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Vertical Lighting Positions This show probably wants a bit of sidelight. This is going to sound a bit counter- intuitive, but it will all make sense when we put the pieces together using the Create Plot and Model View command later in this section.

  • Page 65: Projection/Monitor Tools

    Projection/Monitor Tools Vectorworks includes a number of very useful tools if you will be working with projections onstage, in television, trade shows or corporate theatre. In the Spotlight Tool set, take note of the Television Tool and the 2 Projection Screen Tools; plain and blended.

  • Page 66: Scripting

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Scripting Don’t let scripting scare you. While Vectorworks does come with its own powerful scripting language that’s certainly not something we’re going to learn ‘Getting Started.’ What we can do is create a simple macro. You might want to create more.

  • Page 67: Creating Custom Lighting Symbols

    Not a problem, but we’re going to discuss Vectorworks lights in the next section. Once you review that section, you can come back, edit your 3D symbol and insert a light. If you are looking to represent a specific lamp type, Vectorworks has a great file of lamps in the library.
  • Page 68 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide If you have multiple boom positions, you must run Plot and Model View for each boom, or create the booms on Layer separate from your horizontal hanging positions. If you include your horizontal positions or have nothing selected when you run the Create Plot and Model Command, all or none of your positions will become vertical positions.
  • Page 69 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide I have also rendered this simple design, set some light levels, turned some instruments off, added some lights as I felt necessary in the visualization phase and added gobos. We have reviewed all of those steps or we will review them as we move forward, but you should make your own design choices.
  • Page 70 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide I have included the image above to illustrate a scene, in this case for A Midsummer Night’s Dream lit primarily with custom gobos. Vectorworks 2010 Products...

  • Page 71: Visualizing Your Design

    For film or television the camera tool can show specific lens choices and camera placement views of sets. While we will not deal with the animation tools or third party animation plug-ins, it is possible and easy within Vectorworks to illustrate camera moves or walk through animations of exhibit spaces or themed environments.

  • Page 72: Rendering Modes

    Changes made in the 3D space and renderings are much more easily changed than built pieces. Textures are some of the real magic within Vectorworks, learning to use them well will help you to create effective presentations. You cannot get to the point of building your ideas if you cannot effectively show your vision to others.
  • Page 73 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide When rendering, you might want to move from an orthogonal or isometric view into a less mechanical perspective view. Go to View>Projection>Perspective. Open GL renderings are useful for fast preview images to see if you have your textures in place and properly oriented.

  • Page 74: Layer Backgrounds

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide This is a sample of Final Quality Renderworks Rendering. You will find that with more complex models, textures and lighting that the difference between Fast and Final becomes pretty dramatic. Generally Fast is used for your own pre-visualization and Final for presentations.
  • Page 75 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide The top drop down will be our focus; • Clouds • One Color • Two Color • Image • Image (HDRI) One color should be pretty clear and having at least a black background is always useful. When roughing out ideas, use a black background rather than worrying about the surrounding architecture.

  • Page 76: Exercise

    HDRI image of the area at a certain time of day (say Magic Hour), the light data contained in the image and interpreted by Vectorworks will cause your model to be lit with the same colors and angles as the background. There are many resources on the web from which you can download HDRI images.

  • Page 77: Textures

    Textures Vectorworks provides a large number of predefined textures with the installation of Vectorworks. As always, you’ll find them, if you haven’t already, in the Libraries. There will also be a file of textures on the DVD with this book.
  • Page 78 Blur allows you to soften the reflections in Vectorworks. Blurring will add to your rendering time, the more blur, the more calculations and the longer the render. As with everything, experiment with the different shaders and edit the options. We discussed Constant Reflectivity in the Image Prop section.
  • Page 79 I would refer you back to the section on creating Image Props to determine the appropriate size of an image file to be imported into Vectorworks. Set the size of the image in the lower left of the Create Texture dialogue and be sure to resize the preview.

  • Page 80: Assigning Textures

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Assigning Textures Textures can be assigned to objects in a variety of ways; by Class definition, by selecting an object in the OIP, going to the Render Tab and assigning a texture from the drop down menu (which access the default textures and textures in the document), by Class definition, by selecting an object and then double clicking on a texture in the Resource Browser and by Class Definition.

  • Page 81: Mapping

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Mapping Sphere, cylinder, plane, perimeter or roof mapping types are used to control how a texture is projected onto different types of objects. The Attribute Mapping tool does not modify Perimeter or auto-aligned Planar mapping types.

  • Page 82: Camera Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Camera Tool The Camera Tool in the Visualization Toolset is your friend. It can help with the simplest of chores like checking your masking from the end seats to clearly illustrating or animating your designs for presentations.

  • Page 83: Rendering A Simple Scene

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Rendering a simple scene Preview your scene by taking a quick look in Open GL Rendering. Create and add textures to the theatre and set. Adjust your lights, colors and gobos in the Visualization Palette and Lighting Device Dialogues. Render in Final Quality Renderworks. Adjust and Render some more.
  • Page 84 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide The rendering above makes extensive use of colored lights to help illustrate the Times Square, NYC location. The Edge lighting on the glass jewel logo was created by using the NURBS Extract Edge Tool and applying a texture with Constant Reflection. The Illuminated signs are also a simple white texture with Constant Reflectivity.

  • Page 85: Lighting In The 3D World

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Lighting in the 3D World Like Textures, Lighting in the 3D World is not always as it seems. It is with the Spotlight Entertainment Fixtures, but there are other lighting options available for visualization. We’re going to look at the lighting options in the Visualization Toolset and the View Menu I think of these as draft tools.

  • Page 86: Directional Light Mode

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Directional Light Mode The Directional Light Source is a general light coming from one direction and is represented by a large globe. The placement of these lights and the light they provide is very general. The source moves interactively with the 2D Selection Tool and can be con- trolled numerically from the OIP.

  • Page 87: Point Light

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Point Light Note: The drop down menu in the OIP that allows you to change one type of light to another. Great for our exploration here. Point Lights serve a great many functions, but they can really add to rendering times as they are just like an uncontrolled or focused lamp sitting in space.

  • Page 88: Exercise

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Exercise Now with your wonderful file of 3D Objects with Textures, add lights to see how they work and how you can optimally illuminate your objects. Be sure to add a floor and possibly some walls using either extruded primitives or the Floor Command and Wall Tools so you have some surface to cast shadows on or reflect light off.

  • Page 89: Presenting Your Drawings

    Now you have a lovely 3D model, but you need to be able to disseminate this information to all kinds of people. Fortunately, Vectorworks is also a powerful page layout application. We are going to create Viewports of your model and place them in Sheet layers for organizing, annotation, and printing.
  • Page 90 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Viewports can be any scale. You may have multiple Viewports or drawings on a sheet layer. Sheet layers are always in 1:1 scale. For our purposes we are only going to have one viewport on each sheet layer, but each set piece in this document could be isolated by class and viewed individually for construction.

  • Page 91: Key To Instrumentation

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide In the New Sheet Layer Dialogue, the Sheet Title is Linked to the Title Block and Drawing Border Tools, Also in the Dims/ Notes Toolset. Your Viewport on its sheet layer should look something like this.

  • Page 92: Dimensions And The Annotation Space

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Dimensions and The Annotation Space I have added some dimensions, graphic scales and a drawing label from the Dims/Notes Tool Set. Take a look at the Dims/Notes Toolset. There are several dimensioning tools; constrained, unconstrained, angles and radial dimensions.

  • Page 93: Drawing Border Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Drawing Border Tool Drawing Borders and Title Blocks, like the Sheer Layers are in 1:1 Scale. Now we need to add a title block and sheet border to the drawing. Select the Sheet Border tool from the Dims/Notes Tool Set and assign one of the default title blocks.

  • Page 94: Graphic Scale Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Graphic Scale Tool Add a Scale Bar and a Drawing Label to your light plot; these tools are in the Dims/Notes Tool Set. Now let’s create a section viewport. Drawing Labels Add a Drawing Label (or several if you want to identify your booms) to your Light Plot.

  • Page 95: Viewport Cropping

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Viewport Cropping When you right click on a Viewport, one option is Viewport Cropping. Entering the Crop Space of the Viewport allows you to eliminate extraneous information or focus the viewer as needed. You might have several views of your light plot, one...

  • Page 96: Class Overrides

    Resource Browser to add it to the drawing, and then you can double- click on the schedule in the drawing to edit it. If you are a Lightwright user, Vectorworks also allows for interactive sharing of data with Lightwright. The export setup is located at File>Document Setting>Spotlight Preferences.

  • Page 97: Nurbs

    Free form objects can be created with the 3D Reshape Tool. The Landmark module of Vectorworks designer allows for the creation of free form land forms. Useful in the production of many plays.

  • Page 98: Fillet Or Chamfer Edge

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide We’ll take a look at some of the things that can be done with NURBS. Just some of my favorite methods or techniques I have found most useful. Fillet or Chamfer Edge These tools work just like the 2D Fillet and Chamfer that we have already used.

  • Page 99: Protrusion Cutout

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Protrusion Cutout Since I assume that you’ve played along and now have a cube with round edges (hopefully other shapes as you have taken the time to experiment with different options), let’s select the Protrusion Cutout tool from the 3D Modeling Toolset.
  • Page 100 Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Extrude Curve mode allows you draw a NURBS Curve shape or NURBS Circle on a face and protrude or cut with the new shape. The distance of the protrusion or cutout can also be specified by entering a value in the Distance field on the Tool bar or floating data bar.

  • Page 101: Solid Addition/Loft Tool

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Solid Addition/Loft Tool Solid Additions are an extension of the idea behind Multiple Extrude. Create 3 Rectangles of different sizes. Create a 4” [101.6mm] square at 0-0 in Top/Plan. Modify>Convert>Convert to NURBS. Go to the Front View.

  • Page 102: Revolve With Rail

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Revolve with Rail This is not simple to understand, but very useful for many shapes and creating tents. Complex NURBS surfaces can be created by revolving a profile along a guide curve (rail). The Revolve with Rail command creates the NURBS surface by revolving a planar NURBS curve about an axis.

  • Page 103: Surface Thickening/Solid Shell Tool

    NURBS are valuable options for modeling. We’ve only reviewed a few of the possibilities here, but as always, the help files and manuals are great options. NURBS are just one area of Vectorworks Spotlight that require more in depth study and explanation than can be covered in this small volume.

  • Page 104: Links

    Vectorworks Spotlight 2010 Getting Started Guide Links Free Vectorworks Learning Resources & Community http://www.Vectorworks.net ESP Vision http://espvision.com Vectorwiki http://vectorwiki.org/index.php?title=Main_Page OZcad Vectorworks plug-ins http://www.ozcad.com.au/otherproducts/vwaddonsAW.html Vectorbits http://VECTORBITS.COM/VectorBits/home.html Vector Depot http://www.vectordepot.com/ Landru Design Vectorworks plug-ins http://www.landrudesign.com/DefaultFrameSet.htm?index.htm~LandruMnFrm Gregg Hillmar http://www.lightplotdeconstructed.com/ Panzer CAD Vectorworks plug-ins http://www.panzercad.com/...

  • Page 105: Bio

    Library of Congress. Mr. Allen has been a Vectorworks user since MiniCAD Version 3 and has been using the program as a 3D modeler since that time. He is an adjunct professor of Design and Production at the Montclair State University Department of Theatre &...
  • Page 106 | T 410-290-5114 | F 410-290-8050 ©2009 Nemetschek North America, Inc. Vectorworks is a registered trademark of Nemetschek North America, Inc. Renderworks is a trademark of Nemetschek North America, Inc. Courtesy of Tyler Littman, Sholight, LLC—Barry Manilow: Songs From The Seventies...

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