AUTOCAD FOR MAC PAPER POSITION LAYOUT PROFESSIONAL

Vectorworks doesn’t really do Command Line in the same was as AutoCAD. Wrangling these is twice as powerful as Layers in AutoCAD but also twice as complex. This means that every drawn object has a Class AND and Layer. Layers also have a Z-height, useful for different levels in a venue and working in 3D Layers have similar possibilities for drawing organisation but do have a draw order. Classes do not have an inherent draw order. Vectorworks uses two such tools: Classes and Layers.Ĭlasses can be used in the same way as AutoCAD layers: to set line weights, colours, etc. AutoCAD uses Layers as the key organisational tool for drawing and displaying geometry. You can draw at 1:1 and hide the page border making the whole experience more like a conventional ModelSpace. You can be drawing at any old size on each layer with potentially disastrous results. EACH layer in the modelspace-y place can have its own scale. which leads us to….ĭifference: Vectorworks allows you to draw in the ‘modelspace-like’ place to scale. This means you can ‘model’ in a particular paper size. This can be used in the same way as some AutoCAD users use LIMITS and the grid. Vectorworks can also include a references the limits of a paper/page size. PaperSpace is called Sheet Layers and can be accessed via the Navigation palette. VW abstracts the drawing area from the layout elements, similar to ModelSpace and PaperSpace. Units are often displayed with a suffix (such as mm) and different unit types can be used while drawing, unlike in AutoCAD which only refers to a single unit and is unitLESS. There are similar ‘templates’ to help with your VW settings and defaults. VW deals in units of measurement and these should be set for best results, a bit like starting with the correct. Vectorworks Spotlight has more tools specifically designed for the planning and communication of stage lighting information. If it isn’t mentioned, the functionality is similar and you can work it out for yourself.įor AutoCAD users, Vectorworks has a rather alien workflow but this is the result of working with an unfamiliar tool. The purpose here is to help users of one make a transfer to the other.Īll key concepts that are worth mentioning are below. We’ll not be seeking to identify which of these two is ‘best’. In this article, we’ll be looking at two of the many CAD packages: Vectorworks and AutoCAD. *A note about choices of CAD for stage lighting communication:Īs regular as the ‘which is the best lighting desk’ topic, the question of which CAD package is ‘best’ for lighting.

Meanwhile, AutoCAD users can quickly pick up skills in Vectorworks using their own prior knowledge. On Stage Lighting seeks to help Vectorworks users to transfer their learning to AutoCAD.

AUTOCAD FOR MAC PAPER POSITION LAYOUT PROFESSIONAL

VectorworksWhile tools in lighting planning continue to develop, there are still key professional CAD tools in professional stage lighting.

Autocad for mac paper position layout