#design layers

"Flightchecking" (named after the checklist that pilots go through before take-off) refers to final checks of your file before dispatch. Here are a few tips to cover items that have not been covered before: 1. Ensure Classes are set to "Use at Creation" 2. Check Visibility of each Class in the various Viewports and Saved Views 3. Check Visibility of each Design Layer in the various Viewports and Saved Views 4. Validate class affiliation of all symbols 5. Update Drawing List worksheet.

1. Ensure Classes are set to "Use at Creation"

The laborious way is to Edit… each Class and check that indeed its "Use at Creation" checkbox is turned on. But there's a much quicker and more efficient way, which is to review the Classes list in the Organization dialog. Go to the Classes section of the Organization dialog. The quickest way to do so is to double-click the Classes tab in the Navigation palette.

Organization dialog: Details

The column to the right of each Class name tells you at a glance whether it is set to "Use at Creation" or not: if it says "N" (No), then it's not. Not absolutely all Classes must be set to Use at Creation (the None Class, for example, may not need to – nor does Non-Plot), but most do, and if you see it's set to "N", double-click the Class to edit it, and turn it on.

Validate Visibility of each Class in the Viewports

Next, check the visibility of each Class in all the Viewports and Saved Views: click the Visibilities button at the top right, then select each Class [2] in turn in the leftmost pane, and check to see if its visibility setting for each Viewport [3] and Saved View [4] is correct: if not, make the correction.

Cross-check with the Classes and Layers visible in each Viewport.

In the Viewports tab of the dialog, click the first Viewport, then move down the list (with the down arrow key) to review which Classes are visible for each Viewport. This will help you catch many errors that you might have missed in the Visibilities of each Class in the previous step.

3. Visibility check for Design Layers

Repeat the exercise for each of the Design Layers: click on a layer in the left pane [1], and check its visibility in each of the Viewports, and correct if necessary [2]. NOTE: it's less essential to repeat the process with the Saved Views: in many cases (e.g. Main Floor Plan), the layer in question may be turned off in that Saved View, but it's OK, because it's also the Active Layer in that view, which ensures that it is visible nonetheless.

Validate Class affiliation of all symbols

A common tendency among VectorWorks users is to assign the instances of, say, door symbols to Doors Class, rather than (or in addition to) the door object inside the symbol packaging. It should be the other way around: the symbol contents should be assigned to the Class in question, while the symbol instance itself should be neutral (i.e., in Class None). NOTE: By way of analogy, thinking of public restrooms: what determines whether you go into Men's or Women's is not your clothes, but your gender. Another analogy is the HOV (High Occupancy Lane) on major highways: what determines whether a vehicle can travel in it is not the vehicle itself, but what's inside it. So you should go through your files to ensure that your symbol instances are all None, and that their contents belong to the appropriate Class. This can be tedious if you do it one by one – so fortunately, there are two tools you can use to speed up the process.

Custom Select all objects of the type "Symbol"

For this we use the Custom Selection… scripting tool that we've used on several occasions before. As before, choose Select Only (to ensure that only the requested objects will be selected), and Create Script (so you can have something you can easily invoke again in future). Then press Enter on your keyboard, or click Criteria.

Choose Type: Symbol

In the Criteria dialog that follows, choose Type in the first popdown menu [1], ensure the second popdown is set to is [2], and choose Symbol from the third popdown [3]. Click OK, and name the script something like Select all Type Symbol, or similar [4]. Then double-click it to activate.

Change their Class to None

All the symbols present on the current design layer will be selected – as confirmed by the Obj Info palette [1]. Since in all likelihood their Class affliliation varies, the Class popdown in the Obj Info palette will be blank. Choose None from that popdown to assign them all – at the symbol instance level – to the None Class [2].

Warning: Say "No" to the dialog that might follow!

If "None" has certain attributes assigned to it ("Use at Creation"), you will get this dialog, which is asking if you want to apply the "None" class to all the components inside those symbol instances. You should emphatically say "No" – because otherwise all the textures and other attributes you or someone else painstakingly assigned to various components inside the symbol will be erased in favour of whatever attributes you assigned to the None Class. We only want to assign the None class to the symbol packaging, not to the objects within. * OK, that's half the work done in validating symbol assignments. Now for the other half.

Change Symbol Attr[ibute]s…

Choose Tools > Utilities > Change Symbol Attrs… (short for Attributes). This allows us to change the attributes of the contents of symbols on a wholesale basis.

Change Symbol Attributes dialog

For this to work, your symbols must already be sorted into symbol folders. Say, for example, you want to ensure that all the doors inside the door symbols are assigned to the A-Door Class. Assuming you have a symbol folder for Doors, choose it from the first popdown, then choose the A-Door class from the second popdown. Turn on the attributes that you want all doors to have (by default, all attributes are turned on). And OK.

Result.

VectorWorks will tell you how many symbols were affected by the change.

Check and see.

Do a spot check on one or two of the changed symbols to verify.

5. Update Drawing List.

In the course of your first design project (the "Fibonacci Townhouse"), you developed various Design Layers with z and ∆z settings, Sheet Layers, symbols, textures and other resources. Wouldn't be nice not to have to do all this again, when starting the next project of a similar nature? That's the idea behind templates. We strip out everything in the drawing area, but leave behind the basic structure of the file and its resources, ready for use on the next project. This lesson explains how to do this.

First, save your file under a different name.

This is very important: you don't want to delete anything from your existing design project. So choose File > Save As… [1] to save it under a different name – say, "ForNewTemplate" or similar [1]. Put it somewhere easy for you to find, like on the desktop, or in the Documents folder [3]. If you like, you can save it in a new folder [4] within the Documents folder named after the new project [5]. Click Create, then Save to complete the file saving. NOTE: We'll keep this file there only until we make a template of it – then we'll discard it.

Now methodically strip everything in the drawing area.

To do this in the most efficient way, first make sure all Classes are turned on, by Opt-clicking (Windows: Ctrl-clicking) in the Visible column of the Classes list [1] NOTE: This ensures that nothing escapes deletion by hiding away in an invisible Class. Make sure that Class Options is set to Show/Snap/Modify Others (as it should be at virtually all times). The Layer Options can also be set to Show/Snap/Modify Others – but only for this operation.

Select All – and delete.

Now, go from one Layer to the next (Design Layers and Sheet Layers), Select All (⌘A; Windows: Ctrl+A) in each case, and delete.

Make improvements to the template.

You might want to make slight improvements to this empty file in terms of its structure, for future projects. For example, go to the Organization dialog [1], under the Sheet Layers tab [2], and click New… [3] to make new Sheet Layers for each of the different types of presentation drawings that you anticipate needing in future – e.g. A4.0 - ELEVATIONS, A5.0 - INTERIOR ELEVATIONS, etc.

Save as Template…

When you're satisfied with the file as the basis for a new template, Save As Template… from the File menu. This saves it as a stationery file (.sta), which is different from a standard VectorWorks file (.vwx) in that when you double-click it, it creates an Untitled document that forces you to rename it when you next save it – i.e., it won't overwrite the blank template file.

Name the template and location.

By default, a template is called Default, and placed in a Templates folder buried deep within the Application Support folder of your user directory (which is the subject for a separate lesson). However, over time you will make several templates – for small drawings, large drawings, residential projects, commercial projects, etc. – so replace the word Default with something more descriptive, like ArchD-50-Imp-Resid – i.e., a file with an ArchD size drawing area, a Design Layer scale of 1:50, Imperial units (ft & inches), and suitable for a residential project. Place it in a special folder that you make somewhere within your Documents (Windows: MyDocuments) folder, called Our VectorWorks Templates, or some such, so you can easily find it.

Open the template file.

In your Finder (or Windows Explorer), double-click the template to launch it next time you start a new project.

To update your template…

In which we create and manipulate a Section Viewport. This follows on from 9. First Viewports, but can be applied to any design that is sufficiently developed to display something in section. Section Viewports are different from ordinary viewports in that you can't make one by tweaking an existing viewport: instead, you generate it from scratch from one of the plan views. They are useful in generating not only whole building sections, but also interior elevations of a single level, or even a single room.

First, return to the Main Floor plan.

You can do this in a number of ways: either via the Saved Views menu, or from the Layers pop-down list, but returning to it via the Main Floor Plan viewport has the advantage of restoring the Layers and Classes setup (which are turned on and off) that you see in the viewport. To return to a plan via its viewport, double-click the viewport [1], then in the Edit Viewport dialog, choose the Design Layer option, and then choose Main Floor from the list of layers that it shows [2] NOTE: The list of layers shown is those that make up the visible layers of that viewport. In this case, it's the Grid and the Main Floor layers.

Ask for a Section Viewport

Choose View > Create Section Viewport…

Show section line – and viewing direction.

Click-drag an imaginary line through the building [1–2], then click-drag in the direction that you wish to view – then click again – say, at point 3, to indicate that you wish to look in that direction.

Name and place the viewport.

As with all viewports that are created from scratch, you're now asked to name it and place it. You have the option of having it named automatically by its Drawing No. and Sheet No., but in most cases you'll probably prefer to name it yourself – either Section-1, as per the default, or Section A-A, or similar. For placement, I recommend making a new Sheet – say, A3.0 BUILDING SECTIONS – and give it a suitable Drawing Title such as East-West Building Section. OK...

Result.

Change the Layers setup of the viewport to show all building levels.

The result, with a drawing label added, looks like this. This is good if we just wanted an interior elevation of these rooms, but if we want a section through the entire house, we must get the other Design Layers to appear. To do this – as with ordinary viewports, click the Layers… button on the viewport's Obj Info palette [1], and in the Viewport Layer Properties dialog, click the first column of all the design layers to make them visible, but click the second column of the Grid layer to make it invisible [2].

Move the Drawing label.

Update the result to get a section through the entire building [1]. To move the drawing label out of the way, double-click the viewport, choose Annotations, then move the label where you want it [2] Then Exit Viewport Annotations [3].

Note attributes of Section Style

If you're wondering why the sectioned walls and floors are in a heavy line (which they should be) and filled with red (which you may or may not like) – you'll find that a new Class called Section Style has been created automatically. Right-click it to Edit it [1]. and you can view and change the attributes used by that Class for sectioned objects in the Edit Class(es) dialog.

Change to a Perspective projection.

Sections don't have to be orthogonal projections: you can change them to a Perspective one in the Projection popdown [1]. By default, it uses a Custom Perspective Type, with a Perspective Distance of 0.195 [2]. The result – which you see after clicking Update – is a rather exaggerated perspective view.

Change Perspective to Normal

Choose Normal from the Perspective Type popdown [1], then Update, to get a more realistic and useful perspective projection.

Try an Olique Cavalier projection.

This offers an interesting cut-away effect, showing the rest of the building at an oblique angle behind the section.

Reverse Direction

The Reverse Direction button allows you to view the same section, but viewed the other way. NOTE: It also Flips the viewport on its central axis, so if it extends a long way left or right, it will appear to be "flung" far off in one of those directions.

Advanced Properties…

In which we learn a basic design principle – and get to practise producing rectangles and circular arcs, duplications, moving by selected handles, applying fill and line attributes etc.

0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, 55, 89, 144…

This series of numbers – each one the sum of the previous two – is named after Fibonacci, an Italian mathematician of the thirteenth century. It creates patterns that appear repeatedly in the natural world: a spiral composed of a sequence of quarter-circle arcs of these radii, for example, closely resembles that of seashells.

Fibonnacci in architecture

So accustomed are our eyes to Fibonnacci patterns in nature, that it affects the way we feel about architectural spaces. Consecutive numbers in the series create rectangles that are very close to the Golden Rectangle (1: 1.618) beloved of artists and architects since the Renaissance era. Spaces of these proportions are said to be inherently more comfortable than those with arbitrary proportions.

Make your own Fibonnacci squares

To harness Fibonnacci numbers in your own work, start with a drawing area set to 1:50, Feet & Inches, and draw a 1 ft. square.

Make a duplicate square that is attached to the top left of the first one.

Resize the duplicate to 2' x 2'

Duplicate the second square, attached to its bottom left corner.

Repeat the process in a cyclical pattern.

Resize each duplicate to the next Fibonnacci size: 5' x 5', 8' x 8', etc.

Repeat until you have a set up to 21' x 21'

Create a new Design Layer, called "Spiral"

To make it easier to trace over the squares without fear of moving them, rename the existing Design Layer "Squares", and create a new Design Layer called "Spiral".

Create a spiral arc within the small square.

Use the Circular Arc in its default mode (centre of circle, drag out a radius, click to start the arc, drag, and click to finish). NOTE: For best results, preset the Attributes palette to no Fill (so the arc is hollow), and the Line colour to Red, lineweight 0.7 or 1.0

Repeat for the next size square.

… and the one after that...

In which we make a basement based on the walls of the Main Floor (continued from f. Creating an upper storey from the existing)

Copy the exterior walls.

On the Main Floor Layer, Shift-select the four walls in question (taking care not to select anything else), and Copy to the Clipboard (⌘ ; Windows: Ctrl+C)

Paste the copies in the Basement layer.

Switch to the Basement layer (easiest way is to click next to its name in the Navigation palette's Layer list, and Paste them in Place.

Replace… Wall Style

With the Obj Info confirming only these four walls are selected, choose Replace… from the Style popdown, and choose Ex-CIP-Conc 12"-Furred from the list of ready-made exterior wall styles. NOTE: CIP ("Cast in Place") concrete is usually chosen for basement walls; the 12" depth is necessary to support both the wood frame and the brick veneer. The furring (a layer of rigid insulation) is optional, to improve the thermal performance of the wall at basement level.

Mark how the new wall will be placed in relation to the existing.

For the outside face of new wall to be flush with the outside face of the brick veneer of the walls above, choose Left Line of the old [1] to align with Left Line of the new [2] – and OK.

De-symbolize one of the window symbols.

The W-01 window type that is still inserted in these walls is clearly wrong for this location. To replace it with something more appropriate, instead of creating it from scratch, we shall start with one of the existing ones, as we did in the upper storey, To do so, we must first "de-symbolize" it. Select one of the horizontally-oriented ones for this purpose, and, Modify > Convert > Convert to Plug-in Object.

Change window to suit.

In the General section of the Window Settings dialog [1], change Top Shape to Square [2], remove the Transom [3], change the Sash Operation from Double Hung to Casement [4], change the Overall Width to 24, the Overall Height to 12, and Elevation in Wall to 7'4. Change the window part used for the Elevation Reference from the default Header of Window to Sill of Window [6].

Change Muntins, Sill

In the Parts section of the dialog, remove or reduce the Sill, and change Muntins to 2 Vertical bars, and 0 Horizontal ones. In the Data part, change its label from W-01 to W-03. Then OK.

Mark it as Clerestory type

Back on the drawing, while it's still selected, note that it should be displayed as a Clerestory window [1] – i.e., one that is set higher than the notional plan line, so it is displayed with a dashed line and no fill. If you like, also click precisely on the blue handle of the label and Shift-drag it carefully out of the wall, so the label sits outside the wall. NOTE: The Clerestory marking could also be done in the View section of the window's Settings dialog – but this way you see the difference immediately.

Create Symbol…

Select the revised window and Modify > Create Symbol… out of it.

Name the symbol

Name it by the same shorthand convention that we used earlier: say, W-03-2312S86-C (i.e., labelled "W-03", 24" wide, 12" high, sill placed 86" above finished floor, casement type). OK to confirm.

Shift-select all windows.

Shift-select all the remaining instances of W-01 within the basement walls, then click Replace… in the Obj Info dialog. NOTE: For now, don't worry about the door in the front wall – we'll deal with it later.

Choose W-03 as replacement symbol

Choose your new W-03 symbol as the one to replace all the selected window instances, and OK.

Switch to a Front View

VectorWorks automates the creation of a pitched roof, complete with hips and valleys, ridges, etc. – based on a polygon representing the outline of the walls that it sits on. Here's how it's done. NOTE: There is also a Roof Face command, but this is an older tool, which doesn't offer the same level of detail, such as soffits and fascias.

Make the roof footprint – the Rectangle method.

In the case of our house, this is pretty simple: we can simply draw a rectangle [1] from one outside corner to the one diagonally opposite [2] of the upper floor walls. NOTE: To make it stand out more, give it a slight tinted colour, immediately after creation [3].

Creating a polygon – the Add Surface method.

Often the footprint is more complicated than a simple rectangle – in which case, you could use the Polygon tool, or better still – make up the footprint as a series of overlapping rectangles, that you then Add together by selecting them all and choosing Modify > Add Surface.

Risk of inaccuracy.

The problem with the Rectangle or polygon/Add Surface methods is that they're prone to error: you might click on not quite the outside corner at one or more of the corners of the building.

Create a polygon – the AEC method

If you select any group of walls that form a closed space, VectorWorks can make the appropriate polygon they form automatically: just select the walls in question, and choose a particular menu command. NOTE: For this to work: a] The walls must be properly joined at all the corners – with no "leaks" b] You must select only the walls in question – if anything else is selected as well, it won't work. Try it yourself: Shift-select the four exterior walls (don't worry about the windows and doors – they come along for the ride). Verify that the Obj Info palette confirms you've selected 4 Walls, then AEC > Create Polys from Walls…

Create Polys from Wall dialog

A dialog appears, asking you whether you want the Gross Area (i.e., to the outside of the walls) or the Net Area. In this case, choose Gross Area Polys, and OK.

Create Roof…

Whichever method you made the roof footprint polygon, select it now, and choose AEC > Create Roof…

Create Roof dialog

In the Create Roof dialog: First choose a suitable Eave Overhang – say, 18" [1] Then choose a Vertical Eave Profile [2] NOTE: If you choose the Vertical Eave Profile before setting an Eave Overhang, VectorWorks will warn you that this is not recommended. Normally, the Bearing Height would be whatever is the height of the walls, but in our case, since we're placing this roof object in the Roof layer [3] – whose Z height is set at 9' above Level 2 – that's not necessary, and so Bearing Height can remain zero [4]. Click Create Accessories… [5] to turn on all three options regarding an Attic, Soffit, and Fascia (you can leave them at their default settings). Back in the Create Roof dialog, I recommend turning off Retain Original Objects [6]: this refers to the polygon that you used to create the roof, and we no longer need it. Then OK the dialog.

Resulting roof – in plan view.

Roof in isometric.

Switch to a Right Isometric view: if your Layers are not Aligned, you'll see it against the plan projection of Level 2 [A]; if your Layers are Aligned, or you're set to a Unified View, you'll see it placed correctly on top of the two lower layers [B].

Render it.

Click on the teapot popdown in the Mode Bar and choose OpenGL as a rendering mode.

Rendered Roof.

By default, the roof is now a simple grey object. But we can fix that: remember that when it was created, VectorWorks automatically created a new Class for it, called Roof-Main. We can now tell that Class to have certain graphic attributes, which should then be applied to the Roof by virtue of it being assigned to that Class. In the Classes setup of the Navigation palette, right-click (or Control-click) the Roof-Main Class, and choose Edit… from the popup menu.

The Edit Class(es) dialog

This is where you tell a Class what visual attributes its members should have. NOTE: for these settings to work, you must turn on the Use at Creation checkbox: this is off by default [1]. The top section refers to how it looks in the drafted drawings; the lower section refers to its appearance in rendered views. Click the Roofs tab [2] (since Roofs are treated differently from Walls and "Other"), turn on Use Textures at Creation [3], then turn on Top Texture [4], click on the thumbnail popdown, and choose Roofing Shakes from the selection [5]. Leave the Dormer Texture off for now, and OK the dialog.

Confirm you wish to apply this to existing members of the Class.

Since there is already an object in the drawing that belongs to the Class, a dialog appears, asking if you wish to apply the new Class settings to objects that have already been created. Click Yes. NOTE: Yes to All applies when there are several such objects in the file, and you wish all of them to take on these new attributes.

Rendered roof.

This is the result.

Add a gable.

To convert one of the hip ends to a gable, simply double-click on it: this calls up a dialog, asking you to specify what you want to convert it to – a Gable or Dutch Hip. Choose Gable, leave the default settings, and OK.

Repeat for the other side.

Repeat the process for the opposite hip end, to create gables at both ends of the house.

Resulting two-gabled ends.

Change dormer texture.

When used properly, VectorWorks Architect is not about drafting the building in a series of 2D drawings, but designing it in 3D – in effect, producing a virtual model. Design Layers in VectorWorks are the way of notionally dividing the three-dimensional project into discrete levels or storeys.* These allow you to work on a particular storey or level in isolation from the others – until such time as you wish to see it in relationship to other levels as and when needed. * NOTE: in v.2012, these have even been renamed "storeys", to drive home the point.

Design Layers: dividing the project along its height

Generally speaking, one uses one Design Layer per floor, plus one or two other for things such as the site grade, a custom Grid for the project, and possibly things such as schedules, sketch designs etc. NOTE: Sheet Layers are different from Design Layers, and are used for presentation, rather than for design. We'll talk about them later.

Design Layers: Elevational view

When setting up the Design Layers, one should have a notion of the relative elevations and heights of each of the levels – usually measured in relation to the grade. The starting elevation of a Layer is referred to as its z; the height allocated to that Layer within the model is known as the delta-z (Mac) or ±z (Windows). It helps to have a sketch of this – by hand or in the VectorWorks file itself.

The default Design Layer

In a new, blank VectorWorks document, one Design Layer is provided by default, and named Design Layer-1. You'll find it by click and holding on the Layers pop-down menu at the top of the window…

Navigation Palette – Design Layers tab

… – or in the Design Layers section of the Navigation palette. Right-click (or Control-click) its name in the list and choose Edit… from the pop-down menu that appears.

"Edit Design Layers" dialog

In the dialog that follows, replace the default name with the word Grade, because we'll use this layer to represent the grade (ground) level of the project. As such, keep its z at the default setting, 0, but change its delta-z to 36. NOTE: In Imperial unit settings – Feet and Inches or Inches – dimensions that are entered with no sign afterwards are considered inches by the program. Note that the layer is also set to the default scale of 1:1, i.e., real-world size. For most architectural work, we need a different scale, so click on the Scale… button to set the Layer's display scale.

"Layer Scale" dialog

The Layer Scale dialog that follows offers a wide range of pre-set scales, which you can choose by clicking the one you want, or by typing the required number in the text box in the Paper Scale section. Click OK to confirm. NOTE: If you have several Design Layers and you want to set the scale for all of them at once, you can click the All Layers checkbox, but in our case, since we have only one, it's not relevant. The Scale Text checkbox is turned on by default, and for good reason: you typically want the text on the drawing to remain the same size relative to the graphic objects. If not, turn it off.

Create other Design Layers

Return to the Navigation palette, right-click (Control-click) anywhere below the Design Layer Name column, and this time choose New…

"New Design Layer" dialog

Name this new Design Layer Level 1, and OK.

Edit Design Layers

Note that this new Design Layer starts off where the previous one left off: its Z is 36 (inches). It also uses the same scale. Its delta-Z is initially also 36, because it assumes you wish to use the same delta-z as the previous layer, but that's not the case in this instance, so change it to 10' NOTE: the apostrophe is important, as without it the program will assume that it's inches. Then click OK.

The Layers pop-down menu

Now repeat the process, but this time, do so using the Organization dialog, which you can call up by clicking on the Layers button at the "View Bar" (top of the window) under the View and Modify menus. NOTE: In versions prior to 2008, this icon doesn't exist. Instead, click and hold the item Layers popdown, and choose the first item Layers…

The Organization dialog

The Organization dialog is like an expanded version of the Navigation palette, providing access to the file's Design Layers, Classes, Sheet Layers, etc. but also allowing you to determine the relative order of each Design Layer and information about its z and delta-z, colours, opacity etc. Click the New… button to make the next Design Layer.

Create remaining Layers

Note how, as before, the starting z is the result of the sum of the previous layer's z and delta-z settings, and the delta-z is assumed to be the same. Change the 10' to 9' and OK. Then repeat the process to create Design Layers called Level 3 and Roof, respectively, each with the same delta-z of 9'. Finally, in accordance with our intended project's heights allocation, create yet another Design Layer called Basement, whose z is -7' and delta-z is 10'.

Reordering Design Layers

Since Basement is the last Layer we made, it is placed at the top of the list. But since it represents the basement level, drag it to the bottom of the list by click-and-dragging its number (1) in the # column. Its number now changes to 6. This is purely for the sake of visual tidiness: you could, if you prefer, leave it where it is, and it would not affect the makeup of the final 3D model of the scheme. NOTE: This is the only column where you can drag a layer into a different position – it doesn't work in any other column.

Add a Grid layer (optional)

Steps to take when creating a completely new file in VectorWorks (before you've made any templates).

Creating a new VectorWorks file

To create a completely new file, go to File > New… In the dialog that follows, choose the Create blank document option. Once you (or your workplace) have developed a set of customized templates suited for your work, you may well choose one of the templates from the Use document template pop-down, but for now, this is the way to go.

Setting your Document Settings

Assuming you have started a completely blank file, your first step is to set the Document Settings. Choose the third option in its submenu – Document Setup… – because it is a good "one stop shop" for carrying out all we need to do at this stage.

Set Drawing Units, Layer Scale and Drawing Area

In the dialog that appears, you'll focus on three elements: Drawing Units, Layer Scale, and Drawing Area. The current settings are stated next to each one. To change each setting, click on the Change… button aligned with it. Click, to begin with, on the one for Drawing Units…

Set your preferred Units

Here's where you set the units you'd like displayed in the file. In North America – since most building materials are geared towards imperial sizes – it's best to set the Length units most of the time to Feet & Inches, changing it to Meters just before presentation, later, if necessary) – but leave the Area units set at Square Meters. Note that you can change this at any time – VectorWorks will convert all dimensions from the old units to the new automatically. I also recommend changing the Rounding Precision, from the default Fraction precision of 1/8" to 1/4" (builders hate it when designers state dimensions at a precision of 1/8" – unless you're designing the next Space Shuttle.)

Setting the Dimension Objects (Secondary) [Optional]

The units we set above were under the default, General Display tab. In effect, you were setting the file's "Primary" Dimension units. If you anticipate wanting to display some or all dimensions in dual (Imperial + Metric) format, however, click on the tab Dual Dimensions. Note: in versions prior to v.2010, the tabs are slightly different: General Display, Dimension Objects (Primary) and Dimension Objects (Secondary). Your setting here determines the secondary units in cases where you explicitly ask to dimension something with both (see next step for an example). For the sake of illustration, choose Millimeters for this purpose.

How to reveal the Secondary Dimensions units

Secondary Dimensions appear in brackets when a dimension is set to display in a Dual mode of some sort (e.g., ASME Dual Stacked, ASME Dual Side-by-Side – or a dual method of your own choosing), as shown here. ASME – in case you're wondering – is short for American Society of Mechanical Engineers, who have their own defined standards for dimensioning.

Setting the Layer Scale

In VectorWorks, each Design Layer has its own individual scale at which it presents (and prints) objects. Layer Scale (Change button #2 in Document Setup mentioned above) is where you set this. The default layer scale in a new file is 1:1, but you can change it to one of the preset scales, either Metric or Imperial – or, if what you want is not in the list (e.g. 1:250), simply type in the required number (e.g., 250) in the text box (2). By default, the Scale Text option is turned on (which is usually a good thing, because otherwise any text on the layer will not be resized as a result of changing the layer scale). However, the All Layers option is off by default – VectorWorks leaves it to you to decide if you want all Design Layers to be set to the same Layer Scale. If at any time you need to change the Layer Scale of all or even most Design Layers to a specific scale, it's a good idea to tick this option. Note: Layer Scale refers only to Design Layers – the layers where we do the actual design work. Sheet Layers – which are strictly for presentation purposes and which we'll come across later – are always set at 1:1, and remain so, because the scale of objects shown on them is handled by Viewports. More of which later.

Setting the Drawing Area

Click Change button #3 in the Document Setup dialog is to change the Drawing Area. This takes you to the Page Setup dialog. In a blank file, the default Drawing Area – i.e., printing area – is Letter size (8.5" x 11") – which is why, under Pages on the lefthand side of the dialog it will say "1" in the Horizontal and Vertical textboxes. However, you can change the drawing area to something larger by ticking the option Choose size unavailable in printer setup, on the righthand side of the dialog [1] This gives you access to the Size pop-down just below it. For an 36" x 24" drawing area, choose the option ArchD – simply choose it from the same pop-down menu. The final thing to do is to make sure that Show page boundary is turned on, but Show page breaks is OFF. Show page boundary will show you the boundaries of the printed area, which clearly good to know. But Show page breaks will divide your drawing area into Letter-size "tiles", showing you how the drawing would be printed out in sections on a Letter-size printer if you printed it as is. That's very distracting, so make sure this option is off. Click OK when you're done.

Save as template…

Having to set up Units, Drawing Area, Layer Scale, etc. every time one starts a new file gets tiresome after a while. So VectorWorks – like many other programs – offers the means to create templates, which preserve certain settings whenever you create a new file, so you don't have to do them. Templates can be very intricate, including favourite symbols, hatches, gradients and other resources – for now, we'll make do with this very basic setup, and improve on it in future.

Give it a meaningful name.

By default, VectorWorks calls any new template "Default" – but over time you'll develop various templates, for different scales, drawing sizes, etc., so it's best to save it under a meaningful name that gives hint of its settings. So if it's using Ft & Inches as the primary dimension unit and mm for dual dimensioning, ArchD drawing area, at a starting layer scale of 1:50, you might call it ArchD-FtInches[mm]-50. NOTE: By default, templates also get saved to a Templates folder, within a folder called Defaults, in the Libraries folder of VectorWorks 2010, etc. in the general Application Support folder. We can define a different folder for this purpose, but we'll cover this at another time.

Use it next time you need a new file.