New VectorWorks Fundamentals Features

The following table contains a list of new and improved features for this release, and indicates the section where the functionality is documented.

Feature	Purpose	Location
Context-sensitive help	The VectorWorks help system has been updated to reflect version 2008 functionality	Not applicable
Consolidated structural shapes	Structural shapes have been consolidated into eight plug-in objects for AISC (inch and metric) structural shapes; the new consolidated shapes are: angle, channel, I-beam, rectangular tubing, round tubing, square tubing, tee, and wide flange	Migrating from Previous Versions
Update Plug-in Objects command changes	New options allow selection of the type(s) of objects to update; select to update windows and doors, drawing borders, and/or structural shapes	Migrating from Previous Versions
Floating Data bar, Tool bar, and Message bar	The Data bar now contains only data fields that are used to enter specific numeric values for an object. A menu on the right side of the Tool bar controls the Data bar, which can now either “float” next to the cursor in the drawing area or display in a user-specified location. The previous Mode bar is now called the Tool bar, and it displays only tool mode information. The Message bar now displays tool descriptions, minor alerts, undo text, the progress bar, and cursor location fields.	VectorWorks Standard Workspace, Using the 2D Data Bar, and Using the 3D Data Bar
View bar improvements	The View bar replaces the Data Display bar at the top of the application window. The Zoom In/Out functions allow the entry of a zoom factor. The new Current View list provides quick access to all standard views. The Classes list and Design Layers list now appear on the View bar. The contents of the View bar can now be customized.	The View Bar, Design Layer Scale, Zooming from the View Bar, Setting the Active Design Layer in the View Bar, Setting the Active Class in the View Bar, Creating or Editing Saved Views Using the Saved Views Menu, Using Standard Views, Fit to Objects, Fit to Page Area, Viewing History, and Rendering with VectorWorks
New preference to enable highlighting of selected objects	A new VectorWorks preference displays selected objects with highlighted lines instead of the square handles that are used by default. Active layer objects, inactive layer objects, and locked objects can have different highlighting, so that they can be easily identified. With selection highlighting enabled, square handles display only when the selected object can be reshaped with the tool that is currently active.	Selecting Objects
New 2D Selection tool mode	A new mode restricts scaling to only a single selected object	2D Selection Tool
Polygonal selection	The 2D Selection and 3D Selection tools both have a new polygonal marquee selection mode	2D Selection Tool and 3D Selection Tool
Context menus	Many more commands, and some tools, have a context menu equivalent	Context Menus
New preference to center on objects after view change	A new VectorWorks preference automatically centers the view on the selected objects when the view is changed to one of the standard views, such as Top or Left Isometric	Display Preferences
GDI+ imaging and anti-aliasing preferences	Provides layer transparency and anti-aliasing graphics capability for the Windows platform	Display Preferences, Setting Design Layer Properties, Setting the Design Layer Opacity, Setting Class Properties, and Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer Viewports
Reset Saved Settings VectorWorks Preference	Provides an option to revert to default settings, rather than user-specified settings for tool modes, dialog box positions, dialog box values, and for always performing a selected action in alert dialog boxes	Session Preferences
Dialog box values saved	All values are now saved across application sessions for the following dialog boxes: Custom Tools, Duplicate Array, Eyedropper Preferences, Offset Tool Preferences, Paste Attributes, Purge Unused Objects, and Spelling Check Filter	Session Preferences
Certain dialog box values saved	Certain values are now saved across application sessions for the following dialog boxes: Chain Dimension Preferences - radio button Create Batch Render Job - render mode Create Symbol - radio buttons and checkboxes Delete Class(es) - radio button Delete Reference - radio button Export Image File - export area, lock aspect ratio, resolution, file type Object Info palette - Polar or Cartesian coordinate system	Session Preferences
Dialog box positions saved	The following dialog boxes maintain their position in the drawing window across application sessions: Edit Marker List, Edit (Texture Name), Section Line Instances, Viewport Class Properties, and Viewport Layer Properties	Session Preferences
Alert dialog boxes can be suppressed	Thirteen operations which display an alert dialog provide an option to suppress the dialog box display in the future under similar circumstances	Session Preferences
Tool modes saved	Selected tool modes are now saved across application sessions	Session Preferences
Autosave improvements	VectorWorks autosave preferences have been moved to a new tab; new preferences allow multiple backup copies, and backup to a custom location	Autosave Preferences
User folders for preferences and custom content	Each user can now designate a folder outside of the VectorWorks folder to hold user data and preferences, including log files, workspaces, and other customized content. Favorite files that are designated in the Resource Browser are now stored in the user folder. Favorites also can be placed in a workgroup folder manually for shared use. The Resource Browser has new commands to refresh the favorite files from disk, and to show the disk location of a favorite file.	User Folders Preferences, and Resources in Favorites
New marker styles	Markers, formerly known as arrow heads, are much easier to create and apply. Different markers can be placed at each end of an object, and it is possible to create a wide variety of marker types.	Setting Default Marker Types, and Marker Attributes
Enhanced colors	Colors are applied with a new color palette set that can access unlimited color choices. Select colors from standard operating system colors, custom color palettes, palettes from another VectorWorks file, or color palettes that ship with VectorWorks. The color palette utility commands from previous versions are obsolete and have been removed.	Setting Default Colors and Palettes, and Applying Colors
Improved dash style creation	The process of creating default dash styles has been improved. Dash line and gap lengths can be entered directly or graphically.	Setting the Default Dash Styles
Grey level when printing	The gray level can be adjusted when printing grayed layers and classes	Printing a File
Improved layer and class creation	Layer and class names, properties, and objects can be imported from existing VectorWorks files, and new layers and classes can be edited immediately after creation	Creating Layers and Creating Classes
Additional predefined layer scale option	The 3/8” Imperial layer scale option has been added to the Layer Scale dialog box	Setting the Design Layer Scale
Workgroup referencing improvements	Workgroup references are now created and maintained in the new References tab of the Organization dialog box. New options check for outdated references at a specified interval, and update only references whose sources have changed (manual updates only). In the Design Series, design layers from other files can now be referenced with new “design layer viewports,” which are documented in the VectorWorks Design Series User’s Guide. Layer import referencing (the previous method) imports layers, resources, and classes from another file; this method is still available to both Fundamentals and Design Series users. If you use layer import referencing, you can choose to not save the referenced data to disk.	Workgroup Referencing; Layer Linking
New default color palettes	A number of new default color palettes are now available for use	VectorWorks Fundamentals Default Resources
Resource Browser improvements	The Resource Browser makes it easier to display the resources of the active file and to navigate up symbol folder hierarchies; resource display settings (in Thumbnails mode) are saved between sessions	Using the Resource Browser
Additional predefined font size	A predefined font size of 11 points has been added for text	Formatting Text
New rotation modes	Rectangular objects (rectangles, rounded rectangles, and ovals) can now be rotated with new modes, and a new Text tool mode allows rotated text	Creating Rotated Rectangles, and Creating Rotated Text
Ellipse tool replacement	The Ellipse tool has been replaced by the Circle and Oval tools for a better separation of functionality	Creating Circles and Creating Ovals
Object opacity	The opacity of objects can be set as an attribute or by class, expanding the presentation capabilities of VectorWorks	Opacity Attributes, and Setting Class Properties
Reusing images from image-based resources	If a resource with an image is present in the file, new image-based resources can reuse the image. This applies to image fills, and for RenderWorks, textures, image props, and RenderWorks backgrounds.	Creating Image Resources, Creating Image-based Shaders, Creating Layer Backgrounds, and Creating Image Prop Objects
New polygonal marquee for 2D Reshape tool	A polygonal marquee is now available for selecting multiple vertices during polyline editing	Performing Multiple Reshapes
New Edit Polyline command	The Edit Polyline command allows changes to a polyline such as adding, deleting, reshaping, and extracting holes	Reshaping Polylines
Polygonal clipping shape	The Clip tool has new clipping object shapes, including polygonal and circular	Clip Tool
Scale objects by distance	The Scale Objects dialog box includes a new option to scale symmetrically based on a distance indicated on the drawing	Scaling Objects
New Move by Points tool	A new tool easily moves, duplicates, and distributes selected 2D and 3D objects, including symbols in a wall	Moving Objects by Clicking
Duplicate Along Path command	The Duplicate Along Path tool has been replaced with an enhanced command. Now, in addition to duplicating 2D objects along a 2D path, 3D objects can be duplicated along a 3D path.	Duplicating Objects Along a Path
Improved navigation when editing groups	Automatically centers the view on the components when editing CSG solids, extrudes, sweeps, and multiple extrudes	Editing a Group
SpaceNavigator support	VectorWorks supports the SpaceNavigator™ tool for view navigation	Using a SpaceNavigator Mouse
Hidden Line rendering improvements	Hidden line rendering performance has been improved by 50% for design layers and viewports. In addition, renderings will not require as much memory, and dashed lines now follow the perimeter of curved objects, improving the appearance of hidden line renderings.	Rendering with VectorWorks
New interactive shadow feature in OpenGL rendering	OpenGL can now render shadows interactively. This is much faster than the shadow rendering in RenderWorks, which makes it easier to adjust the lights quickly.	OpenGL Render Options
New option to draw edges in OpenGL rendering	OpenGL can now render objects with lines drawn around the edges	OpenGL Render Options
Dimensioning improvements	Multiple dimensions and chain dimensions can be modified at one time with the 2D Reshape tool, and wall components can now be dimensioned associatively	Modifying Dimensions, and Associative Dimensioning
New title block only option	A new feature allows only the title block portion of the drawing border to be displayed	Adding a Drawing Border
Wall preferences improvements	Wall preferences have been rearranged and improved, distinguishing the wall from the component parameters. Components can be named and are easier to create, reorder, and view.	Creating Walls
Creation and editing of walls in 3D views	Walls can now be drawn, moved, joined, and reshaped in 3D views. Symbols can be inserted in 3D views.	Creating Walls
Improved selection of symbols within walls	Multiple symbols within a wall can now be selected for moving and editing	Moving Symbols in Walls
Retain or delete roof source object option	When creating a roof object, a new option allows you to retain or delete the source object(s)	Creating Roof Objects
Support for ACAD 2007	DXF/DWG Import and Export now supports AutoCAD version 2007	Importing and Exporting Files
Export worksheet images to DXF	Worksheet images can now be exported to DXF in a single step, without exporting a separate sheet and importing it into the DXF/DWG drawing. All cell formatting is now preserved, including: text font, size, style, color, and position inside the cell; cell border line style, thickness, and color; cell fills.	VectorWorks 2008 Improvements
Custom prefix for imported DXF layers	A custom prefix can be assigned to imported DXF layers for easy identification in VectorWorks layer and class lists	Graphic Attributes Tab
Foreground viewport render mode	Each viewport can now have both a background and foreground render mode, for a composite effect	Viewport Parameters
Adjusting flipped text in viewports	A new advanced viewport property adjusts flipped text for viewports separately from the VectorWorks preference setting, and viewports can be set to black and white only	Advanced Sheet Layer Viewport Properties
Improved navigation between viewport crop and annotation modes	This option maintains the view when exiting viewport annotation or crop modes	Cropping Sheet Layer Viewports
Navigate back to viewport from design layer	When editing a sheet layer viewport from a design layer, a convenient button makes it easy to return to the viewport	Editing a Design Layer Displayed in a Sheet Layer Viewport
Associative dimensions in viewports	Associative dimensions can be created in viewport annotation mode, for 2D objects, when the viewport is in Top/Plan view. If the objects change on the design layer, the dimensions update automatically.	Creating Annotations for Sheet Layer Viewports
Viewport layer overrides	New options control the presentation of viewport layer colors, stacking order, and opacity or transfer mode. These settings are made independently of the design layer settings or other viewport settings. A new Eyedropper tool preference allows viewport layer properties to be transferred to other viewports within the current file and between files.	Changing the Layer Properties of Sheet Layer Viewports and Transferring Attributes
Cropped layer links	A layer link object, including layer links of workgroup-referenced layers, can now be cropped	Cropping Layer Links
Export workspace to text file	A new option in the Workspace Editor allows the current workspace settings, shortcut keys, and reserved keys to be exported to a text file	Using the Workspace Editor
Icon improvements	Icons throughout the VectorWorks application have been redesigned	Various locations
Dialog box modernization	Updates over 30 dialog boxes for interface consistency	Various locations
Open and Save folder improvements	VectorWorks now looks, by default, to the My Documents folder (Windows) or ~/Documents folder (Macintosh) when performing Open, Save, Import, or Export commands. In addition, the last used Open and Save folder is saved between sessions.	Not applicable
Workspace file format improvements	Workspace files have been changed to an XML format that is platform independent. In addition, VectorWorks tool and menu information is now cached, which improves the performance when the application is launched, when the workspace is switched, and when plug-ins are edited with the VectorScript Plug-in Editor.	Not applicable
New VectorWorks file extension	VectorWorks files are now created with a .vwx file extension, rather than an .mcd extension	Not applicable
Four alert dialog boxes demoted to minor alerts	Four operations which previously displayed an alert dialog box now generate a minor alert that do not require a user response: rotate view center of rotation, working plane specification, fillet of 2D objects, and fillet of illegal objects	Not applicable
Constraints palette settings saved	The Constraints palette settings are now saved within each VectorWorks file	Not applicable
Tool preferences saved	All tools that have tool preference dialog boxes now save the specified preferences across application sessions	Not applicable
Legacy Custom Visibility command	The Custom Visibility command has been removed from the workspaces and marked as a legacy command	Not applicable