Vectorworks 2009, Nemetschek's most recent upgrade of its design, visualization, and rendering program might look a lot like last year's version, but under the hood are some substantial upgrades as well as helpful additions and bug fixes. While many of those additions work in all the Vectorworks’ products (Fundamentals, Designer, Architect, Landmark, Machine Design and Spotlight), tools have been added to Spotlight that will significantly impact the lighting design process.

Automatic Data Exchange
The big news in Spotlight is Automatic Data Exchange with soon-to-be-released Lightwright 5. Data exchange between the two programs is set up when you start a new light plot. As you work on the plot, updates made in Spotlight are automatically exported to Lightwright 5. Changes in Lightwright are automatically returned to Spotlight, although it requires running the Refresh Instruments command to complete the process. Add lights or delete them, change colors, channels, or accessories in either file and see the changes appear in both.

Parasolid 3D
The biggest and probably most important change in Vectorworks 2009 is not immediately visible. Whichever Vectorworks’ product you are drafting in, if you're working in 3D, Vectorworks 2009 modeling operations are four to five times faster. Nemetschek has incorporated the Parasolid 3D modeling kernel built by Siemens PLM. It promises substantial speed increases for Boolean operations, surface addition, subtraction and intersection, as well as improvements in the stability and accuracy of all modeling operations. It is able to handle larger and more complex models and supports higher levels of modeling automation.

Create Plot and Model View
This new command enables Spotlight users to create and maintain an editable 2D light plot while keeping 3D model views with unique rotation angles oriented correctly. The command specifically allows lighting positions, trusses, lights, and associated geometry to be placed and oriented in 3D in the model layer and to display a vertical lighting position in both plot and model view.

Expanded Fixture Libraries
Yes, the fixture libraries have expanded. Over 30 manufacturers of lighting, truss, audio, and stage equipment are represented in the stock library files that come with Spotlight. There are new libraries for Philips/Color Kinetics, James Thomas, Atlas Sound, Meyer Sound Laboratories, EAW, and d&b audiotechnik.

Number Instrument Command
The Number Instrument Command has expanded capabilities. Any one of a dozen selectable fields in the lighting device can be automatically modified and incremented. Multiple fields can be modified simultaneously. The increment used can be based on the channel number. Really useful is the fact that when you reopen the command it retains the next number in the sequence you were working on. Not so useful is resetting the numbering direction each time you invoke the command, but this is already on the list and will be fixed in the next update.

Automatic Universe Assignment
At the beginning of a project or at any other time, Spotlight can be set to automatically handle the assignment of DMX universes and dimmer combinations.

Next page: More of the Vectorworks 2009 / Spotlight 2009 Review