Every September, we can expect the latest annual release of Vectorworks, which tends to be a bit more exciting than nearly all other BIM makers due to the fact that the Nemetschek Group’s daughter company tends to have a predictable pattern of delivering exciting new features across a range of development vectors. Let’s unpack that statement briefly.
One key development vector where Vectorworks tends to shine is in advancing underlying OS-based technologies utilizing the latest advancements in both macOS and Windows operating systems. Another development vector much anticipated is in the area of visualization technologies, both internal and external to the program. And because Vectorworks Architect is very much a true “hybrid CAD/BIM” application—meaning that it can go toe-to-toe with pure CAD-focused applications (ie: AutoCAD) in addition to being a competitive BIM app—watching its BIM maturity advance and its unique take on BIM is yet again another interesting development vector to watch. (More on this in Analysis and Commentary below).
Vectorworks 2027 product line annual update includes numerous development advancements, including UI/UX, BIM, Visualization, Performance, and more, as well as new features across its industry series products.
All three are yet again interesting to see in this latest update.
What is Vectorworks 2027
Vectorworks 2027 is actually a rather large product line across AEC and media and entertainment industries, almost a tiny microcosm of the Nemetschek Group itself, sans an engineering-facing product. On the pure AEC side of the product line, we have the following solutions:
- Vectorworks Architect 2027 — A full professional BIM environment combined with an extensive professional CAD environment for AEC pros.
- Vectorworks Landmark 2027 — The AEC industry’s leading BIM environment for landscape architects, urban design and planning professionals, and other landscape design professionals
- Vectorworks Fundamentals 2027 — A non-industry-specific 2D/3D CAD platform targeted at non-architectural 3D and 2D designers, drafters, makers, and fabricators.
- Vectorworks Design Suite 2027 — Bundles the features of Landmark and Spotlight with Architect and is therefore ideal for certain architectural professionals doing extensive site development work or urban design and planning, or M&D professionals who need a full BIM solution as part of their workflows.
On the media and entertainment (M&E) side of the product, we have these solutions:
- Vectorworks Spotlight. 2027 — this is now the global industry standard solution for entertainment, lighting, and live event design professionals. It pairs with Braceworks for those professionals also responsible for designing rigging
- Vectorworks Design Suite 2027 — Again, a catch-all bundle as stated above
- Vectorworks Braceworks 2027 — acts as an engineering calculus engine that plugs directly into Vectorworks Spotlight workflows. While Spotlight lets you draw and model trusses, hang lights and audio arrays, Braceworks calculates real-world physics.
- Vectorworks ConnectCAD 2027 — this too is an add-on module to Vectorworks Spotlight and addresses advanced signal-flow and system integrations of A&V and lighting equipment used in the entertainment industry or by audiovisual integrators.
There is no need to place Vectorworks Fundamentals in the M&E category above, since Vectorworks Spotlight includes all the core features of Vectorworks Fundamentals.
New in Vectorworks 2027
We are going to highlight what is new in Vectorworks 2027 for AEC professionals, with a particular focus on architects. At the core product level Vectorworks 2027 features some excellent advancements in the area of visualization and graphics.
Vectorworks 2027’s newly upgraded graphics engine utilizes the latest Apple Metal and Vulkan APIs for Mac and Windows versions, respectively, delivering maxim GPU chip leverage in overall visual performance. With Apple’s stunning M5 and M6 chips, Vectorworks is easily one of the fastest BIM solutions on the market.
Vectorworks 2027 now includes a new modern PBR (physically-based rendering) system, alongside a redesigned Edit Texture dialog with live previews. This makes it easier for users to create stunning PBR material textures for their projects. With one click, old textures can be converted to modern PBR textures, and these can be sent forward to dedicated visualization tools like those from Chaos, D5, Maxon, and others.
MORE: What’s Driving Nemetschek Group’s Financial Performance
Also new this year is the modernization of the core Vectorworks graphics engine (VGM), leveraging Apple Metal on Mac and Vulkan on Windows. Hugues Tsafak, Vice President of Product Development at Vectorworks, says:
By modernizing our graphics engine with Metal on Mac and Vulkan on Windows, we’re shifting more processing from the CPU to the GPU, to deliver a new level of speed and responsiveness across the workflows designers rely on every day.
The company says in some cases, users can experience performance gains (FPS) of 15x to 35x in workflows like panning and zooming, and up to 50x faster multi-object selection. This new performance means navigating large 3D models and rendering complex projects at speeds that to many users previously seemed out of reach.
Other Core Features
Vectorworks has introduced The Exchange, a “trusted” hub where expertise and community knowledge can come together. Think SketchUp 3D Warehouse, but we believe this community library is more curated and guarded (Architosh to confirm in future report). Community-built assets can be any kind of Vectorworks model, from furniture, appliances, and various objects to textures, hatches, etc.
PRB texture creation with updated core features in Vectorworks 2027 make Vectorworks stronger for in-app renderings and to pushed out 3rd party renderers.
In Vectorworks 2027, you can now bring in AutoCAD dynamic blocks into Vectorworks and choose to convert each representation into editable Vectorworks Symbols or consolidate them into a single Dynamic Object with a type dropdown, so you can swap the graphic representations with a single click. This is another massive win for the Vectorworks global community in terms of globally available assets to bring in and leverage in Vectorworks.
For subscription customers, Vectorworks 2027 features Nano Banana AI visuals with various free, unlimited model renderings and limited Nana Banana Pro or 2 for sharper 2K AI rendering generation, with in-palette credit tracking so you can prevent overspending and running out of credits.
Vectorworks Architect 2027
As promised in its free roadmap, this year’s BIM improvements include better and faster modeling of doors and windows, including new pivot door capabilities. There is also a new Geolocation Setup Wizard that allows users to align surveys, point clouds, GIS layers, and bring in location imagery into Vectorworks. The imagery comes from Google Maps. Importantly for federated model reviews, users can easily toggle between true geospatial positions and local project coordinates.
A new multi-phasing system enables users to represent existing conditions and renovations across phases, and it includes an as-built layer. These features will be highly useful to European customers, who do more renovation work than customers in other parts of the world. And Vectorworks Architect 2027 can now deliver compliant area takeoffs meeting DIN 277, NED 2580, SIA 416 standards or custom rule sets.
Other Notable Items
In Landmark 2027, there is a new Volume Fill tool that can quantify site elements like retention basins, fills, and more.
For other improvements in the Vectorworks 2027 product line, visit here.
Analysis and Commentary
This year’s annual update seems oriented towards massive under-the-hood upgrades and quality-of-life optimizations rather than groundbreaking new features. This was expected based on both the public roadmap and the Nemetschek Group’s new synergistic, groupwide strategies. Architosh has covered the VGM (Vectorworks Graphics Module) technologies at length in the past, and so we look forward to diving in a bit deeper in both an upcoming product review and an interview article. The panning and zooming speeds of up to 35x are quite impressive numerically, especially given that on the latest Apple M-series chips (M5 and above), Vectorworks performs strongly thanks to Apple’s industry-leading chip performance.
We mentioned that this program is a bit more exciting to see updated every year than most BIMs. The balance between OS-specific updates, performance, and groundbreaking new features tends to set that up, but this year, without groundbreaking new features, it feels muted. However, the Exchange community asset new feature set will no doubt be an exciting development for existing users, as will the PBR texture improvements, DWG Dynamic Block features, and visualization and graphics performance.
Perhaps the most noteworthy news with Vectorworks 2027 is the features that enable users to benefit from already created elements—an important aspect as Vectorworks’s third-party tools, resources, and assets lag behind stronger BIM communities like sister application Graphisoft Architect and industry heavyweight Autodesk Revit. The use of dynamic blocks from the DWG (AutoCAD) world, improved Revit Family support, and the new Exchange all contribute significantly to this aspect.
