VectorWorks 2008 Fundamentals Training Workbook

a newbie takes a look

For reasons that have nothing to do with any perceived deficiencies in the products from Autodesk, after twenty years of ACAD, I've had to shift to VWX08/Landmark and start all over. Perhaps that's why I'm about as confused using Vectorworks08 as I was when I first started with ACAD 9.

As such, VWX08 gets a big dope-slap for shipping the product with no book. Perhaps they've said "intuitive" enough that no one there dares broach the subject, but out-of-the-box-usable it is not. (Hey, Nemeteschek! The emperor has no clothes! There, it's been said! Now do something about it.)

Evidently the authors of Fundamentals are of a like mind and have written a pretty good book. As of this writing, though, it's the only choice and is, hence, a bit of risk at the price, so I was hesitant to be so early in the game. This is the first review on Amazon and I am happy to say that the purchase has so far been a positive experience.

I've just started working through Fundamentals and was delighted to see that it's all meat and no fluff. "Draw this by clicking here and doing that" seems to be the mantra; no attempts at entertaining you; no diversions with cute or not-so-cute cartoons; no condescension by forcing me to publicly admit to being an "Idiot" - just the facts, ma'm.

Somebody was really thinking about the user when they laid out the book; it's got a lot of white space for notes and is spiral bound. I have to say a thank-you for that extra expense; the book stays open while I've got one hand on the mouse, one on the keyboard and eyes going back and forth.

The only fly (albeit not that large a one) in the ointment is that I could not find an index in the back of the book; you have to rely on the table of contents in the front to locate your subject. This lack of cross-reference is likely to make it difficult to use this resource as a reference for searching out the answer to a specific drawing problem once you're working on a project.

The bonus is a CD that, while perhaps too sparse in that it lacks an introduction of any sort, starts by opening VWX08. A lesson is on the screen along with a simple drawing and an illustration showing what the tool looks like when the text says "click on the oval tool." You read the text, duplicate the work, say "aha!", and go on to the next lesson. No music, no voice that you have to re-play several times to figure out what she means, no their-pace-not-yours approach.

I've got a long way to go to get through the entire book and CD so I'll withhold that fifth star until then. But if you're as flummoxed as was I, this is good way for a raw beginner to get up to a speed of actually doing some work.

So would I recommend it to the beginner?

Definitely.