Originally Posted by
Steve B.
Vectorworks is a Euro company, it started as MiniCAD or something, got brought out and a name change. The popularity of it was it worked on a MAC, when AutoCAD did not. Thus got very popular in the theater and entertainment business where a lot of the scenic and lighting designers used Mac's. It also has terrific data interface with the spreadsheet/database software used to keep track of lighting equipment, power loads, etc... and can export the fixture info directly into the computers that control the stage lighting. AuotCAD was never interested in this market so really only gets used by the folks building the scenery.
I'll have to see what I can find about that- linking to spreadsheets early on must have been a huge for folks in that field. I think Autodesk "Microsoft'ed" the CAD industry. Even now most of their new stuff seems like externally developed programs that they bought out and put their name on. I do really like their Inventor program, though the home "makers" have mostly went to Fusion. I must say they have been really good at getting software for students. Kids today have insane power in their laptops if we can just get them to take advantage of it.