Nemetschek's Vectorworks software has been one of the most powerful and popular CAD (computer-aided design) programs for the Mac for a couple of decades (the product started out as MiniCad in the late 1980s). Vectorworks 2009's integrated 2-D drafting and 3-D modeling capabilities serve multiple CAD specialties with six versions of the software: Vectorworks Architect (architecture); Vectorworks Landmark (landscape architecture and planning); Vectorworks Spotlight (set design and theater, event, and exhibition planning); Vectorworks Machine Design (mechanical engineering); and Vectorworks Fundamentals (2-D drafting, basic 3-D modeling) make up the five distinct modules. Vectorworks Designer, the sixth module, combines the other five into one comprehensive package. RenderWorks, a high-end 3-D rendering engine, can be integrated into any of the modules.
Vectorworks has evolved over the years from a lean and mean drafting application with a quick learning curve and inexpensive price to a very powerful high-end CAD application with more features to compete with the top CAD programs on any platform. The price for this competitive edge is that the interface is now much more difficult to master, with complex palettes, layered menus, and hidden features. The cost has also crept into the US$2K range, depending on the module you get. Still, this is less than half the cost of other CAD products, most of which are available only for Windows.
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