Symbols in Vectorworks: How to Always Find What You Need

Vectorworks offers an extensive library of different symbols you can use in your designs. Especially for beginners, it’s not always easy to find your way around. Here are some tips to help you always find exactly what you’re looking for.

Use the Tools

Need a cabinet, sofa, bed, bath, or shower? There’s a tool for that! Open the appropriate tool, fill in a few dimensions or parameters in the Object Info palette, and your symbol is ready to go.

Search in the Resource Manager

Creativity pays off not only while designing, but also when searching within the Resource Manager. A small tweak in your search query can make a big difference. For example, searching for “couch” will yield different results than “sofa”. Looking for the complete collection from a specific manufacturer? Simply search for that manufacturer’s name. You can find more tips for searching within the Resource Manager here.

Use the pCon Plugin

With the pCon plugin, you can easily configure your own furniture. Choose a design from the extensive library and fully customize it to your liking. Combine different fabrics and frames until you’re satisfied. The result? A hybrid object that you can seamlessly use in both 2D and 3D views. You can even build your own library of furniture styles, which will significantly speed up your workflow. You’ll find the plugin under Window > Palettes > Web Palettes > pCon.catalog. You can also use the Furniture Configurator tool, found under the Interior tool set’s additional tools.

Import 3D Objects

Still can’t find what you’re looking for? You can also import objects. Most manufacturers offer 3D downloads of their furniture directly from their websites, and most file formats can be easily imported into Vectorworks.

A few tips for importing: always import into a blank document first, so you can quickly start over if the result isn’t what you expected. If parts of the object are simple enough to model yourself, it’s better to do so. Vectorworks can process native geometry much more efficiently than imported 3D models.