Vectorworks Spotlight Reviews & Product Details

The palletes are useful and easy to use. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

You cannot edit on Dropbox if someone else is in the file. And it does not show if someone else is in it Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

It is arguably the industry standard for theatrical designers. They listen to their customers. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I would love to have a more integrated paperwork solution. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Makes creating a light plot or other drawing for the entertainment industry simple. This is software I use and teach. I can take a student who knows hand drafting and get them up and running in just a few lessons. There is no other resource with as many lighting symbols as Vectorworks. They keep the library up to date and constantly add new items. The program updates every year and each year they offer new features that are helpful. The new cable management tool is revolutionary. Another great feature is Spotlight's gobo textures. With this program, you can try out gobos in your pre-visualizations. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Every year it's updated and it's tough keeping up with new features. Some new versions crash a lot, so make sure you save often and have at least two backups for each project. You can do some pre-visualizations, but the control is limited and hard to do with a complex light plot. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like the libraries available. Ease of importing dxf and dwg files. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The latest version crashes approximately every 10 minutes. They release a new version every year and it’s a pain. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I utilize the software to help create large theatrical regional theatre productions and very detailed immersive fan experiences Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The frequency that the program crashes, but 2018 seems to be more stable, the high cost Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

I like Vectorworks' intuitive design tools, handling of lighting symbols and associated data, legend customization ability, and ability to organize elements into both classes and layers. The (general) ease of data exchange between vectorworks and lightwright is particularly helpful and time saving. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Vectorworks' handling of work planes is not nearly as smooth or intuitive as Revit, though it is improving. The label legend manager could be much easier to work with as well. The integration with Lightwright would ideally also be smoother (sometimes leading to fixtures disappearing, duplicating or moving unexpectedly). Sometimes the handling of hybrid 2D and 3D symbols can cause frustrations and unnecessary complications. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Vectorworks Spotlight is the industry standard for entertainment lighting drawings for good reason. The built-in tools make the software unrivaled in its ease of use; the native tools in Vectorworks are add-ins for the big name competitors. Automated fixture numbering, synchronization with Lightwright, database tools, and integrated photometrics make the software a comfortable environment for drafting. It understands what you need to do and speaks the language of the entertainment professional. With each new version there are meaningful and significant improvements which accommodate real world users feedback and, as a result, ease of use and functionality improves annually. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Vectorworks, at times, doesn't feel like a precise drafting tool. A light plot usually doesn't require this but attempting to draw detailed elements can sometimes warrant a switch to AutoCAD for a quicker and easier precision drawing experience. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The ability to create comprehensive lighting plots in 2D and 3D, with clear information for a master electrician and programmer, as well as being able to interchange information with Lightwright. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

The load time is a little slow on Mac, and its 3D engine does not allow for intuitive boom arm placement. A future version with a "smart" boom arm creator would eliminate this problem. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Vectorworks Spotlight is the industry standard software for lighting designers. The compatibility with Lightwright (and now Lightwright's easy imports into Nomad) means that all my paperwork and work spaces stay consistently labeled. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

Not particularly user friendly to start with. Building a base of symbols and legends takes time. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

When using Vectorworks I find that the pre-built symbols are most helpful. It saves the time of having to build your own symbols and allows for easy data transfer out of the program. Along the lines of data transfer, I have found Vectorworks one of the most compatible piece of software. Most other programs are just now getting up to the importing abilities that Vectorworks has had for many years. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.

When I do have to create a symbol that is not in the file it isn't the easiest task. It is clunky and your data path can get messed up quickly. Usually it is easier just to copy a pre-built symbol and re-work it but I prefer a ground up approach. I also believe there should be some more pay brackets depending on usage, since it is such a helpful piece of software it would be nice if more people could use it, restricting file size and reducing cost would be nice for smaller theaters and one man outfits. Review collected by and hosted on G2.com.