Vectorworks is a great 3D "solid modeller" in that it can create a number of different kinds of 3D solids. They are:

  • Extrudes
  • 3D Polygons
  • Generic Solids
  • Meshes
  • NURBS
  • Subdivision objects
  • Auto hybrid objects


Extrudes

A simple 2D object (typically a polygon) given a height become an Extrude. More info can be found here.


3D Polygons

3D Polygons are polygons that have a location in space but no height. More info can be found here. Below is a video about the 3D polygon tool:



Generic Solids

Generic Solids are 3D solids that have had their internal "history" removed. This may be done to save file space or to remove the various stages of simpler solids that were used to create a more complex solid. More info can be found here.


Meshes

A mesh object is a kind of object that can be created from other base objects. Converting other kinds of 3D objects into meshes allows each individual vertex of the resulting 3D object to be edited. Mesh vertices can be pulled with the mouse or with the Move command. More info can be found here.

In some cases, such as when trying to create a subdivision object based on a solid with non-planar faces (such as a cylinder or sphere) first convert the object to a mesh, then convert the mesh to a subdivision object. More info about this can be found here.


NURBS

NURBS (Non-Uniform Rational B-Splines) are used to create curves in 3D space. They can also be used as defining objects for extrusions along a path. More info can be found here. A video about modifying NURBS surfaces is below:



Subdivision objects

3D solids that allow more free-form, intuitive modelling techniques. Subdivision object often start as "primitives" and then the user performs various actions to free-form model the primitive. More information can be found here and below is a collection of 7 introductory videos:



Auto hybrids objects

Converting 3D geometry into an auto hybrid object allows the object to appear as desired in 2D plan view, while leaving the 3D appearance unchanged. This is particularly important for Building Information Model (BIM) workflows and for those who model free-form 3D geometry, but need plan drawings as well. more info can be found here.


In order to gain familiarity with Freeform 3D modelling techniques, we highly encourage you to go through the Getting Started Guides on the topic.