Vectorworks Architect

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A combined CAD-and-BIM design platform from Vectorworks (Nemetschek Group) aimed at architects who want flexible modeling plus documentation in one tool.

Made by Vectorworks, subsidiary; owned by Nemetschek Group (NEM, $7.4B)

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4.0 /5 composite score

C4 4/5 reflects DWG, DXF, IFC, RVT, SKP, PDF, OBJ, and FBX interoperability with documented translator limits, C2 3/5 reflects VectorScript plus Python and C++ SDKs, and C5 4/5 reflects Revit, SketchUp, Speckle, One Click LCA, and Maxon Redshift integrations.

Worth it

Rubric Scorecard

How we grade →

Criterion	Score	Evidence
Value for the price	5/5	Subscription
Agent Friendliness	3/5	API: https://developer.vectorworks.net/
Ease of adoption	4/5	--
Portability & lock-in	4/5	9 file formats Source →
Interoperability	4/5	5 integrations

Pricing

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Visit Vectorworks Architect →

How we verified this: we checked Vectorworks Architect against its live site and an independent source — g2.com. Nothing on this page is listed from memory. See how we grade. Verified 2026-06-30.

Evidence

File formats

Format	Direction	Support
DWG	both	partial -- Import v2.5-2025, export v12-2025; explicit data loss on pre-2004 color/fill limits, multiple design layers merge into one model space, AutoCAD shader types unsupported.
DXF	both	partial -- Same translator and caveats as DWG.
IFC	both	partial -- Certified IFC2x3 CV2.0 / IFC4 RV1.2; most imported elements become a generic "IFC Entity" wrapper rather than a native Vectorworks object (only IfcSpace converts natively).
RVT	both	partial -- Vendor: supports files "created in versions 2011 through 2025" (explicit version ceiling).
SKP	import	partial -- No SKP export path is documented -- import only, versions 4 through 2019; dual-material faces lose back-material, faces triangulate as meshes, walls unjoined on import.
PDF	both	unknown
DGN	unknown	unknown -- Not documented anywhere on Vectorworks vendor docs -- no native DGN import/export path found; users report converting DGN to DWG externally first.
OBJ	both	partial -- Import requires at least one closed-face object; laser-scan orientation may differ from source; units are not stored and must be entered manually.
FBX	export	unknown -- Only an FBX export path is documented; no FBX-import page found.

Integrations

Revit (via cloud export) SketchUp Speckle One Click LCA Maxon Redshift

Sources

Formats

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