showstack / software / vectorworks-vision
Vectorworks Vision
Real-time previsualisation companion to Vectorworks Spotlight and Design Suite. It renders a lighting design live from console DMX so a look can be built and cued before load-in, and is licensed separately from the CAD drawing itself.
Protocols it speaks
| Protocol | Direction | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ma-net | in needs licence |
MA-Net2 input requires a Vision-specific USB dongle; MA-Net3 requires an MA viz-key plus a grandMA3 console or onPC, per Vision's own manual. |
| art-net | in | Documented by Vectorworks as a DMX-provider option for its Spotlight-integrated previsualisation line, which shares Vision's DMX engine. |
| sacn | in | Documented alongside Art-Net as a DMX-provider option for Vectorworks' previsualisation line. |
What to watch for
Vision is not standalone software — it requires an active Vectorworks Spotlight or Design Suite licence. Service Select subscribers get it included (Unlimited tier annually, a 4-universe Plus tier otherwise); everyone else buys Vision Unlimited as a separate add-on module.
MA-Net2 and MA-Net3 need different hardware keys — a Vision dongle versus an MA viz-key — and are not interchangeable, matching the generation split documented for the MA-Net protocol itself.
Distinct from "Showcase," the real-time previz feature built directly into Spotlight 2025. Vectorworks sells and supports both; existing Vision workflows are unaffected by Showcase's introduction.
Typical use
- Previsualising a lighting design against live console DMX before load-in
- Testing focus, colour and gobo choices in a rendered venue model
- Offline programming when the physical rig or venue is not available
- Rehearsing and cueing a show ahead of tech
Sources
- Vectorworks Vision — product page — Vectorworks, Inc. primary
- Buy Vectorworks Vision — Vectorworks, Inc. primary
- Vision 2024 Help: Setting the DMX Provider — Vectorworks, Inc. primary
- Connectivity Options with Showcase in Vectorworks Spotlight — Vectorworks, Inc. primary
- Previz with Showcase in Vectorworks Spotlight — Vectorworks, Inc.
Understand the mechanism
Something wrong, or missing?
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