The Vectorworks Spotlight program became the standard because it provided the right tools for the job of the lighting and scenic designer in a form that was natural and intuitive, and that got the job done far better than hand-drafting. Over the years, many Spotlight users have created customized objects and plug-ins to solve specific needs of related entertainment design professions, which has resulted in integrating functionality for event planning, video projection and audio layout. One of these third-party innovations for the industry called connectCAD. Developed by longtime broadcast and AV industry professional Conrad Preen, connectCAD is a software add-on to the Vectorworks platform for designing broadcast, AV, lighting, IT cabling and other connected systems. It solves the problem of keeping track of large numbers of cables or other interconnected systems in a complex installation.
—Frank Brault, from “Focus on Design,” PLSN, June, 2013
