Nemetschek has just announced that a Snow Leopard-compatible version of Vectorworks 2009 (Service Pack 5) has now been released. Versions prior to Vectorworks 2009 are not currently planned to be updated to support Mac OS X Snow Leopard (v.10.6).
(Source: Nemetschek Technical Bulletin) | Cost: | Requires: Mac OS X 10.6 | For further info...

Seen a font that you like but don't know its name, or how to begin to track it down? FontGenius might help: give it a picture of a typeface and it will provide a list of likely fonts that match it – complete with character previews using same – using a built-in font profile database. It will then help you locate, purchase, and/or download matched fonts online. (The name suggests that a Windows version is also available, and it may be on the cards, but we've found no mention of it yet.)
(Source: Macintouch) | Cost: US$39.99; Site licence $150 | Requires: Mac OS X 10.3+ | For further info...

Following Stanford University's lead, Yale University too has now begun offering select courses as free downloads from iTunes U, in areas such as Engineering and Technology, Humanities, Science, Arts and Architecture, Business & Management, etc.
(Source: iLounge) | Cost: Free | For further info...

Sweet Home 3D 1.8 from eTeks is an open-source, Java-based application for drawing the plan of a home, arranging furniture on it, and displaying the results in a 3D view. Doors, windows and items from a built-in catalogue of furniture and fixtures may be dragged in and resized manually after placement. Various textures of wood, tiles and others may be applied to surfaces, and changes in plan are seen immediately in a rendered 3D view plan and realtime walkthroughs are also possible. The quality of rendering is equivalent of most low-cost offerings of the past twenty years, but unlike others, Sweet Home 3D is offered under a GNU/GPL licence.
(Source: Macintouch) | Cost: Free (donations accepted) | Requires: Mac OS X 10.4+, Linux\Unix, or Windows | For further info...

GraphicDesignerToolbox 1.0 from Opcoders is a new type of graphics editor for creating textures, web graphics, logos, photos, applying effects to text and to photos. It takes a radically new approach to drawing: instead of conventional drawing tools and layers, it provides adjustable building blocks – over 80 in total – that apply certain effects in serial fashion and which the user tweaks, "much like a modular sound synthesizer." Users can download a free trial copy of unlimited duration, but which is limited to saving projects with 10 building blocks or less.
(Source: Macintouch) | Cost: US$39.95 | Requires: Mac OS X 10.4+ | For further info...

If you like Google Sketchup, you'll appreciate Sketchers Studio, which allows you to create 3D animations from your SketchUp models. It comes embedded with Google 3D Warehouse Browser, a timeline view, camera control including zoom, multi-camera switching, three types of effects, export to QuickTime movies, and more. Sketchers Studio is currently $59 for Mac OS X 10.5 (Universal Binary).
(Source: Macintouch) | Cost: US$59 (usually $79) | Requires: MacOS X 10.5+ | For further info...

A report by Natural England and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (Cabe) says that urban areas could be transformed into healthier, wealthier and much more pleasant places if green infrastructure received even a fraction of the investment allotted "grey" areas.
Indeed, switching public spending from "grey" projects building roads and expanding airports , to "green" schemes creating parks and allotments, would save billions of pounds, improve health, cut climate emissions and create jobs, say official advisers to the government. Continued…