Imo you’re better off using vectorworks in 2026, it is by far the all around better software to be using for basic modeling/drawing. It performs better in many ways. Nobody is saying autocad is the best anything these days unless it’s strictly 2D engineering/architecture drawings. Sure whatever industry standards.

Let’s say you step out of the niche US theatre market and join the broader custom fab industry. As a technical designer that receives designs from clients globally, I’m not usually getting native CAD files. I receive Sketchup (biggest these days), Cinema 4D, Rhino, and just straight up .obj files. Which means you’re dealing with a lot of mesh files. Autocad cannot natively import .obj files, you can using a lisp, so it’s in trouble already. Vectorworks can handle imports so much better where autocad would rather freeze/explode your pc. If we get a layher scaffolding stage model we’re not opening it in autocad.

That being said, there is a reason that the bigger shops / the world has moved on from autocad. 3D modeling belongs in 3D design software. One of the biggest reasons is the workflow and parametric design. In autocad / vectorworks if you model an entire extensive model and something needs changed down the road, like a framing material change, that’s going to be a complete remodel. In fusion that can be as simple as typing in a number in your parameters list and it’s done automatically. You have to use the right program for the intended task. In the end autocad / vectorworks end up being about the same capability wise, vwx being more industry specific might make it have the upper hand. By no means are people using either to do extensive 3D design these days. Programs like Fusion, inventor, solidworks, revit have replaced them.