The shock came when I tried to open a tool I needed and couldn’t get in.
I had upgraded my Apple silicon Mac to macOS 27. When I next opened Vectorworks Architect 2022 SP6, it stopped with the message ‘Failure loading Support library.’
I’ve now got Vectorworks working and usable again, with help from Codex and a workaround shared by the Vectorworks community.
Credit to Wagner R. Ponce, who had investigated the same problem in Vectorworks 2025. His work gave me the starting point for recovering my 2022 installation.
With Codex’s help, I confirmed that the Support component was looking for /usr/lib/libiodbc.2.dylib, a library macOS could no longer locate on my installation. I adapted Wagner’s underlying approach for 2022: back up the original component, bundle a compatible Apple silicon library from Homebrew, update the library reference, then re-sign and verify the repaired component.
After I replaced the component, Vectorworks opened again. That was the result I needed: getting back into the software.
Basic drawing, saving, closing and reopening have been tested successfully. I’ll carry on using it and report any snags. Printing, PDF export, complex projects, 3D rendering and longer-term stability have not yet been checked. This remains an unofficial workaround, and Wagner’s published script does not list 2022 as a supported target.
I’m posting this because others may face the same unwelcome surprise when an operating-system upgrade leaves an established CAD tool inaccessible.
My technical account in the original Vectorworks discussion:
forum.vectorworks.net/.../
Credit and sources:
Wagner’s project: github.com/.../vectorworks-2025-2026-wont-launch-macos27-fix
Homebrew library: formulae.brew.sh/.../libiodbc
Vectorworks Japan’s compatibility notice, dated 1 September 2026, lists no planned testing for versions 2025 or earlier: www.vectorworks.co.jp/.../os_products_goldengate.html