LIVE COURSE

Introduction to Vectorworks (4th & 5th March 2027)

Course style: Live, taught via Zoom
Date: 4th and 5th March 2027
Time: From 9.30am till 1.00pm GMT each day
Students: Maximum of six people
Software required: Vectorworks Landmark

About this course:

Master the industry standard for precise digital drafting and collaborative design with our Introduction to Vectorworks course, tailored specifically for the landscape sector. This course guides you step-by-step through the core tools needed to generate 2D site plans and accurate construction details. By replacing manual drafting with a dynamic, data-rich CAD environment, you will significantly reduce design revisions, eliminate scaling errors, and dramatically speed up your project turnaround times, as well as produce highly professional drawings.

Designed for garden designers, landscape architects and students, this course starts from the ground up and is aimed at beginners (although familiarity with computers and ideally another similar piece of software, such as Adobe Illustrator or SketchUp is encouraged). You will learn to navigate the Vectorworks interface with confidence, structuring and organising your drawings logically using layers and classes so they are easy to update, and drawing accurately and to scale. By the end of the modules, you will have the practical skills necessary to produce professional-looking site plans and construction details.

When you sign up you will be sent invitations to the Zoom sessions as well on-boarding materials including a full set of notes for the course.
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Course Objectives:

  • Understand the workspace
  • Navigate the drawing area
  • Draw a variety of shapes
  • Select, move, copy and paste objects
  • Understand the use of snapping
  • Apply graphic attributes
  • Transform objects: re-size, re-shape, rotate, flip, add, clip, intersect
  • Import and scale PDFs and image files
  • Understand the use of design layers and classes
  • Create and publish sheet layers

Course Syllabus

Module 1: Introducing the workspace


  • Introducing the Home Screen
  • Vectorworks workspace
  • Customising your workspace
  • Vectorworks Preferences
  • Keyboard Shortcuts

Module 2: Creating a new document


  • Create a new document
  • Templates
  • Document Preferences
  • Document Setup
  • Exercise
  • Navigate the model space with Orbit, Pan and Zoom
    Understand SketchUp basics: edges, faces, inference, and axis locking
  • Use the essential drawing tools to create clean 2D shapes ready for 3D modelling
  • Complete a short example project to start building confidence

Module 3: Navigating the Drawing Area


  • Pan
  • Zoom in & out
  • Fit to Page Area
  • Fit to Objects
  • Plan Rotation

Module 4: Drawing simple objects


  • The Tool Bar
  • Line Tool
  • Double Line Tool
  • Rectangle Tool
  • Circle Tool
  • Oval Tool
  • Regular Polygon Tool
  • Calculations & Conversions
  • Exercise

Module 5: Snapping


  • The core Snapping tools
  • Smart Points
  • Smart Edge

Module 6: Select & move objects


  • The Object Info Palette
  • Selection Tool
  • Moving objects
  • Select Similar Tool
  • Send to front/back
  • De-select objects
  • Delete objects
  • Exercise

Module 7: Applying graphics


  • The Attribute Palette 
  • Setting default attributes 
  • Applying attributes to objects 
  • Attribute resources 
  • Attribute Mapping Tool 
  • Exercise 

Module 8: Design layers & classes 


  • What are Design Layers? 
  • What are Classes? 
  • Layer or Class?!
  • Create a new Design Layer 
  • Create a new Class 
  • The Organization Dialog Box 
  • Assigning objects to layers & classes 
  • Layer Options: Show/Snap 
  • Class Options: Show/Snap/Modify 
  • The Visibility Tool 
  • Force Select 
  • Exercise 

Module 9: Draw more complex objects 


  • Arc tool
  • Polyline and Double Line Polygon tools
  • Freehand Tool 

Module 10: Copying objects


  • Copy & paste 
  • Paste in place 
  • Mirrored copy 
  • Flip vertically & horizontally 
  • Duplicate 
  • Duplicate Arrays 
  • Duplicate Along Path 
  • Move By Points Tool

Module 11: Transforming objects


  • About control handles
  • Re-size using control handles 
  • Re-size using object info 
  • Reshape Tool 
  • Rotate Tool 
  • Fillet & Chamfer Tools 
  • Offset Tool
  • Split Tool 
  • 2D Polygon Tool 
  • Add & clip surface
  • Compose & decompose 

Module 12: Working with PDFs & image files 


  • Import a PDF 
  • Import an image file 
  • Scale Objects 

    • Module 13: Samples projects


    • Sample garden project 1
    • Sample garden project 2

    Module 14: Sheet layers 


    • What are Sheet Layers? 
    • Title Blocks 
    • Adding a north arrow

    Module 15: Viewports & Exporting


    • What are Viewports? 
    • Creating a viewport 
    • Create a cropped viewport 
    • Edit the Viewport crop 
    • Edit Viewport attributes 
    • The Annotations layer 
    • Adding dimensions 
    • Add a scale bar 
    • Adding callouts - or labels 
    • Exporting to PDF

    Is Vectorworks and this course for me?

    • "Is this right for me if I only design small domestic gardens or urban courtyards?"

      What sets Vectorworks apart from tools like SketchUp is that it's able to report on what you draw, and not only represent that thing in 2D but also 3D. This means you can create a Hardscape, say it's Yorkstone paving and specify what the sub-base is as well as apply a render texture to show it in 3D. And do a report which will tell you the exact quantities and square meterage required.  This is the same with planting - you create a plant object that has lots of other data attached, from the pot size to maintenance notes, and are then able to create a range of reports from nursery schedules to maintenance notes for your client. If this is the kind of functionality you're looking for, then Vectorworks can't be beaten.

    • "I’ve heard these programs have a brutal learning curve. Won't it take ages to get good?"

      Mastering any complex software software does take time and practice to truly master. We liked it to learning a musical instrument - you wouldn't take a days course in the piano and expect to be anywhere near proficient. Instead you'd take some lessons and continue to practise regularly. However, this course is built to completely bypass the steep, frustrating learning curve that comes from self-teaching. We provide you with comprehensive notes and also you will have access to our forums to ask questions and get help. 

    • "I already know the basics—is this too simple for me?

      If you are entirely self-taught, you're likely dragging some slow and inefficient habits along with you! We aim to teach you the best professional workflow which will not only make it easier and quicker to draw but also mean you can work better within a team, and share your work without issue.

    • "I need to be good at maths to use CAD tools"

      Absolutely not. The software handles the complex geometry, scaling, and precision for you. Your job is to bring the design eye and the horticultural knowledge; the software handles the complicated bits. You can even do basic arithmetic inside it!)

    Testimonials

    At last, VW help and training that is relevant and evolved to work for us, correct our errors, expand our knowledge and make us more efficient in an understandable and easy way. Thank you, we're looking forward to coming back for more nuggets of wisdom and practical tips and planning future courses with you both.
    HARRIET PARSONS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
    We used Digital Landscapes to develop our Vectorworks skills under the excellent tutorship of Fiona. Her flexible approach and deep technical knowledge proved invaluable to our bespoke requirements. Thank you Fiona!
    GEORGIA @ LANDSCAPE ASSOCIATES
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