VW QuickStartGuide
VW QuickStartGuide
Contents
FUNDAMENTALS
The exercises and instructions have been designed to teach you specific skills in Vectorworks
Fundamentals 2009, so try to complete all of the exercises. This is a QuickStart Guide—it will
show you quick ways to get started, but it won’t show you everything that you need.
Vectorworks 2009 products provide powerful drawing and designing capabilities that you can
use for a range of professions--from engineering and landscape, to set and lighting design, to
architecture. The software provides a combination of 2D and 3D tools and concepts to create
sophisticated drawings and designs, and also includes a database/reporting component and a
built-in scripting language that allows you to make your own custom tools.
Vectorworks 2009 products can be used to create simple 2D drawings for joinery, a whole set
of contract documents for a large commercial building, landscaping design, or a virtual 3D
model of the building that you can walk around or fly through.
This Quickstart Guide is the first in a series. We encourage you complete this guide first before
moving on the other guides.
FUNDAMENTALS
• On a Windows machine, choose your
printer.
• Set the drawing as landscape
(horizontal) rather than portrait
(vertical).
• Click on the OK button to get back to
the Page Setup dialog box.
• Click on the OK button.
FUNDAMENTALS
There is more than one way to create objects in
Vectorworks Fundamentals. There are three main ways to
create objects. We will create three rectangles using each
of the three main ways.
• If you look at the Object Info Palette you will see the size
of the rectangle that you have created.
• Use the Object Info Palette to change the width to 50mm
(2”). Type in the size you want and then hit the Tab key
once to move to the next field on the Object Info Palette.
FUNDAMENTALS
Object Info Palette the
change is relative to the
highlighted button.
FUNDAMENTALS
• Go to the Tool Bar.
• Right mouse click (control+click
if you have a one-button mouse).
• Check the settings for the Data
Bar. Click on the option to Use
Floating Data Bar.
• Right mouse click on the tool
bar and set each option to
match the image.
FUNDAMENTALS
• Double click on the Rectangle Tool.
• The Create Object dialog box opens.
• Type in the dimension you want for the width field
50mm (2”).
• Hit the Tab key once to move to the next field.
• Type in the dimension that you want for the height field
50mm (2”).
• Set the box position (the black dot in the grid of nine) to the
top left by clicking on the correct radio button.
• Enter the coordinates for the origin of the rectangle:
X=0
Y=0
• Click on the OK button.
Most editing tools require you to select an object before you edit or manipulate it. Some other
programs may work differently. With Vectorworks Fundamentals, you must select the object,
then pick the tool.
To select an object, use the 2D Selection Tool. Move the cursor to the object that you want
to select and click once. You will notice that when you move the cursor over an object, the
cursor changes shape and the object highlights. It is supposed to do that to let you know that
it recognizes an object that can be selected.
• Use the 2D Selection Tool to select the first rectangle that we made.
FUNDAMENTALS
• Click on the second rectangle
that we made, and notice how
the first rectangle is no longer
selected.
• To De-Select objects, click in a
blank part of the drawing.
FUNDAMENTALS
We are going to work on exercises that explain basic concepts, ways of working, and how
to draw quickly in 2D. If you are a new user, then you are advised to work through all the
exercises. If you are familiar with Vectorworks Architect, then you should still review this
chapter, just in case things have changed. This will help you to work using the most effective
methods.
The exercises and instructions have been designed to teach you specific skills in Vectorworks
Architect 2009, so try to complete all the exercises. This is a QuickStart Guide—it will show
you quick ways to get started, but it won’t show you everything that you need.
Vectorworks 2009 products provide powerful drawing and designing capabilities that you can
ARCHITECT
use for a range of professions--from engineering and landscape, to set and lighting design, to
architecture. The software provides a combination of 2D and 3D tools and concepts to create
sophisticated drawings and designs, and it also includes a database/reporting component and
a built-in scripting language that allows you to make your own custom tools.
Vectorworks 2009 products can be used to create simple 2D drawings for joinery, a whole set
of contract documents for a large commercial building, landscaping design, or a virtual 3D
model of the building that you can walk around or fly through.
ARCHITECT
• Open the file Building.sta. You can get this file from the disk provided with this tutorial or
on www.vectorworks.net/training/QuickStart.php. This file is a template file that has the
page size, grid settings, layers, and classes already set up.
• Turn on the constraints shown in the image. If a constraint is not on, click
on it with the mouse. It will turn on.
ARCHITECT
wall settings.
• There are several settings for
walls that you can change.
• This is a QuickStart Guide, so
we will not be going into detail
about these settings.
ARCHITECT
Horizontal/Align H.
• Click once.
Inserting Doors
ARCHITECT
• Move up and down the wall.
• Click once where you want to
place the center of the door.
Inserting Windows
ARCHITECT
• Select the Window Object.
ARCHITECT
handle on the left end of the
roof. Notice the cursor changes
to a hand.
• Click once.
This QuickStart Guide gives you a snapshot of the power and effectiveness of Vectorworks
Architect 2009. To gain a fuller understanding of how to use Vectorworks Architect, we
recommend you utilize your Getting Started Guide provided with the software, and refer to the
online help in the Vectorworks application. Tutorials are available from Nemetschek North
America at www.vectorworks.net/training/guides.php.
ARCHITECT
We are going to work on exercises that show you quick ways of working in Vectorworks
Landmark 2009. If you are a new user, then you are advised to work through all the
exercises. If you are familiar with Vectorworks Landmark, then you should still review this
guide, just in case things have changed. This will help you to work using the most effective
methods.
The exercises and instructions have been designed to teach you specific skills in Vectorworks
Landmark 2009, so try to complete all of the exercises. This is a QuickStart Guide—it will
show you quick ways to get started, but it won’t show you everything that you need.
Vectorworks 2009 products provide powerful drawing and designing capabilities that you can
use for a range of professions--from engineering and landscape, to set and lighting design,
to architecture. The software provides a combination of 2D and 3D tools and concepts to
create sophisticated drawings and designs, and also includes a database/reporting compo-
nent and a built-in scripting language that allows you to make your own custom tools. You can
create 2D plans, count and schedule your planting and hard landscaping, build a 3D model of
your project, and create rendered views or movies.
LANDMARK
LANDMARK
This QuickStart Guide gives you a snapshot of the power and effectiveness of Vectorworks
Landmark 2009. To gain a fuller understanding of how to use Vectorworks Landmark 2009,
we recommend you utilize your Getting Started Guide provided with the software, and refer to
the online help in the Vectorworks application.
LANDMARK
T 888-646-4223
T 410-290-5114
F 410-290-8050
www.vectorworks.net
Image courtesy of Richard Gue, Inspired by Eiji Shibata of TEKO Design, Japan