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This course continues on from Design Cad's
Using CAD for Garden
Design - Part 1.
We assume that you have completed
the course 'Using CAD for garden design - part 1' before taking this course.
In
addition you need:
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An
understanding of basic computer operation,
including being able to create, save and locate
files.
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You need a copy of
CAD software - IntelliCAD, AutoCAD, AutoCAD LT
or GardenCAD loaded onto your computer. You will
not benefit from the course if you cannot
practice what we teach you.
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Click here to play a movie
from the course. We explain how the text command works. |
At
the end of CAD and Garden Design - Part 1, we left you with the ability
to prepare accurate garden plans, add some planting symbols (the CAD
software calls these
blocks), insert a logo into the drawing and print the design out on a sheet. The
figure below shows the result of the efforts of one of our students at that
point..
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Part 1 of the course enabled the
production of planting plans similar to that shown above. |
The aim in this part of the course is to extend your knowledge of the
use of CAD software and garden plans. In you want to use AutoCAD or
IntelliCAD that's fine, the course certainly allows for that. We will
however supply you with a software
tool of ours (GardenCAD) and teach you how to use it to produce professional
designs similar to that shown below.
In addition, we will cover:
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the development of
a series of versatile plant symbols according to a layer standard,
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creating text styles and adding text to drawings,
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apply
dimensions to objects,
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examine designs containing 3D elements,
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create paper space views and examine
the use of
multiple viewports and
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scale parts of our design in a presentation space.
We will look briefly at representing your design in 3D
by moving drawings
into other software for rendering to produce images similar to those
shown below.
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Garden design produced in IntelliCAD and
moved to an illustrative program for rendering |
 Don't
forget when using our learning system, when we ask you to complete an
exercise, we will
first show a movie showing you how to carry out a task and then get you to
follow along on your own computer using detailed instructions that we
set out in these notes. These movies can be played as often as required.
The course consists of a series of
modules listed below which should initially be taken in sequence.
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Using GardenCAD |
We supply a copy of a piece
of software specially developed for garden design students. In
the first part of the course, we teach you to use it. We
use GardenCAD to build three designs - a small teaching
courtyard adjacent to a classroom, a design for the rear of a
small suburban home and a design for a large public space.
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Using Cartesian coordinates to
place entities
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Understanding the
coordinates system used in CAD software. Creating some geometry
(an A3 sheet
drawing to AS1100 standard) using Cartesian coordinates.
Moving to the presentation space (paper space). Scaling a design
in paper space. Creating viewports. Plotting a drawing from
paper space.
Saving the sheet drawing into a symbol (block) library.
Inserting a logo and schedule into the drawing using entity snap
techniques.
Reinforcing the use of object/entity snaps.
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Creating a
Template for garden design |
Examining a template
drawing - the value of configuring the drawing environment and
creating a drawing template suitable for garden design - line types,
layers, view, grids, snaps etc. Creating a template of your own. |
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Plant symbols |
Creating a series of symbols
(blocks) suitable
for use in garden landscape plans. We concentrate on building
symbols which work equally well for construction teams, project
managers and clients by simply changing the visibility of
layers. We experiment with a title block with replaceable text
holders (attributes) which enable the details of the site and
client to be entered without the need to zoom in. Finally, we
produce a summary sheet showing the range of symbols available
for insertion. |
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Layers
and Colours |
Manipulating the
display of various layers in plant symbols to generate several
different view of a design - one for the construction team, one
for the architect and another for the client. Using the LAYER command
to create
new layers, assigning layer colours and line types. Building a
NORTH point indicator using Cartesian coordinates. Building
accurate geometry by length, angle, OFFSET, FILLET and TRIM. The
problems of colours in blocks. |
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Manipulating
Text |
Placing text in
drawings. Using drawing aids to align
text. The STYLE command- style names and fonts. Controlling line
weight using colour vs. implicitly setting line weight of
individual entities. The DTEXT, TEXT and MTEXT commands. Controlling text
justification, text height, inserting
text in title blocks, single line text, paragraph text, using
grid and snap. |
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Building the model |
Creating an accurate model
(the design) ready for the subsequent insertion of title block
drawing at an appropriate scale. We create an accurate 2D model
of a table and a drawing of a rectangular house block with a
building and landscaping located on it. |
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Dimensioning
and drawing settings |
We apply some simple
horizontal and vertical dimensions to an accurately drawn 2D
model of a table. Some
discussion of
dimension styles is provided together with the role of the dimension toolbar.
We revisit the design in paper space & checking dimensioning. |
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Plotting |
Setting a default
printer. The PRINT command and its options.
Plotting from model space. Inserting a drawing sheet around your design. Controlling pen
weights in drawings - using the Rotring colour system. Setting colours,
adjusting pens and line thickness. Plotting from paper space. Previewing plots, plot
configuration parameter files. |
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Preliminaries |
Installing your CAD
and Illustrative software.
How your computer works to generate plans. Tuning and maintaining your computer. Selecting
and configuring pointing devices - mice and digitizers. How to
handle garden design files on your computer by making a folder structure &
filing system suitable for CAD work. Starting the CAD program
and producing some simple 'lines'.
Starting the Illustrative program and examining the user
interface. |
We offer three different pricing models covering
the same material:
1.
group or one-on-one courses (Adelaide or Canberra - in our offices or
yours)
Each course takes one day and
costs $AUD750.00. A
comprehensive workbook on CD-ROM and sample files is provided
to each participant.
2. CD-ROM based distance learning -
Many courses are available via
our
distance learning program at a
substantial discount -$AUD280.00. Again, we provide a CD-ROM containing many instructional on-screen
movies. The whole course can be completed at home or at work, on
your own computer, at your pace. No Internet connection is
required.
3. Online learning via broadband - fast Internet connection required
Many courses are available by online
learning at $AUD250.00 - these courses feature rapid enrolment,
online forums, multi choice reviews questionnaires etc. Click
here to visit our online
learning site.
Experience over many years has taught us that adults learn best by
progressing through a course of study at their own pace and at times
that suit them. Wherever possible, they like to learn by working on
their own materials, rather than work through long practice exercises. Our courses are specifically designed so that this can
occur- we introduce a topic, provide a movie which shows you how to do
it and then give detailed step-by-step instructions for you to follow.
When taken in-house, CAD and Garden
Design part 2 normally runs over a full day session.
When taken
externally, experience has shown us that students take
significantly longer to complete the course, primarily
because they are able to break up their learning into
small 'chunks' as time permits. Learning to use CAD is
not a trivial exercise - please allow plenty of time to work through
our materials. We would estimate that you have 40-50
hours of work in front of you!
Please remember to practice
and build on your
knowledge of CAD after you complete the course.
We strongly recommend that CAD
software be used quite intensively after these early stages of learning.
You will lose a lot if you let new-found skills ‘wither on the vine’.
Practice is the key to learning CAD. The key to success is to complete
your first real drawing as soon as possible.
We
hope that you will return to us and take the course which
naturally follow this one - Using CAD for Garden Design - part 3'
After that, we offer
several 'discipline specific'
CAD workshops. Details of these courses are always available on
our web site -
http://www.designcad.com.au/courses/courses.htm#CadCourses
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