Online Vectorworks Course | Vectorworks for Beginners

Lesson 1 – Introduction (18:30). Kick off your journey into Vectorworks by exploring the user interface, navigation controls, and essential setup steps that form the foundation of efficient drawing. You’ll configure your workspace, set up key preferences, and get familiar with the project structure before diving into the exciting task of modelling the iconic Villa Tughendhat. Whether you’re new to CAD or transitioning from another platform, this lesson ensures you’re fully equipped to begin with confidence.

Lesson 2 – Setting Up Your Project (50:15). Learn how to create clean, accurate 2D architectural plans using Vectorworks’ core drafting tools & import techniques. You’ll be introduced to snapping techniques, smart cursor cues, and drawing aids that help you set out plans with real-world accuracy. This lesson emphasizes best practice workflows, ensuring your linework remains tidy and adaptable as the design progresses. By the end, you’ll have laid down the ground floor footprint of the Villa Tughendhat with absolute precision.

Lesson 3 – Modelling the Shell & Slabs (1:01:56). Move confidently into the third dimension as you begin modelling architectural elements like walls, slabs, and volumes. This lesson walks you through the process of extruding and assembling key building components, translating your 2D linework into a working 3D model. Along the way, you’ll gain insight into controlling views, adjusting objects parametrically, and preparing your model for further detailing in upcoming lessons.

Lesson 4 – Modelling the Interior & Stairs (1:05:20). This lesson focuses on integrating the Ground Floor layout with upper levels, aligning cut planes, and ensuring walls, stairs, and slabs respond correctly in both plan and section views. You’ll also explore Vectorworks’ parametric object tools, teaching you how to insert, modify, and align these elements accurately within your design. You’ll also start to manage the interaction between objects and wall types, laying the groundwork for a more refined, buildable architectural model.

Lesson 5 – Interior Walls, Classes, and Material Assignment (38:15). Refine the internal arrangement with interior walls and partitions using wall styles and join settings. You’ll assign classes and materials for better visual organization and rendering control, while learning to clean up intersections and manage finishes across different rooms.

Lesson 6 – Part 1: Windows (54:37). Master the Window Tool as you insert openings based on your imported references. Customize styles, mullions, glazing settings, and wall penetrations, ensuring that window components align properly with the building’s design language and performance intent.

Lesson 6 – Part 2: Doors (46:22). Build on your facade detailing by adding interior and exterior doors using the door tool. You’ll explore parametric settings like thresholds, swing direction, and door leaves, including how to represent special types like sliding or garage doors while maintaining BIM integrity. By the end, your model will start to feel like a functioning building, complete with openings and fenestration that respond to your design intent.

Lesson 7 – Furniture and Fixtures (49:06). Populate your building with 2D and 3D furniture symbols, focusing on iconic elements for visual storytelling. Learn to import, scale, and organize custom objects, assigning textures and classes to ensure consistent appearance in both realistic renders and technical drawings.

Lesson 8 – Steel Structure and Columns (22:13). Introduce structural expression with the Structural Member Tool by modeling vertical steel columns and support frames. You’ll explore options for parametric customization, and how to integrate structural elements cleanly into your architectural model.

Lesson 9 – Landscaping and Site Modelling (19:40). Move beyond the building footprint by generating a terrain model using imported contours. Use site modifiers to shape the ground, add retaining elements, place vegetation, and blend your architecture harmoniously into its surrounding context.

Lesson 10 – Roof, Terrace and External Features (45:09). Enhance the exterior environment by modeling the road network, terrace edges, and outdoor elements. Learn how to flatten uneven terrain using Building Pads, embed guardrails, and apply realistic surface materials to roads, terraces, and external floors to create a cohesive site design.

Lesson 11 – Sheets and Custom Sheet Templates (26:11). Shift from modelling to documentation by setting up sheet layers, creating custom title blocks and drawing sets. You’ll manage viewports, assign drawing numbers, and prepare consistent layouts—building a drawing package ready for client or contractor presentation.

Lesson 12 – Annotation and Dimensions (16:33). Develop clear and readable documentation by using text styles, leaders, and dimension tools effectively. Focus on applying revision clouds, custom markers, and relevant tags for elements such as doors, windows, and columns to ensure your drawings meet architectural standards.

Lesson 13 – Lighting Setup (23:20). Illuminate your model using both natural and artificial lighting systems. Experiment with the Heliodon Tool to simulate realistic sun movement and daylight studies and use interior lights to create balanced visual atmospheres for day and night renderings.

Lesson 14 – Rendering Setup (20:20). Build high-quality visualizations using Renderworks cameras, view styles, and light settings. Learn to organize cameras into sheets, adjust rendering quality, and test different presentation outputs such as white models, shaded views, or photorealistic perspectives.

Lesson 15 – Exporting and Presentation (7:16). Prepare your final outputs by exporting PDFs, images, and presentations in both individual and batch formats. Refine your visual styles, optimize render settings, and explore export tools to deliver a polished, professional package for clients, portfolios, or competitions.

Bonus Lesson 1 – Exploded Axonometric Diagrams (20:48). Take your presentation game to the next level by learning how to create clean, stylized exploded axonometric diagrams, entirely within Vectorworks. In this lesson, you’ll separate building layers, apply a sharp visual hierarchy, and orchestrate an exploded view that communicates structure, sequence, and design logic with clarity. These diagrams are perfect for client presentations, academic submissions, or portfolio visuals. You’ll walk away with a powerful new technique that makes your model look as intelligent as it is beautiful.

Bonus Lesson 2 – Visual Styling (11:57). Learn how to transform standard architectural drawings into visually engaging, presentation-ready visuals. Moving beyond clean linework and basic annotations, the lesson shows you how to incorporate trees, ground planes, soft tones, and subtle landscaping to create a more atmospheric style. Ideal for design reviews, portfolio pieces, or client meetings, this lesson helps you inject warmth, depth, and polish into your technical drawings—without ever leaving Vectorworks.

Bonus Lesson 3 – Detailing & Call Outs (1:13:50). Explore how to develop precise 2D construction details using Vectorworks’ drafting tools. From creating callouts to navigating detailed views and placing them on drawing sheets, this lesson focuses on workflow and clarity. You’ll learn how to build up crisp, annotated sections that communicate construction intent clearly—ideal for technical packs, tender drawings, or academic portfolios. It’s a perfect introduction to detail-focused workflows within a design-led environment.