geoargero Posted March 5, 2009 Share Posted March 5, 2009 Okay, I am the new lighting guy at a regional production company. I have never used any type of CAD program before. The last lighting guy purchased VectorWorks 2008, then quit. Does anybody have any suggestions on where and how I should start training myself (books, training classes, tutorials, etc.)? Thank you very much. Quote Link to comment
CipesDesign Posted March 6, 2009 Share Posted March 6, 2009 Welcome! There are quite a few really good training resources available. Click on the "Training Resources" link on the right of this page. Most folks I know feel that Jonathan Pickups manuals are the best (look for them at this link: http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php ). However I'm not sure whether any of his books are specific to your industry (lighting design). Because you are new to CAD I would strongly advise getting some one-on-one training with one of us trainers who is close to you, and who understands your specific needs, or at the very least attending one the Training Seminars offered by Nemetschek. All of these can be found at the same "Training Resources" link. Once you are familiar with the basics this forum is a great place to post questions and usually get really good answers. Good Luck! Quote Link to comment
geoargero Posted March 6, 2009 Author Share Posted March 6, 2009 Thank you very much Peter. Quote Link to comment
David Ormsby Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 George I agree with Peter, that given this is all totally new to you, that investing in basic training would be an intelligent choice for you and your employer. In lieu of that, there are some excellent tutorials here geared toward theatrical drawing and lighting design. http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/thetr263/index.html Quote Link to comment
Anthony Reilly Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 I'm new to this as well and found this site VERY helpful: http://instruct1.cit.cornell.edu/courses/thetr263/index.html This porfessors concentration is all about theatre and VectorWorks. Quote Link to comment
Anthony Reilly Posted March 7, 2009 Share Posted March 7, 2009 Oops. I see someone else posted the same URL. One point of advice though, when your working the tutorials and can't find the drop down menu or tool he's talking aout, it might not be where he's telling you to look, but the feature is there, you just have to look at other menus. Quote Link to comment
Jim_Allen Posted March 9, 2009 Share Posted March 9, 2009 Check out the nearest University to you and see if they use VW. Often you can arrange a sit down with the LD who can give you an intro to VW. Quote Link to comment
Jonathan Pickup Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 i always recommend my books and manuals, of course. but not just because I wrote them, many, many people have found them useful. Quote Link to comment
XOP15 Posted March 10, 2009 Share Posted March 10, 2009 Hi there, I am a UK user of Vectorworks, I have used 2 training books from a company in canada to teach me how to use Vectorworks, very useful and recommended: I would get the fundamentals & spotlight books for what you want to do. http://www.resolve.ca/vectorworks?q=vectorworks/workbooks Quote Link to comment
gregg hillmar Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 You might look at LIGHT PLOT DECONSTRUCTED http://www.nemetschek.net/training/guides.php http://www.lightplotdeconstructed.com LIGHT PLOT DECONSTRUCTED is the debut work of accomplished scenic and lighting designer, Gregg Hillmar. Mr. Hillmar has developed proven methodologies for drafting light plots over his more than 15 years of experience using Vectorworks. His successful methods for designing with Vectorworks have been exhibited many times over the years, whether it was to fellow colleagues at tradeshows, or in the classroom where he has taught scenic and lighting design to many aspiring professionals at Randolph-Macon College. LIGHT PLOT DECONSTRUCTED is a great companion guide for anyone seeking to learn the fundamentals of lighting design with Vectorworks Spotlight. g. _____________________ gregg hillmar scenic & lighting design http://www.hillmardesign.com Author, LIGHT PLOT DECONSTRUCTED http://www.lightplotdeconstructed.com "Work like you don't need the money. Love like you've never been hurt. Dance like no one's watching." -Satchel Paige Quote Link to comment
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