Create stunning textures once, then enjoy the payoff everywhere you work. A modern PBR texture system lets you build richer, more realistic materials with live previews, convert old textures in a click, and send those same render ready surfaces straight into dedicated visualization tools—so your visuals all share the same high-quality materials without extra rework.
Discover how to get started with this video.
All Industries
All Industries
12m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Identify the core OpenPBR property categories — Base, Specular, Transmission, Coat, Emission, and Geometry — and describe how each one shapes a material's response to light.
Create a Renderworks texture in the Edit Texture dialog by assigning colors or image maps to properties, setting texture size and surface hatch, and using the Basic, Modified, and All display options along with the live preview to refine results.
Apply PBR properties to real scenarios such as fabric, masonry, translucent, and natural materials, and convert legacy pre-2027 textures to PBR while preserving the original resource.
Data Visualization lets you graphically see the data in your design without changing the attributes of the underlying objects. This video introduces you to Data Visualization resources, which are managed in the Resource Manager and sharable with others. Data Visualization Sets, which combine multiple individual Data Visualizations, are also featured. Sets enable individual Data Visualizations to be easily activated together or uniquely, with control over their priority order. You will see how to build a Data Visualization and a Set and various ways to apply them to your model and views.
All Industries
All Industries
10m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Explain how data visualizations act as a graphic overlay that overrides attributes or visibility based on object data without altering the underlying geometry, and locate them as resources in the Resource Manager.
Create an individual data visualization by setting its type (Change Attributes or Hide), object criteria, and display criteria by value or range, including the option to apply attributes to associated data tags.
Build and apply data visualization sets, controlling priority order and the Use Only First Applicable behavior, and activate them from the Resource Manager, the View bar dropdown, viewports, or saved views.
The Exchange is a community-driven platform for discovering, downloading, and sharing Vectorworks-ready design resources, including symbols, materials, hatches, textures, render styles, and much more. The Exchange is available both as a standalone website and as a web palette inside Vectorworks, so browsing and downloading resources directly into your Resource Manager without leaving your Vectorworks file is quick and easy. This video walks through searching and filtering the catalog, reviewing a resource's details and other metadata, importing a resource into your document, and sharing your own resources with the Vectorworks community.
All Industries
All Industries
8m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Access the Exchange from both the standalone website and the web palette inside Vectorworks, and use search, sorting, filtering, and resource detail pages to find community-created resources.
Download resources from the website or import them directly into an open document through the palette so they appear in your Resource Manager.
Share your own resources on the Exchange by uploading from the Resource Manager or palette, configuring the thumbnail, tags, category, and description, and managing or deleting your published resources from your profile.
Anchor your Vectorworks model to its real-world position on the map without needing GIS expertise. With the Geolocation Setup Wizard, you can align satellite imagery, surveys, point clouds, and GIS layers around a single survey point. Move smoothly between local project coordinates and true geospatial positions as needed, and easily keep federated models aligned for coordination and review.
Landscapes
Landscapes
10m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Georeference a blank Vectorworks file using the Geolocation Setup Wizard by entering a project address, selecting a coordinate reference system, positioning the base map, and placing a survey point.
Geolocate a file that already contains geometry — such as an imported survey DWG or an existing building model — by setting the correct CRS, angle from true north, and survey point alignment options without transforming existing objects.
Import georeferenced DWG, IFC, and point cloud files aligned to the document's georeferencing so consultant models and scans land in the correct real-world position and scale.
Turn hard-to-define spaces—such as backfill areas or attenuation pond capacity—into clear, reliable data without hand-building complex solids. The Volume Fill tool automatically fills and quantifies gaps between site elements and basins, reporting volume, area, and footprint so you can iterate on grading and stormwater strategies
using precise data rather than rough estimates.
Landscapes
Landscapes
8m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Distinguish the Volume Fill tool's three modes — Two-Surface, Horizontal Fill, and Volume Fill — and select the appropriate mode for a given site or architectural scenario.
Create Volume Fill objects by picking bottom and top boundary objects, setting a surface elevation over a site model, or entering a required volume for Vectorworks to solve, and update them using Reset Volume Fill Object when source geometry changes.
Document volumetric results by assigning materials and names in the Object Info palette and reporting volume, area, and perimeter through data tags and preformatted worksheets.
The Morpholio Trace integration with Vectorworks lets you sketch on your plans and other drawings by sending scale-accurate sheets or viewports via the cloud to your iPad. Sketch freely and then have your ideas flow straight back into your Vectorworks project as images or linework via DXF with less effort. No more manual juggling of PDFs, emails, and uploads simply to sketch by hand.
All Industries
All Industries
4m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Explore the new Morpholio Trace integration released with Vectorworks 2026 Update 5.
Redshift for Vectorworks provides stunning real-time visuals straight from your design with ease. Purpose-built by Maxon for Vectorworks AEC professionals, it sends your live model into a new, synchronized, dedicated, standalone, real-time renderer, providing fast, continuous visualization. Explore ideas instantly, present beautiful renderings, and trust that every view reflects your latest work. Log onto your customer portal to subscribe.
This course provides a comprehensive introduction to site analysis workflows in Vectorworks Landmark, focusing on the tools and techniques needed to transform survey data into meaningful design insights. Participants will learn how to efficiently import and reference survey information, ensuring accurate geolocation and project setup from the outset.
The course covers the creation and refinement of Site Models, including an in-depth exploration of site model settings and analytical features.
Learners will gain practical experience in evaluating terrain through slope, elevation and drainage analysis, enabling more informed design decisions.
Advanced topics include the introduction of Site Model Snapshots to clearly analyse, display and document existing site conditions. The course also introduces data visualization techniques to communicate building usage and spatial relationships clearly within a site context.
In addition, participants will explore environmental analysis tools such as the Heliodon, learning how to conduct solar studies and shadow analysis to assess daylighting, seasonal sun paths, and their impact on site planning and design.
By the end of the course, users will have a solid understanding of how to leverage Vectorworks Landmark for accurate, data-driven site analysis and presentation.
Landscapes
Landscapes
1h 42m
Intermediate
Learning Objectives
Accurately
import, organise, and geolocate survey data within Vectorworks Landmark to
establish coordinated project references and a valid basis for subsequent site
modelling and analysis.
Configure Site Model settings and create Site Model Snapshots, to produce robust assessments of existing site conditions that inform design decisions.
Implement Data Visualisation to analyse building types and usage.
Employ environmental analysis tools, including the Heliodon, to conduct and document solar and shadow studies that evaluate daylighting and seasonal sun paths, and apply these findings to evidence‑based site planning and spatial design.
This on-demand class offers a comprehensive exploration of working with data in Vectorworks software, covering everything from built-in object parameters to advanced visualization and reporting techniques. Participants will start by examining the different types of native object data within the software, then progress to creating and attaching custom records for both simple and complex objects. The class will also demonstrate practical methods for viewing, managing, and presenting data using tools such as Data Visualization, Data Tags, and report generation. This class will develop your skills to structure, manage, and leverage object data effectively—ultimately boosting project efficiency, accuracy, and documentation quality.
All Industries
All Industries
2h 1m
Intermediate
Learning Objectives
Identify and utilize existing object data – Recognize different types of default object data, including 2D, hybrid, and complex objects, and navigate the Object Info Palette (OIP) and Resource Manager to explore attached records.
Create and attach custom records to objects – Develop and apply custom records to objects, incorporating various field types such as boolean values, text fields, and dropdown lists, and attach them using conventional methods.
Visualize and report data on drawings – Utilize Data Visualization and Data Tags to display object data within drawings, and generate both preformatted and custom reports for project documentation.
Unlock efficient, organized workflows for professional landscape design in this comprehensive on-demand course. Learn to establish a robust file structure and create reliable base files—laying the foundation for thorough project analysis, design, and development.
This paid class offers practical guidance on developing and using template files for landscape design in Vectorworks, equipping both individual designers and collaborative teams to work more efficiently and consistently. Discover best practices for document setup, including georeferenced workflows that facilitate seamless collaboration with others using real-world coordinate systems, and maximize the power of Vectorworks' suite of GIS features.
You’ll also learn how to identify, manage, and employ the most effective data types for site model creation, ensuring your documents remain organized from the outset and ready to handle external references. By mastering these workflows, you’ll gain the confidence to streamline your document management and establish a solid project base file for every new landscape design project.
Landscapes
Landscapes
2h 45m
Intermediate
Learning Objectives
Establish template and documentation standards for organizing Design Layers and Class structures tailored to landscape design projects.
Configure project files for effective georeferenced workflows, ensuring seamless integration with real-world coordinate systems and collaborative environments.
Implement efficient processes for managing and integrating external documentation, including various file types and reference materials.
Select and apply appropriate data formats to streamline site model creation and enhance overall project accuracy and scope.
As landscape professionals look for more
efficient and effective ways to accurately gather site information, new
technologies can help. This webinar will explore LiDAR (Light Detection and
Ranging) remote sensing technology and will break down the opportunities and
limitations of this data and share best practices for using it.
To receive 1 LA CES PDH and 1 APLD CEU, please make sure to login and complete the quiz after watching our webinar.
Landscapes
Landscapes
35m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Understand the growing need for accurate,
quick site measurements and technology that can help.
Explore the advantages, disadvantages,
assumptions, and myths surrounding these options.
Discuss how best to
apply, use, and optimize the data with LiDAR technology.
Whether you are evaluating Vectorworks for the first time or planning your move away from AutoCAD, join this practical session for landscape architects and designers to discover how Vectorworks provides a clear migration path to change at your own pace.
Join the webinar to see familiar 2D workflows like hatches, line types, and a design/sheet-layer organization map from AutoCAD conventions. Plus, discover how file referencing serves the same purpose as xrefs, and Point Cloud integration brings survey data straight into the drawing environment for a productive start.
The session will demonstrate core capabilities for a connected workflow, from schematic linework to detailed technical drawings, all within a single environment. We’ll explore Vectorworks Content Libraries for plants, textures, and site symbols, which are designed to reduce repetitive drafting and free up more time for design decisions. Finally, the webinar will show how GIS integration, cross-discipline file referencing, and IFC/BIM coordination position landscape designers as integrated design leads at the center of multidisciplinary project delivery.
Landscapes
Landscapes
39m
Beginner
Learning Objectives
Understand how Vectorworks simplifies landscape workflows at different stages of adoption—from familiar 2D drafting, design, and sheet layer organization through to integrated, ready-to-use Vectorworks Libraries.
Identify multiple low‑risk paths for adopting Vectorworks Fundamentals, Landmark, and Design Suite when switching from AutoCAD.
Explore how industry peers use Vectorworks Landmark to consolidate digital tools, streamline landscape documentation, and elevate design quality—working confidently within sole-practitioner and medium-sized firms, all the way up to multidisciplinary BIM and GIS‑enabled project teams.
