VECTORWORKS PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

Welcome to the Vectorworks Architect course. This course introduces a complete, practical workflow, from basic modeling to coordinated documentation. It is designed for new users who need to move reliably from 2D input to a 3D model and published drawings.

The course consists of ten lessons. You start by creating and organizing a simple building model, then develop core skills with walls, doors, windows, slabs, roofs, stairs, and railings. As you advance, each lesson reinforces how object styles and stories work together to support consistent modeling. In the final lessons, the focus shifts to drawing coordination and using smart documentation features to keep annotations and schedules linked to the model for consistency and efficient change management.

Each lesson is topic-focused and built around short, self-contained vignettes rather than a single cumulative project. You complete targeted exercises that you set up and develop yourself. This gives you repeated practice with specific tools and workflows without having to carry a single architectural model through the entire course.

The course concludes with a text-based multiple-choice certification exam that serves as a structured check for understanding. It focuses on content knowledge across all ten lessons, typically asking where to find critical dialogs, which command paths to use, and the tools, modes, and sequences of clicks needed to carry out core tasks. The end goal is for you to leave more confident in your ability to execute a unified modeling and documentation workflow on your own.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Lesson 1: Create a simple building model from 2D input; organize objects with classes and design layers; publish plans and elevations to PDF using sheet layers and viewports.

Lesson 2: Add components to walls, slabs, and roofs; use default object styles from the Vectorworks Libraries; create custom styles for project-specific configurations.

Lesson 3: Apply stories and story levels to control heights of walls and slabs; generate building sections with story-aware elevation benchmarks; edit default stories and story levels to better align with office standards or specific project requirements.

Lesson 4: Create and edit walls using direct and indirect methods; use the wall’s companion tools to split and join walls to accommodate various project conditions.

Lesson 5: Insert and edit doors and windows; use both unstyled and styled plug-in objects; control their position and alignment within walls in 2D and 3D views.

Lesson 6: Create and edit slabs with components; configure edge offsets and use slab-to-wall associations for efficient modeling; create 2D and 3D slab modifiers.

Lesson 7: Insert and edit stairs and railings; adjust their geometry and graphics to ensure stairs and railings align with the design intent and documentation standards.

Lesson 8: Model pitched roofs with roof objects and roof faces; adjust their geometry to include projections and openings; control roof-to-wall connections to refine junctions in the model and section viewports.

Lesson 9: Coordinate drawings using reference markers; create detail viewports; use the title block manager to ensure information is correct and consistent across the sheet set.

Lesson 10: Configure door and window IDs; use data tags and reports to create synchronized, data-driven door and window keys and schedules.