FOUNDATION COURSE

GET TO GRIPS WITH THE BASICS

The SketchUp for Garden Design Foundation Course is a one-day course designed for students who are either completely new to SketchUp or for those who have some experience in the software but need a bit of guidance on how to use it better. If you've always wanted to use computer aided design (CAD) as part of your garden design process but feel a little intimidated by it, then this is the course for you.

The course is a day long session and can be delivered one

to one, (normally at the student's office), in small groups of

3-6 students (please ask for details if you would like to arrange

a session for a group of you), or online using screen sharing technology.

By the end of the day, you'll have had a thorough introduction to all of the basic tools and best-practices that you require in order to start working in SketchUp and you'll be able to go away and start working on your own garden design models with confidence.

The morning session is spent covering:

An introduction to SketchUp and how it's used by Garden Designers and Landscapers.

Setting up the program to your own preferences and saving a default template so that SketchUp will always look the same for each new project that you start.

How to navigate around your SketchUp model.

Getting to know all of the key tools that you will be using in your work and how to use them.

Understanding the importance of using of groups, components and layers in your SketchUp work.

Sourcing and using suitable models from the 3D Warehouse in your own work.

Then in the afternoon, we go through a step by step walkthrough to create a basic garden (see an example above) so that you can start using all of the tools and techniques that are covered in the morning while getting used to working in SketchUp in a useful and relatable way.

Throughout the day, it will be you using the software with your tutor talking you through the work while he watches you using SketchUp. You will be given exercises to complete that are designed to get you used to the particular techniques you are being taught. You'll also be given a comprehensive set of notes to take away with you and offered ongoing support once the day is over so you don't have to worry about forgetting anything you've learned.