Introduction

About GardenCAD. Some simple designs showing the accurate placement of lines using the software. Using plant symbols from the GardenCAD library. Placing raster images (digital photos) into GardenCAD designs to help convey design ideas. Re-arranging the layer stacking order to improve design layout. Previewing and printing designs on different size presentation sheets.

Sample Designs

Showcasing some sample plans - GardenCAD designs produced by some early users of the program and incorporated into the program so that you can practice on real jobs before building your own.

The GardenCAD interface

Examining the way in which GardenCAD works. The drawing editor, drop down menus, the coordinate system used by GardenCAD. Drawing lines of defined length using Cartesian coordinates. Using Polar coordinates.

Tutorial

Learn GardenCAD by example. We create a complete garden design from scratch. It is a real job - we lay out a design for the back garden of a house in Canberra, Australian Capitol Territory.

Using drafting aids

Setting and using a user defined grid, applying polar tracking and adjusting entity snap settings in GardenCAD drawings.

The draw commands

A quick look at many of GardenCAD's draw commands. Using polar tracking. The LINE, ARC, CIRCLE, POLYLINE, POINT, ELLIPSE, POLYGON, MULTI LINES, TEXT, RECTANGLE, HATCH, insert BLOCK, insert RASTER.

Editing commands

Editing in GardenCAD - using the Move, Copy, Explode, Mirror commands.

Using plant symbols

Planting symbols have a major influence over the look and a feel to your designs. Here we examine the in-built plant symbols available in GardenCAD. In a later module, we show how to create symbols of your own. Each symbol has been carefully built using layers. We show how from one drawing, several different drawings can be generated, simply by turning layers on or off.

Using layers

From one drawing (model) many drawings can be generated, one for the client, one for the construction team, one for council submission etc.

Printing GardenCAD drawings

An overview of printing a GardenCAD design. Simple printing from model space, choosing a suitable drawing sheet, installing a PDF writer, printing to fit. Preparing pages for printing from paper space. Creating several paper space pages. Preparing a page for printing at a defined scale e.g. a 1-1000 plot on an Iso A1 sheet.

Case Study 1

Using GardenCAD to create a design for a courtyard home.

Case Study 2

Using GardenCAD to create a design for a school teaching garden.

Case Study 3

Using GardenCAD to create a design a public space.

Case Study 4

Using GardenCAD to create a design for some intricate paving.

Gallery of student drawings

Survey some drawings created using GardenCAD.

Printing GardenCAD drawings

Installing a PDF writer, printing a drawing to a plotter, printing a drawing (GardenCAD file) to a PDF writer, , Taking a PDF file to a copy centre.

Download Sample Files

Download GardenCAD sample files.

Installing GardenCAD

How to download and install GardenCAD. Configuring  GardenCAD in your computer.

 Installing GardenCAD from CD-ROM

Click here to install GardenCAD on your computer.