Set Design Workflow in Vectorworks 2025

INTRO: USER SETTINGS

My Preferred Settings for any Project

You will need these files to complete this project.

PART 1: BUILDING THE THEATRE

1. Setting Up your Document

2. Building 3D Theatre Architecture

3. Setting up a Camera and Saved Views

4. Adding 2D Fill for Architecture

5. Adding Masking

PART 2: BUILDING THE 3D SET
6. Adding a Figure

7. Building Platforms

8. Building Walls, Doors and Windows

9. Adding 3D Render Textures for Walls, Platforms, Doors and Windows

10. Adding Cornice using Extrude Along Path

11. Adding Furniture

12. Adding a Backdrop and Trees using Image Props

PART 3: GENERATING A 2D DRAFTED GROUND PLAN
13. Creating a Ground Plan - Viewport on Sheet Layer

14. Adding a Plate Border and Title Block

15. Labeling Your Ground Plan - Viewport Annotations

16. Adding a CL, PL, SP, and Notes

PART 4: GENERATING 2D DRAFTED SECTIONS AND ELEVATIONS
17. Creating a CL Section View

18. Creating a Wall Elevation

19. Additional Wall Elevations

20. Annotate and Detail Wall Elevations

Types of Scenery and Moving Scenery

Here you can download our class slides for Types of Scenery
Many scenic materials are also in these slides.

These are the slides we used in class that cover Handling Scenery.

Tool Slides

Hand Tools

Power Tools

Here are some hand tools and power tools that you'll encounter in stagecraft.

Photoshop Tool Guide

Here is the Photoshop Tool and Actions Guide that I handed out in class.

Color and Paint

Here are some slides on color mixing and paint tools we use in theatre.

Vectorworks Custom Textures, Image Props, and Importing 3D Models

Custom Textures

Image Props

3D Models - Importing, Editing and Saving as a Symbol

Vectorworks Custom Libraries

To add my custom library to your resource manager:

1. Install the Whitehall font. I use this font in my library file (and other Vectorworks files I'll share in class), so I recommend you download and install that font before you launch the custom library.
1. Quit Vectorworks
2. Download and install this free version of the Whitehall font
3. Launch Vectorworks
2. Download my custom library and add it to your favorites files
1. Download Bryan's Custom Library (VW2021)
2. Open your resource manager
3. Click the gear icon and select "add new favorites file" (Pictured above)
4. Then browse your computer for the file you just downloaded

If you are using Vectorworks 2020, here is a previous version of the file.

Research Images and Video Footage

Resolution

When you're looking for images for a design collage or for research, you want to make sure the resolution of the images you find at least 1000 pixels in one direction. Most of the time this will ensure that it is high enough to project, print, or use later in your 3D model.

Usage Rights

When designing for a theatre company it is important to pay attention to the usage rights for images you might use in your final design. You'll do well to familiarize yourself with Creative Commons licenses.

Google Images

Under the tools menu in a Google image search there are features that allow you to filter for high resolution (large) images, and by usage rights (Creative Commons licenses).

Stock Images

Another good way to find high quality images (and this is usually my preference) is to search royalty free stock photo websites.

Here are some sites I use most.

Pixabay, Flickr and stock.xchng have good amateur stock photos, and are free and easy.

Lost and Taken texture gallery and texture lovers are good for textures and are also free.

You can find great images on sites like istockphoto, which has good images that you buy for $12-33.

Storyblocks.com Has photos and video as well as music and effects. Requires a low cost subscription but has lots of good material.

For specific period images you can search the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog or the Life database hosted by google images.

Video Footage

You can find great stock video footage at istockphoto and Getty images, but you can expect to pay somewhere around $50-$100 for a clip.

Storyblocks.com Has photos and video as well as music and effects. Requires a low cost subscription but has lots of good material.

Drafted Paper Model - Proof

1. Mark and Cut Architecture Walls

2. Cut Doors and Attach Walls

3. Draw Lines on Floor

4. Cut Floor

5. Cut House Structure

6. Cut and Score Door

7. Assemble House Structure

8. Trim Floor

9. Cut Porch Platform Pieces

10. Assemble Porch Platform

11. Place Porch

12. Cut and Assemble Interior Platform

13. Extend Fence Drawing

14. Cut and Assemble Fence

15. Trim Edge of Floor

16. Cut Cornice Pieces

17. Cut Six Column Pieces

18. Assemble Cornice and All Three Columns

19. Create a 6' Figure

Ack! Make sure it is 6'!

20. Create Title Block

21. Take Photos

22. Submit 3 Audience Views