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Replies

• 

  David Beasley Garden Design July 17, 2009 at 9:42pm

  Hi Jonathan,
  
  Only seen Dynascape on the web, looks ok but very expensive. I suggest that you attend a night class at your local FE college and do a City & Guilds 2D AutoCad course (begginers level). Download the following free 2D cad platforms (they are both clones of AutoCad and handle Dwg files):
  
  http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXT/tabid/1100/Default.aspx
  
  or
  
  http://www.progesoft.com/en/smart-2008#downl
  
  Use the 'Revision Cloud' function on Progecad to draw shrub beds on plan (you can click on them and find the areas and then annotate the bed using the 'Leader' function in dimensions) - Instant Planting Plans!
  
  For on-line tutorials on using 2D cad see:
  
  http://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials
  
  When you have mastered 2D cad, download SketchUp and learn how to do it 3D!
  
  http://sketchup.google.com/
  
  Good Luck
  
  David
• 

  Jonathan Radford July 17, 2009 at 10:21pm

  Thanks David very interesting indeed! I'm in Italy, so can't attend really valid and fresh CAD courses but was looking to buy something online and just learn it by sheer determination.
  
  What are you up to, how's the situation in the UK??
  
  Best
  
  Jonathan
  
  DAVID BEASLEY said:

  Hi Jonathan,
  
  Only seen Dynascape on the web, looks ok but very expensive. I suggest that you attend a night class at your local FE college and do a City & Guilds 2D AutoCad course (begginers level). Download the following free 2D cad platforms (they are both clones of AutoCad and handle Dwg files):
  
  http://www.doublecad.com/Products/DoubleCADXT/tabid/1100/Default.aspx
  
  or
  
  http://www.progesoft.com/en/smart-2008#downl
  
  Use the 'Revision Cloud' function on Progecad to draw shrub beds on plan (you can click on them and find the areas and then annotate the bed using the 'Leader' function in dimensions) - Instant Planting Plans!
  
  For on-line tutorials on using 2D cad see:
  
  http://www.cadtutor.net/tutorials
  
  When you have mastered 2D cad, download SketchUp and learn how to do it 3D!
  
  http://sketchup.google.com/
  
  Good Luck
  
  David
• 

  David Beasley Garden Design July 18, 2009 at 8:45am

  Hi Jonathan,
  
  Where in Tuscany are you based? I had a nice weeks villa holiday in Pietrasanta a few years back.
  
  Ok, well forget the nigt classes!
  
  Why buy something for learning on when all the software you need is there on-line for free?
  
  Follow any on-line cad tutorial and they will be relevant for the 2 pro grams I mentioned.
  
  Learn SketchUp and you will never have to produce a time-consumin g Perspective or Axonametric a gain + you can turn off the 'perspective' function to instantly produce 2D elevations and cross sections. You can also 'scan in' your own hand-drawn line and apply it as a 'style' to your whole drawing!
  
  arrivederci
  
  P.s. I currently woking on a design for a house in Beverley (nr Hull). I have drawn the entire garden in 3D using
  Sketchup and shall be posting it up on here in various formats in the near future.
• 

  Roger Moss August 5, 2009 at 1:28pm

  I have occasionally used AutoSketch in the past for planning application maps etc. It is a 2D drawing package that works in actual dimensions and it lets you create multiple layers so you can for instance import an image of a map on one layer, stretch it so a grid square is 1000m across, then draw over it on another layer.
• 

  Jackson's Landscape Design August 5, 2009 at 5:02pm

  Hey Jonathon
  
  Totally agree with Clive, the transition from hand drawn to cad happened in 2005, for me, I could never look back.
  
  Cant pass any comment on the Dynascape, never used it.
  
  Vectorworks, photoshop, sketch up and vue xstream 6 are the tools to aim for, the latter im still trying to get agrip of, no time for evening classes due to work ............... like every thing it takes a little time
  
  good luck with your wise move