DW Tutorials Index

Artifice, Inc.

Free Online Tutorials for DesignWorkshop®

Introductory | Intermediate | Advanced | Downloadable Tutorials

Introductory

Start Here - Key Concepts Japanese Language Version

DesignWorkshop is a fast, fun, and easy program to learn. Because of its unique live 3D modeling interface, it makes a big difference if you take a few minutes to read about a few key concepts before you start up the software.

When learning DesignWorkshop, the most important things to understand are 1) how to use the Eye tool and the Look tool for live 3D viewing, 2) how to move 3D crosshair around, and how to align it easily and accurately, and 3) how to know exactly where objects are located in the 3D modeling space, so you can create and adjust your model accurately.

After spending a few minutes on these basic concepts, you'll be all ready to create your first project - a complete simple house.

First Tutorial - Building a Classic House

This highly-recommended 12 part step-by-step tutorial will introduce you to modeling with DesignWorkshop, starting with a quick overview of key concepts, and then taking you through core functions including creating and reshaping objects, duplicating, changing object colors, the Wallify command, and making openings. Along the way you will construct your own model of a classic house.

Introductory | Intermediate | Advanced | Downloadable Tutorials

Intermediate

Building a Contoured Site Model

This tutorial takes you step by step through the process of making a site model based on a contour drawing.

Constructing a Spatial Dormer

This tutorial takes you step by step through the process of adding a classic gable dormer to a typical residential pitched roof. Shows the power of the trim tool and fit to object feature.

Introductory | Intermediate | Advanced | Downloadable Tutorials

Advanced

Rendering with Radiance -- Radiance Quick Start Notes

These concise instructions take you step by step through the process of exporting a DesignWorkshop scene in Radiance format and rendering it with the sophisticated and beautiful lighting effects provided with Radiance, an extremely powerful freely-distributed ray-tracing renderer.

Introductory | Intermediate | Advanced | Downloadable Tutorials

Downloadable DesignWorkshop Tutorial Files

Download DesignWorkshop Tutorial in PDF format, cross-platform for either Macintosh or Windows

(PDF file, requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 3.0, 4224988 bytes)

Download file, and then double-click to view.
(Install Adobe Acrobat Reader if necessary, available free over the web from Adobe).

Download DesignWorkshop Tutorial in Windows Help format

(Standalone Windows Help file, in a ZIP archive, updated 98.01.17, 3.2MB)

To use the downloadable DesignWorkshop Tutorial in Windows Help format, first download the complete ZIP archive file to your hard disk, and then decompress it with a utility like StuffIt Expander or WinZip. Then double-click on the "DW_Tutorial.hlp" to view the complete set of tutorials.

Decompressing ZIP Archive Files

If your Windows web browser is not already set up to decompress ".zip" files, you can download the necessary decompression software free over the Internet. Here are two sources for decompression utilities for Windows 95/NT:

Stuffit Expander (cross-platform & will also decompress ".sit" files from the Great Buildings Collection) --

www.aladdinsys.com/consumer/expander1.html

WinZip (very widely used on Windows) --

www.winzip.com/win95d/

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