GardenCAD - Computer Aided Design software for garden designers

 

What is GardenCAD?

GardenCAD is a tool for rapidly produce CAD garden plans with a professional look. It has been designed to work in an intuitive way, mimicking the manner in which landscapers and garden designers often work on paper plans. The software produces true, accurate Computer Aided Design (CAD) plans which accurately reflect what will be built when your design is implemented.

In developing this software, we have taken account of lots of feedback from garden design students. You will see some of their work in the modules which follow.

GardenCAD has its own web site [http://www.gardencad.net] where you can get additional help and leave comments about your use of the software. We welcome any feedback that you may care to give us as you use the software because the development of GardenCAD is driven by the users.

Why use GardenCAD?

Due to its innovative design, GardenCAD is easy to learn and operate. It helps you rapidly produce plans with much of the look and feel of hand drawn examples. Because you are working with true CAD models in the same way as other land management professionals, GardenCAD helps you adopt a more professional approach to your work.

A typical garden design plan produced using GardenCAD. The image retains some of the look and feel of hand drawn designs and was produced in a very short space of time. The drawing is partly finished - we have not yet added added text identifying individual plants although because the in-built symbols are distinctive, many users simply construct a plant legend, dispensing with a lot of text.

A 'live' demonstration of GardenCAD in action

 

Click here to play a small movie which shows GardenCAD in action. It is by no means an exhaustive demonstration of the capability of the software and does not show all of its features; we will show you other aspects of GardenCAD later.

To play a movie, click on the word 'here' above (with the blue underline). Note that after you click on the word 'here', a new panel will appear (in Windows media Player) and a movie will load and subsequently play within it. You do not have to do anything while the movie plays; just watch the screen. You can click on the play button when approx 25% of the movie has loaded. Controls are shown at the bottom of the page. When you have watched the movie, click the close button (or the red cross at the top right of the screen). You will automatically be returned to this point in the notes. 

Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

Click here to play a small movie which shows a later version of GardenCAD in action. We look at a design for the rear space behind a house 13 meters by 10 meters in size.

Here is another movie in a similar vein. We look at another design for the same space. You might well do that; provide a couple of different designs for the client to consider. Once the base plan has been drawn, it can be used again to quickly provide another variation.

A typical GardenCAD design

The figure below shows another GardenCAD design; this time for a more formal courtyard associated with a so-called courtyard home. Unlike the very first design above (the art deco design), which shows the print preview view, the figure below and the one immediately above shows the actual GardenCAD drawing environment, with various toolbars and other controlling devices showing.

In the figure, we have not shown the cross hair pointer which we use to place objects.

The GardenCAD drawing environment.

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used to apply some colour to a water feature in the design shown in the figure above. Here we have set the pointer to be a cross hair; this is one of the many options in GardenCAD. Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

Here is another (more complex) GardenCAD design by Airedale landscapes, a GardenCAD user. Note the use of photographs to indicate the type of species specified in the design.

A more complex GardenCAD design.

GardenCAD can accept images from other CAD software such as SketchUp. Here we have created some 2-D views from SketchUp and imported these into the GardenCAD environment.

Why choose GardenCAD?

We believe that GardenCAD offers some considerable advantages over other garden design tools. We have listed some of these below.

Images can easily be attached to designs

A picture is worth a thousand words! GardenCAD enables images from your photo library to be included in your design. This saves much time and helps more effectively convey your design ideas to others.

Here photos from our image library are being used to 'dress up' a design. Using the Insert>Image tool, we provide details of a water feature (a fountain made from stainless steel), some planting and constructional information.

Here an image taken from a 3-D rendering program (SketchUp) which shows a proposed design for some art work is incorporated into a GardenCAD plan. Note that the plan can overlay the image - an ability which opens up lots of graphic design possibilities.

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used to attach an image to a plan. We attach an image of a more elaborate water feature to the design for the courtyard home discussed earlier.

 

Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

Here we use GardenCAD to create a 'storyboard' for a proposed design and incorporate a hand drawn sketch.

GardenCAD can be used to handle small & large sites

You can use GardenCAD to lay out designs for large sites as well as conventional gardens. The example shown below comes from our 'public space' case study which will be covered in one of the course modules.

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used in designing a layout for a site 200 by 80 meters - a large public space.

 
 

Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

 

GardenCAD design for a large site.

GardenCAD features an  an in-built library of plant symbols

We supply a set of planting symbols. There are more than 100 symbols, but of course you can create additional symbols of your own. Those supplied in GardenCAD will help you initially 'hit the ground running'.

Note that we have published a standard for making symbols on GardenCAD's web site. You are not required to follow that standard, but if you do, you will be able to 'ring the changes' in your design simply by using your new symbols and turning layers on or off. The majority of GardenCAD plant symbols are drawn inside a 1000 unit (1 meter diameter) circle and each can be re-sized once they have been placed into a drawing.

Visit http://www.gardencad.net to check out the standard for creating symbols.

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used to develop a planting symbol for a New Zealand flax - Phormium tenax.

 

Here is a link to a YouTube version of this movie.

One of the symbols from the plant library - we use it to represent not only a New Zealand flax plant in our design work, but other similar plants such as Libertias?

One page of plant symbols from the GardenCAD (block) library.

Using the symbol (block) library. You select the symbol and drag it into the drawing where it can be rotated, copied, moved, scaled etc.

Click here to play another movie which shows how to use the block library (Plant Selector) to place GardenCAD symbols. We activate the Tracking Tool and place some edging plants in a line along a boundary.

In GardenCAD Pro, we have added a number of extra symbols for details such as how to plant a specimen, north indicators, seating, wheelchairs,  etc.

Placing the block (symbol) of the wheelchair into a design. This helps create a sense of scale.

Click here to play another movie which shows how to use the 'hard elements' block library in GardenCAD. the paved area is 3 meters square. Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

Put your own stamp on designs

As mentioned, you can create your own plant symbols, create your own text styles and because GardenCAD allows such fine control over raster (pixel based) images (and allows you to control the stacking order of layers), it is possible to add your own individual style to your designs. In the figure below, we have picked up a detail for the proposed water feature and placed it on a watermark layer at the back of the design.

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used to attach a background image to a plan.

Combining images with design work in GardenCAD. Click here to view a PDF print of this design. [The file is 11 Mb in size so takes time to download. the resolution is super.]

Produce designs for artwork

You can use GardenCAD to produce quite small detailed designs. the figure below shows a complex paving design for an area 4 meters by 3 meters.

Design for a tiled paving area. the white lines a set out guides and not part of the design.

GardenCAD allows interactions with design professionals

In many different disciplines, the advent of computers has radically changed the way professionals work; this includes the field of landscape development and garden design. Most construction managers and (increasingly) clients, now expect that drawings describing design work will be created using some type of CAD software. They also assume that the work will be delivered in both printed and electronic format. In most design professions, work on paper drawings alone is no longer acceptable.

While we would accept that this reliance on CAD software is not yet the case where all garden design and landscape use is concerned, you are increasingly likely to receive commissions from more sophisticated clients. These clients might well have used other professionals such as engineers, planners and architects to design for them. There may well be an expectation that you should prepare garden plans based on base maps constructed using CAD software. If you cannot use CAD, you may well find that these commissions are denied to you if you cannot work with other professionals in the digital world. GardenCAD lets you work with others!

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used to work on a set of architectural plan. Here is a YouTube version of the same movie.

Creating a plant schedule

One of the more difficult things to manage in garden design is your plant list. The symbols in GardenCAD enable you to store non graphic information such as species name and common name with the symbol.

Click here to play a movie which shows how GardenCAD can be used to store non-graphic information behind symbols used in your design. Here is a link to a YouTube movie showing the same information.

Much text information can be stored with symbols. That information can be extracted.

Other designs

Click here to play a movie which shows GardenCAD being used for other design work. You could (and should) use it to create a CAD version of your logo. Here is a link to a YouTube version of the same movie.

An example of a logo used in a GardenCAD drawing.

More examples of GardenCAD's capabilities

The figure below shows one example of the type of plan you can produce with GardenCAD. This is a relatively simple design, but the complexity of your designs is limited only by your imagination.

A simple design for a courtyard generated using GardenCAD. If you would like to see the plan as it may appear in the hands of a client, click on the image itself. The design will open in Adobe's Acrobat reader - a free software tool commonly found installed on computers in common use. We hope that this showcases the capability of GardenCAD. Note that we have not yet added text, nor a logo to the design.

GardenCAD can be used to print large format coloured plans

A GardenCAD design can be printed to any size sheet and retain high resolution. Pixilation does not occur as you increase the size of the print.

Printing the design from GardenCAD to PDF (Acrobat Reader) format.

This course

During this course, we will take you on a journey showing many ways in which GardenCAD might be used. We install the program, explain how the program works, examine the drawing interface, the draw and edit commands, set up several sites ranging from an outdoor class room to a rear garden for a courtyard home and a large design for some public open space. We add some construction details, some planting and finally print the design.

The series of modules which we will work through is listed below.

 
    Module Title     Description

Introduction (this module)

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.

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 Capital Territory.

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.

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.

Review

 

 

 

 

Please review your knowledge of the material in this module before progressing to the next stage.

Click the back button on your browser to return to the menu of modules.