“Light Plot Deconstructed” by Gregg Hillmar – A Review

When I was offered this book for review, I jumped at it.  Vectorworks is one of my favoured piece of CAD software, due to the lighting design
component.To me this made the software an attractive alternative to AutoCad.  Gregg Hillmar is a busy scenic and lighting designer who has been using Vectorworks for many years. And he has used the skills that he has learnt over these years to put together this book.  His book looks at how he uses Vectorworks to draft lighting plots. His writing style is friendly and easy to read. It is in fact pleasurable to to read what is essentially a technical book.  This book is a great companion for the lighting or scenic designer who has decided that Vectorworks is the way to go. If you look at the layout of the book, Greeg explains how he uses the various elements of the software to his advantage.  It takes you through the process of using Vectorworks, but also helps you customise the way you use the software to make you more efficient. In fact it has made me rethink how I use this software. You could say that this book is the missing manual. From this book I have learnt a few tricks and tips. This book would make a good text for any college/school with technical theatre courses. Unfortunately I am not using Vectorworks 2009, but using an older version, Vectorworks 11. But a lot of the information  is relevant, especially the thinking process. I also enjoyed reading how another designer goes about the task of designing, I can always learn from others in the industry. As you read through the book you come to understand the various elements of the software in relation to theatre. It also gives you ideas on how to set up your program to make your work flow smoother. From this book with its easy to understand language you will gain an insight to how a designer works and and to use this program.You can tell from the writings that this author knows his subject and also knows how to impart the information to us other users and students. I know I lent a lot from this book. I also intend in the future to upgrade my version of Vectorworks to the latest version. Greg has inspired me to improve my Vectorwork skills.

The author, Gregg Hillmar

So users of Vectorworks should get themselves a copy of this book. This book is relevant for new users and season users of this software. I look forward to his next version of this text. It might be an idea to include a disk with some sample files that match the text.

Gregg 10/10 for a great, informative book. I just wish it had more.

Useful links:  Amazon (Were you can purchase the book)

Vectorworks (Homepage)

Light Plot Deconstructed

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