In this Vectorworks tutorial, Brandon PT Davis—Scenic Designer and educator—explains how to use Classes to organize and control visibility across a design file. Classes are essential tools for managing graphic attributes like line types, fills, and textures. If you're coming from AutoCAD or SketchUp, think of Classes as similar to Layer 0 or component tags—they're foundational to effective drawing structure.

This tutorial walks you through:

• Where to find the Classes Palette (Navigation Palette or Top Toolbar)

• The default classes in most Vectorworks templates: None, Dimension, and template-specific tags like “Scenic” or “Sheet”

• The function of Use at Creation and how it affects pen, fill, and style attributes

• How to override class attributes directly in the Attributes Palette

• How to reset attributes to match class styles using "Make Attribute by Class"

• Using groups and class-based visibility to manage complexity while maintaining visual control

You’ll also learn that nested classes use a naming convention with hyphens (e.g., Scenic-Walls) to create a hierarchy for filtering and organization.

Key Hotkeys:

• Cmd/Ctrl + G: Group selected objects

• Cmd/Ctrl + [click class dropdown] in Object Info Palette: Change object class

• Use the down arrow in Attributes Palette to reset to class defaults

Whether you're new to Vectorworks or transitioning from other platforms, understanding Classes is vital for a clean, scalable workflow—especially in scenic and production design where control over visibility and style is essential.