Course Syllabus
3D Modeling and Rendering
THA 211: Vectorworks for theatrical design, centered on modeling, visualization, and production-ready drafting workflow.
Teaching students how to model, render, and document with clarity.
This course moves beyond introductory drafting into a full 3D scenic design workflow. Students build digital environments, learn how to visualize them, and understand how those models become real production documents.
The emphasis is not just software knowledge, but professional organization: geometry, layers, classes, rendering logic, and the transition from design model to clear drafting output.
This course serves as an advanced introduction to CAD and 3D visualization for theatrical design. Students learn to work in Vectorworks through modeling, rendering, hybrid object construction, and drafting generated directly from 3D geometry.
The course is organized around workflow rather than isolated software tricks. Students move from interface fluency to architectural tools, theatrical modeling, lighting and texturing, and finally into a clear set of professional drawing deliverables.
Course Objectives
Build complex scenic environments through a 3D-first workflow in Vectorworks.
Visualize design concepts with rendering and real-time presentation tools.
Generate plans, sections, elevations, and documentation from modeled geometry.
Organize files, layers, classes, and viewports for collaborative production use.
Required Tools
Vectorworks 2024 educational license
Twinmotion for real-time rendering
3-button mouse for efficient modeling workflow
Evaluation and project structure.
Students move from skill drills and small assignments into a larger scenic design sequence that culminates in a modeled project, rendered imagery, and a drafting package derived from that work.
Weekly Skill Quizzes
120
Ten technical quizzes covering tools, palettes, and standards.
Assignments 1-3
150
Initial setup, 3D primitives, and rendering basics.
Project 1: 3D Object
100
Prop and object modeling through solids workflow.
Project 2: Sitcom Set
200
Midterm interior set using architectural and hybrid objects.
Project 3: Conceptual Research
100
Research and concept development for Wait Until Dark.
Project 4: Scenic Model
100
Full digital model of the set.
Project 5: Visualization
100
Rendered images with lighting, texturing, and atmosphere.
Project 6: Drafting Package
350
Final ground plan, section, and elevations pulled from the 3D model.
Total
1120
Semester total
Weekly modules.
The Vectorworks Environment
Week 1: Interface, workspaces, and drafting standards
Week 2: 3D tools including extrude, sweep, and loft
Week 3: Complex modeling and solids workflow
Architectural Modeling
Week 4: Hybrid objects including walls, doors, and windows
Week 5: Resource Manager and symbol creation
Week 6: "My Life" sitcom set with emphasis on clean geometry and file organization
Theatrical Application
Week 7: Script analysis and research for Wait Until Dark
Week 8: Twinmotion integration and export workflow
Week 9: Building the digital model with stairs, masking, and scenic elements
Rendering and Documentation
Week 12: Advanced texturing and lighting in Renderworks
Week 13: Generating viewports and cutting sections from the model
Week 14: Dimensioning and annotation standards
Week 15: Compiling the final drafting package for print and PDF delivery
Related Tutorials
Tutorial videos used alongside this class.
These walkthroughs support the same modeling, rendering, and documentation habits students practice in THA 211, making it easier to review workflows outside class.
