Contents
3D Landscape QuickStart

After you try these nine easy steps you'll know the basics and be ready to start your own design. Leave QuickStart open as you work. We also recommend that you take the Five-Minute Tour in the How-To Guide to see an animated introduction.

 Click here if you don't want to see QuickStart the next time you open 3D Landscape.


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Step 1: How Big is Your Landscape?

Start with an empty file by selecting "New" from the File menu.

 From the Options menu, click on "Landscape Size". Select the length and width for your landscape by clicking the arrows in each field or typing in an exact measurement.


Creating a House
Step 2: Building a House

Click on the House tab of the Spiral Binder. Click on any house. Move the cursor to your canvas and click again. The house is now a part of your landscape.

To change your house's size, point your cursor at one side. When the cursor turns into a hand and the word "Pull" appears, drag the mouse in or out to adjust the size of your house. To change your house's shape, point at any of circular handles and drag to stretch and split the sides.


Creating a Lawn
Step 3: Planting a Lawn

First locate the lawn icon under the "Plants" tab. Next, click the lawn and move the cursor to your canvas. Drag the mouse to stretch out a rectangular lawn.

To change the lawn's size, point your cursor at one side. When the cursor turns into a hand and the word "Pull" appears, drag the mouse in or out to adjust the size of your lawn. If your lawn is curved, drag the center "split" handles to break the lines into successively smaller pieces.


Creating New Items
Step 4: Adding Plants

 To add a plant to your design, click on the "Shrubs" tab on the Spiral Binder. Place a shrub in your design. Flip through the Spiral Binder and add trees, plants and more shrubs.

To change a plant, double-click on it to see its inspector. To choose a specific plant from 3D Landscape's Plant Selector, click on Change Plant. Enter a name or attributes for plants you seek in the Search Screen.


Step 3:  Adding More Objects
Step 5: Making Copies

To add copies of the same tree, double-click on a tree icon in the Spiral Binder. A push pin appears over its icon and the tree is now a repeating tool. Move your cursor to your design and click wherever you want to place this same type of tree. To turn off the repeating tool, click again on the icon.

To place many trees or shrubs in a straight line, choose "Hedge" from the Spiral Binder, drag out a row of plants, then use the Inspector to change the type of plants. You can also cut, copy and paste objects, as in most programs.


Re-Sizing and Modifying Objects
Step 6: How Big Is It?

You can resize almost every object in 3D Landscape. Click once on a tree. Notice the four handles that appear around it. When you point at one of these handles with your cursor, the word "Stretch" appears. Drag one of the handles diagonally away from the tree and release it. This increases the tree's size.


Moving Objects
Step 7: Where Do You Want It?

To move your house, click inside it and hold your mouse. Drag the house to a new location and release the mouse. You can also move groups of objects together by holding down the Shift key while clicking the objects you want to group.

To delete an object, select the object and either press the delete key on the keyboard or select "Delete" under the Edit menu.


Seeing Your Landscape in 3D
Step 8: Your 3D Landscape

 Move and rotate the red camera in Top View. Your 3D perspective will correspond to the camera's. Click the 3D View button in the upper left corner of your screen. How long it takes to render the scene depends on the complexity of the scene you created and on your PC's available memory and processing power.


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Step 9: 3D View Tips

To move around in 3D View, use the arrow keys on the left side or drag the mouse in the window to WalkAbout. You can increase the granularity of your ground by switching to Medium or High Quality modes. This adds more realistic detail and, therefore, takes longer to draw. Stay in Low Quality when making frequent changes.


Further Suggestions

For more instructions and helpful tips, read Tips and Tricks, take the Five Minute Tour in the How-To-Guide, or consult the main Help system.

For inspiration and advice, take a look at the "Gallery of Ideas" in the Guide to see how others have tackled landscaping problems. But most of all, experiment with 3D Landscape and have fun!


Canvas

The area in the Designer screen where you plan and design your landscape.


Handles

When you click on an item to select it, little black boxes and circles appear around its perimeter and in the center of lines. Stretch, split or expand the sides and corners of the item to change its size or shape.


Split

 Splitting means breaking lines into successively smaller pieces. The first house on the left contains no split edges. The second house has been split on the bottom edge to form an angle. Use Split to create complex shapes and curves with your house, walkways, paths, and other building structures.


Drag

Dragging means to place and size shapes using the mouse. To drag a house from the Spiral Binder, first click a house icon to select it. Next, move your mouse to the canvas, and while clicking down on the mouse, draw the outline of your house. The house will be drawn to that size.


inspector
Inspectors

Most landscape items in the Designer have corresponding Inspectors, which are used to enter and change the attributes of selected items.


Tips and Tricks

A set of useful suggestions for getting the most out of 3D Landscape. To open Tips and Tricks, select it from the Help menu.