An Introduction to a Learn-As-You-Go Online Course
Launching May 15, 2020
Hello! Let me just tell you how excited I am that you found this blog post! I decided to put this together with the hopes that you’re someone, a year from now, who’s discovered this course and has decided to purchase it OR you’ve been directed here by yours truly via an email or other form of Social Media. In other words, I’m counting on this blog being my SEO DeLorean (I had an older brother who’s favorite movies were Star Wars, Indian Jones, and Back to the Future).
Note: This Blog includes affiliate links where I will earn a small commission on sales. This in no way affects my referral and recommendations for use with this software.
So here’s the thing, I’ve built a course specifically tailored to Interior Designers using Home Designer Professional (HD Pro). This is (as noted in the title of this blog) a pre-recorded Learn As You Go Online course that will cover everything you need to be efficient in HD Pro as an Interior Designer. Keep in mind, that Home Designer is still considered a DIY software, so you don’t have the same bells and whistles available that you’ll find in the Chief Architect Interiors (with NKBA dimensioning standards built in) or Premier, but there are work arounds and a specific level of mind set that you need to move forward using this more basic option, primarily being organization and some patience. To learn a little more about the differences between the two software versions I suggest you check out the blog post I wrote, An Interior Designer's Guide to Home Designer Pro vs. Chief Architect Interiors.
Home designer Pro For Interior Designers Course Structure
A combination of easy to read graphics and prerecorded videos, the course and lessons are compiled using Teachable.com. This is strictly an at-your-own-pace learning option, rather than group training or the 1:1 sessions I’ve been providing for the past 2 years (and still available here if you’re looking for more project based assistance). The curriculum, I’m sure, will be ever evolving as more updates and questions come to light, but for now you can expect the following to be covered (lessons may be reorganized in ordering):
Section #1: First Steps First | Getting Yourself Setup for Using HD Pro
Company Folders & File Management
Desktop Folders vs. Document Folder Management
Building a Company FOLDER & FILE Template For Future Projects
Basic Folder Labeling and Formatting
.plan vs .layout HD Pro File Types
One Location (Folder) for ALL Your Material Textures
Linked File | What Does That Mean?
Section #2: Modeling in Home Designer Pro | The How To's You Need to Get Started
Top Tools and Symbols | What I Use Often and Why
Defaults| What Are They?
Dimensioning | For Interior Designers
Walls | How to Draw & Select Wall Types
Floor Levels | Bulk Editing Floor Heights, Structure, and Adding Levels
Rooms | Defining a Room & What That Means
Custom Ceilings | How to Draw Vaulted, Coffered, and Other Ceiling Types
Rooflines | Custom Modeling vs. Auto-Build
Doors | Customizing Door Styles and Sizes
Windows | Customizing Door Styles and Sizes
Materials | Building Your Own Materials (ie. tile, wallpaper, fabric, etc.)
Stairs | The 'Steps' to Get You Going
3D Library | Uploading Catalogs
Moldings | Adding & Customizing Profiles to Your Room
Cabinetry | Modeling Custom Cabinetry & Built-Ins
3D Warehouse | Importing Object Models
3D Warehouse & Custom Models | Importing to Home Designer
Wainscoting | Adding Custom Wall Details/Millwork
Assigning Materials | How to Find and Assign Materials to Your Design
Sending Your File to Someone Else | How To Package Your File(s) So Everything is Still Linked
Section #3: Rendering in Home Designer | What Are Your Options?
Rendering Styles
Composition | How to Setup Your Camera
Why Material Settings Count
Lighting | Add Natural Lighting to Your Design
Section #4: Graphic Standards | Setting Up Your Company's Presentations
Drawing Sheets | How to Format Your Title block(s) and Sheets Sizes
Dimensions | Graphically Speaking
Text | Assigning and Formatting Company Fonts
Elevations & Sections | How to 'Draw' and Send To Layout
Sending Your Plan and Views to Layout
Saving Your Layout Sheet
Printing to PDF or Printer
Save As | How to Make a 'Template' File
This will be a work in progress, but you can expect the content noted above to be included. I do, however, recommend a couple additional software purchases to make sure you get the full benefits out of this course. Specifically, I recommend designers investing in the LATEST version of Home Designer Professional and Adobe Creative Suite’s Photoshop (the full version, not Elements). Photoshop will be used to make custom materials and post production editing of your renderings.
For the Pre-Sale Bundle (which will no longer be available after the courses are launched) also includes a mini-course showing how to convert your Home Designer plan file for exporting and integration to the eDesign Tribe Platform. If you haven’t had a chance to see the differences in what is available between the platform and HD Pro Standard views, I’ve added a compare and contrast via a graphic I put together below (note the architecture for this rendering was modeled in Chief Architect, but includes elements available in HD Pro). To use this you will need to purchase at the very least an online subscription the Sketchup. I’m including this because I’m a strong believer in well developed presentations and I think for Interior Designers looking to tailor their graphics to sell their projects and impress both their clients and GC, then this only gives you that extra leg up!
So here’s the REAL question.
How did I do selling you this course?
If you’re ready to bite the bullet and enroll, follow the button below to get yourself set up! Oh an for those lucky enough to take advantage of the PRE-SALE savings (62% off total Value) you’ll be purchasing everything noted above, plus lifetime access to all future courses and lessons pertaining to Home Designer users, for the INSANELY low price of $350! Thats for the BUNDLE!
