I have been a lighting designer for over 30 years and drafting longer then that.
I started using AutoCAD about 15 years ago and have been using Vectorworks for about a year after playing with it on and off since it was still called MiniCad.
I have been teaching Technical Theatre and Stage Lighting at the College at Brockport since 1982.
I have been asked to review Gregg Hilmar’s Light Plot Deconstructed published by Nemetschek, North America the makers of Vectorworks.
After reading the introduction to this book I wanted to like it right away as Hilmar seems to have taken parts of my first lecture to my Stage Lighting class.
The book is written in a warm and friendly tone and it is also straight forward and to the point.
The book is not a how-to or step-by-step text, but more of a collection of helpful hints, and I like the format.
The book is generally easy to read and follow, but I did find myself lost at a few points, I had to check on some abbreviations and in a few cases I had to learn a bit more about Vectorworks before I could go on.
The reader of this book needs to know how to use Vectorworks a little more then just the “Basics” as suggested by the author.
A moderately advanced student or educator can easily use Hilmar’s book and should find it helpful, but I do not think I could recommend it for a new student just learning Vectorworks or Stage Lighting Design.
This book is not a how-to design textbook for Stage Lighting nor is it intended to be.
I do not mind the small size or spiral binding, but wish the printing quality was better as I find it hard to read some of the illustrations which are often too small and a bit fuzzy.
The book could also use an index.
The hints that are given are helpful and should be very useful to the reader while drawing their lighting plots with Vectorworks.
Even with the few reservations noted above, I will keep this book near my computer.
If interested you can buy the book at:
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