Master Vectorworks Spotlight to produce clear, consistent, and actionable technical drawings

A modular training program designed for entertainment professionals, event specialists, and freelancers.

You want to:

• better structure your files
• produce cleaner lighting and rigging plans
• deliver more professional technical packages
• save time on your projects
• collaborate more effectively with other stakeholders

The training offers:

• a complete 11-day program
• short modules of 1 to 2 days
• a practical, field-oriented approach
• learning focused on real professional needs

Topics covered:

• collaborative work and project administration
• fundamentals and methodology
• lighting and documentation
• rigging, truss, and hoists
• final package and project workshop
• cabling

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Why take this training?

Because a good plan is more than just a clean drawing.
It must enable you to conceptualize a project, organize it, document it, and communicate it clearly.
With Vectorworks Spotlight, you can save valuable time, streamline communication between stakeholders, and produce much more robust documents—provided you have the right method.
This training will enable you to:

• collaborate more effectively with other stakeholders on the same project. All in a format that is modular, progressive, and compatible with professional activity.
• better structure your files
• gain clarity and efficiency
• produce more professional plans
• integrate lighting, rigging, and structures more easily
• generate truly useful documentation

Training designed for real-world professional needs

When you’re a freelancer or already working, it’s rarely possible to take a full week off.
That’s why this training is offered in short modules of 1 to 2 days, which can be taken separately or as part of a complete 9-day program.
You can progress at your own pace, according to your needs:

• take a single targeted module
• strengthen a specific skill
• or build a comprehensive skill upgrade across the entire workflow

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The Program

Module 1 – Fundamentals and Methodology

2 days

Establish a solid foundation to work cleanly from the start.

Program:

• interface overview
• 2D / 3D navigation
• file organization
• classes and layers
• importing plans
• scaling
• drawing a stage or event space
• creating a clear and actionable project base

You will learn to:

• structure a clean file
• avoid organizational errors
• prepare a reliable working base for the rest of the project

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Module 2 – Lighting and Documentation

2 days

Build a readable lighting plan and generate useful documentation for production.

Program:

• inserting fixtures
• managing positions
• orientation and focus
• organizing the lighting plan
• patch and circuits
• DMX universes
• legends and labels
• reports and listings

You will learn to:

• create a coherent lighting plan
• structure technical data
• produce clear and actionable documentation

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Module 3 – Rigging, Truss, and Hoists

2 days

Integrate structures into your projects with clear, professional logic.

Program:

• truss and structures
• assembly logic
• spatial implementation
• 2D / 3D reading
• hoists / motors
• suspension points
• rigging point readability
• preparing a clear rigging plan
• associated documentation

You will learn to:

• integrate rigging into an overall project
• clearly represent structures
• produce readable rigging documentation

This module focuses on modeling, implementation, and documentation in Spotlight. It does not replace certified structural calculations or regulatory validation.

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Module 4 – Final Package and Project Workshop

2 days

Assemble all elements to produce a complete and professional technical package.

Program:

• viewports
• annotations
• sheet layouts
• PDF exports
• information hierarchy
• adapting documents according to recipient
• complete project workshop based on a real case

You will learn to:

• finalize a readable technical package
• produce professional deliverables
• organize a complete project workflow

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Master 1 – Collaborative Work and Project Administration

1 day

Learn to work collaboratively on the same plan with a true coordination logic.

Program:

• organizing collaborative work
• role distribution
• administrator or coordinator logic
• common standards
• naming conventions
• managing overall consistency
• version tracking
• preventing conflicts, duplicates, and errors

You will learn to:

• integrate a multi-stakeholder workflow
• structure a shared project
• effectively coordinate the same plan with multiple people

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Master 2 – Vectorworks & MVR (Interoperability)

1 day

Today, a project is no longer limited to a single software.
MVR enables you to connect design, lighting programming, and previsualization.
Mastering this workflow means:

• avoiding re-entry
• reducing errors
• saving time in production
• streamlining work between teams

Work faster and smarter by connecting your tools.
This module is dedicated to data exchange between Vectorworks Spotlight and other software used in production, particularly via the MVR (My Virtual Rig) format.

Program:

• understand the MVR format and its role in the workflow
• export a Vectorworks project to MVR
• import an MVR file into Vectorworks
• structure a file for clean exchange
• managing fixtures, positions, and data
• information consistency between software
• introduction to workflows with consoles (e.g., grandMA) and previsualization (e.g., Depence)
• best practices to avoid exchange errors

You will learn to:

• exchange data between software without redoing everything
• save time in project preparation
• structure a file compatible with other tools
• secure your MVR exports/imports
• improve collaboration between design, programming, and previsualization

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Master 3 – Cable Management

Day 1

A lighting project is not limited to fixtures and positions.
Cable management is an integral part of the technical preparation for a show or event.
Vectorworks’ Cable Tool allows you to integrate this dimension directly into the plan and produce clear, actionable documentation for installation.
Mastering this tool means:

• organizing electrical networks in a structured manner
• clearly visualizing connections and distributions
• anticipating technical requirements
• producing useful documents for installation

Work more precisely and efficiently by integrating cable management directly into your project.
This module is dedicated to using the Cable Tool in Vectorworks Spotlight to organize, document, and optimize the electrical distribution of a project.

Program:

• understand the Cable Tool logic
• create and manage cable networks
• connect fixtures, dimmers, and distributions
• visualize cable paths in the plan
• manage cable lengths and types
• organize circuits and power supplies
• produce clear documentation for installation
• best practices to keep a file readable and actionable

You will learn to:

• structure the cabling of a project in Vectorworks
• anticipate technical requirements before installation
• produce useful documents for the technical team
• save time in preparation and installation
• integrate electrical distribution into your design workflow

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Who is this for?

This training is for those who want to make Vectorworks Spotlight a true production tool:

• entertainment and event technicians
• stage managers
• lighting technicians
• stage technicians
• technical draftspersons
• lighting designers
• freelancers
• professionals seeking to structure their working method

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What you will gain

Beyond the tools, this training provides you with a method.

At the end of the program, you will be able to:

• build a clean and coherent file
• draw faster and with greater clarity
• produce more professional plans
• integrate lighting, rigging, and implementation into a unified logic
• generate documents that are truly useful in the field
• collaborate more effectively with other project stakeholders

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A practical, field-oriented approach

The training is based on:

• live demonstrations
• guided exercises
• practical cases inspired by entertainment and events
• discussions about real working methods
• a final workshop to apply all acquired skills

The objective is simple: leave with skills directly applicable to your projects.

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Take the training at your own pace

You can choose:

The complete program:

9 days to master the entire Spotlight workflow, from implementation to final collaborative package.

Modules à la carte

To target a specific skill or build your progression step by step.

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