FormZ Fundamentals Course

Although the AutoDesSys YOUTUBE free tutorials by Matthew Holewinski back in the day are impressive, the FormZ Fundamental tutorial videos by Evan Troxel that I recently purchased covers most tools in a structured step by step concise format. I didn't realise the depth & extent of the tool functions & this is a great help for any new user of FormZ & certainly makes it less daunting. I think there are 160 approx. videos of around 10-gigabytes, so a lot of help & learning that will ease anyone into FormZ.

Compared to my SU software programme (with-out extensions), that I use now & then for my Architectural projects, FormZ certainly appears to have better control of any type of modeling in comparison. I'm now feeling more confident in FormZ & this is only from seeing the first 60 videos. ☺️

– CT

Form•Z Fundamentals Course Curriculum

Module 1: Getting Started

• Getting Started - Program Files and Start-up (2:12)
• The Modeling Window (2:51)
• Interface Palettes (0:31)
• Modeling Tools Overview (0:27)
• Main Toolbars (1:43)
• Tools Palette (3:00)
• Palette Dock (2:05)
• Reference Plane Tools (3:19)
• Snap Tools (3:23)
• Object Snaps (2:45)
• Navigation (4:15)
• Project Settings (2:40)
• Preferences (3:52)
• Keyboard Shortcuts (2:33)
• Understanding the Camera (7:11)
• 3-Point Perspective Views (3:21)
• 2-Point Perspective Views (1:00)
• Axonometric Views (0:33)
• Other Camera View Types (1:27)
• Tool Manager (Heads Up Display) (1:58)

Module 2 - Creating Geometry

• Creating Geometry, Object Buffer, and Show Controls (7:43) 
• Open and Closed Shapes (2:39)
• Parametric Primitives (4:19)
• Live Booleans - Cut and Fill (2:24)
• Objects Palette (2:03)
• Ending and Closing Shapes (7:20)
• Reshaping Geometry (6:11)
• Boolean Operations (5:13)
• Stitching and Unstitching Geometry (2:32)
• Extend Tool (0:57)
• Extend - Steps Example (0:43) 
• Extend - To Face (3:18)

Module 3 - Linework & Derivations

• Line Editing Tools (2:32)
• Extending Lines (1:09)
• Trimming Lines (3:31)
• Breaking Lines (0:23)
• Inserting and Removing Points (1:24)
• Editing Splines & Arcs (0:43) 
• Derive Palette (1:14)
• Deriving & Operands (Ghost, Keep, Delete) (12:31)
• Sweep Tool (9:52)
• Modifying Display Resolution Per Object (2:04)
• Rounding Tools and Sub-element Selection (2:09)
• Controlled (Parametric) Rounding (1:45)
• Revolve Tool (10:21)
• Model Text (5:19)
• Place Text Along Paths (1:04)

Module 4 - Selecting & Transforming Geometry

• Pre-pick and Post-pick (3:08)
• Area Pick (2:01)
• Sub-element Selections (1:33)
• Transforms with Object Snaps (2:03)
• Transform - Move (0:50)
• Snap to Original (1:02)
• Constraining Movement (2:27)
• Transform - Rotate (0:32)
• Rotate - Multi Copy (2:39)
• Rotating Vertically (1:13)
• Independent and Uniform Scale (1:18)
• Mirroring Geometry (2:16)
• Transform Tool and Transform Controller (2:05)
• Adjusting Axes (1:15)
• Measure Distance and Scale (1:35)

Module 5 - Guides: Modeling a Parametric Stair & Railings

• Guides (4:12) 
• Temporary Guides and Helper Geometry (3:50)
• Creating a Railing (1:21)
• Temporary Guides (2:19)
• Removing Temporary Guides (0:52)
• Using Sub-element Selection to Fillet Lines (0:59)
• Sweeping the Handrail (1:33)
• Creating the Second Handrail (4:24)
• Adding Intermediate Rails (4:50)
• Placing the Vertical Supports (1:44)

Module 6 - Organization: Objects, Components & Layers

• Organization at the Object Level (2:22)
• Isolating Geometry (0:41)
• Hiding Objects (0:23)
• Ghosted Objects (2:16)
• Object Palette Settings (0:44)
• Creating and Editing Groups (1:34)
• Unlock Groups (1:34)
• Components (7:47)
• Organization Using Layers (1:50)
• Swapping Components (2:14)
• Layers Palette (5:44)
• LAB Layer Extension (4:56)
• Selecting By Layer or Material (3:04)

Module 7 - Geometry Edges & Shaded Attributes

• Geometry Edges and Shaded Attributes (2:18)

Module 8 - Materials

• Placing Materials (2:30) 
• Setting Materials by Layer Attributes (1:39)
• Adding Textures to Material Definitions (4:57)
• UV Textures (2:01)
• Loading Bitmap Textures (2:47)
• Materials Recap (1:56)

Module 9 - Display Modes & Lighting

• Display Modes (1:28) 
• Shaded Work Display Mode (1:42)
• Line Styles (0:58)
• Hide Ghosted (0:34)
• Showing and Hiding Textures (1:00)
• Texture Map Display Resolution (1:34)
• Display Background Options (0:39)
• Shaded Full Display Mode (2:09)
• Shadows (3:52)
• Ambient Occlusion (2:18)
• Ambient Lighting Overview (0:41)
• Sunlight and Sun Position (1:38)
• Adding Lights to the Scene (2:44)
• Lights Palette (5:23)
• Wireframe Display Mode (1:49)
• Benefits of Selecting Items in Wireframe Display Mode (3:03)
• Hiddenline Display Mode (1:30)
• Other Display Modes (1:03)
• Sketch Render Display Mode (0:59)
• Doodle Render Display Mode (2:29)
• Compositing Display Modes in Photoshop (1:34)
• Lighting, Rendering and Compositing an Interior View (5:29)
• Display Modes Recap (0:28)

Module 10 - Views & Scenes

• Views Palette (2:47)
• Scenes Palette (5:26)
• Lighting Control in Scenes (3:16)
• Layer Control in Scenes (2:12)

Module 11 - Clipping Planes

• Clipping Planes (1:59)
• Clipping Plane Visibility (0:47)
• Simultaneous Clipping Planes (1:27)
• Clipping Planes - Flip and 2d (1:26)
• Clipping Planes - Animating (0:51)
• Using Clipping Planes for Section Diagrams (0:48)
• Object Attributes for Clipping Planes (3:01)
• Clipping Planes Recap (0:48)

Module 12 - Exporting Images

• Exporting Overview (0:15)
• Exporting Images and Determining Resolution (Image Options) (5:03)
• Saving Images by Size and Resolution (Image Options) (3:12)

Module 13 - Exporting 3d Geometry

• Exporting 3d Models (1:22)
• Example - Exporting to SketchUp (1:36)
• Importing Geometry From FormZ into SketchUp (3:04)
• The 3d File Format Cheat Sheet (1:23)

Module 14 - Exporting 2d Drawings

• Exporting 2d Drawings to CAD (4:38)
• Exporting 2d Drawings to Illustrator (3:11)

Module 15 - Importing 3d Geometry

• Importing 3d Geometry from SketchUp (2:37)
• Importing Parametric 3d Geometry from Rhino (1:51)

Module 16 - Importing Bitmap Images as Underlays

• Importing Bitmaps for Underlays on Reference Planes (3:23)
• Creating Additional Reference Plane Underlays (1:10)
• Applying Materials to Planes as Underlays (3:35)
• Using the Billboard Tool for Underlays (2:37)
• Scaling Underlays (2:58)