Training

The Patchworks software comes with comprehensive documentation, including tutorials and sample datasets. You can work step-by-step through real problems with our user-friendly 'Quick Tours'. In addition to self-paced learning, Spatial Planning Systems has developed a comprehensive curriculum to deliver Patchworks software training to your organization. Courses are held periodically in our office and can also be given at your site, or can be delivered through interactive online sessions.

Please contact us for further information.

Patchworks for Planning Partners

This one day course provides a description of the capabilities and features of the Patchworks model, and an overview of the best practices for a participatory team approach to structured analysis. The course describes:
  • How Patchworks develops solutions
  • How strategic, operational and spatial concerns are represented
  • The types of analysis that are possible and how they are carried out
  • How results and the process will differ from aspatial models
  • The types of reports and outputs that are available and how they should be interpreted
  • The best practices for a structured analysis, from strategic analysis to operational refinement

This course is designed to provide planning teams with a high-level overview of the analysis workflow. The intent is to help teams understand modeling options and issues and design a process that works best for their needs. The desired outcome of the day is shared agreement and understanding on project expectations, roles, responsibilities, opportunities for participation, review and reassessment points, and the key milestones in the process.

Introduction to Patchworks

This two-day course provides attendees with hands-on experience in using Patchworks to perform analyses. The course is divided into nine sections, each covering a facet of the Patchworks software. The sections are:
  • Patchworks overview
  • Setting up an analysis
  • Understanding Patchworks controls and features
  • Setting up a PIN file
  • Dataset and model preparation overview
  • Building Patchworks road network data
  • Topology and patching
  • Structure analysis
  • Making sense of output

Each section includes a series of consecutive exercises that culminate in an exercise that mirrors a real-world management situation. This course is oriented to analysts who will be actively using the Patchworks software. It briefly describes the steps required to build a modeling dataset.

Advanced Analyst

This two-day course takes a detailed and in-depth look at the Patchworks data model, the API and the scripting language features. In order to get the most out of this course participants should have familiarity and previous experience using Patchworks. The course is divided into nine sections:
  • The Patchworks data model
  • Best practices for organizing projects
  • Understanding the ForestModel language
  • Organizing spatial input data
  • Patchworks Input (PIN) file and scripts for model definition
  • Advanced accounting
  • Patches - definition, accounts, reports and modeling
  • Transportation modeling
  • Creating reports

This course is oriented to analysts who are using Patchworks on a frequent basis and want to learn the automation shortcuts and be able to fully customize their models.