A short illustrated video with captions, without audio. Follow the detailed instructions below when you’re ready.
Lesson 1 of 6
Start with your garden
Your garden outline tells IrriForge where to water. Draw it on the grid or trace a plan of your property.
In step 1, choose Garden and click each corner. Double-click or press Enter to finish the outline.
Have a site image? Open Project → Background, upload it, then calibrate using a distance you know.
Mark planting beds and trees separately from the lawn.
Good to know: Check scale before placing equipment. A wrong scale changes pipe lengths and sprinkler reach.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
Lesson 2 of 6
Keep the house and paths dry
Show the planner which parts of your property should stay outside the watering area.
Open step 2, House & paths, and choose the type of obstacle.
Click around the house, path or pond. Double-click or press Enter to finish each shape.
Use a no-spray area for anything else you want to keep dry.
Good to know: Add obstacles before running Auto-design so the proposed layout can account for them.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
Lesson 3 of 6
Tell us where the water starts
The water source and its available flow and pressure help determine how your irrigation can be divided into zones.
In step 3, choose Tap and click its position on the plan.
Select the water source to enter your measured flow and pressure. Check the units beside each field.
Place valve boxes and a controller where you intend to install them.
Good to know: Use measurements from your own water supply. Default values are only a starting point.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
Lesson 4 of 6
Give every corner a drink
Place sprinklers yourself or use Auto-design to propose a layout that you can review and adjust.
In step 4, choose a sprinkler model. Click to place it, click to aim the arc, then click to set its reach.
For automatic placement, open Auto-design after drawing the garden and setting the water source.
Turn on coverage and dry-spot views to inspect the result. Select a head to adjust its arc and reach.
Good to know: Coverage is a useful preview. Check the design review as well before treating the layout as ready.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
Lesson 5 of 6
Connect the system
Pipes join the water source, valve boxes and sprinklers into a connected irrigation system.
Open step 5, Pipes. Draw the supply pipe from the tap to a valve box.
Continue from the valve box to the sprinklers. Click the snap rings to make connections.
Check zone assignments, flow and pressure in the statistics and design review.
Good to know: A pipe that looks close to a sprinkler may still be disconnected. Use the snap ring and check the review.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
Lesson 6 of 6
Review, save and share
Turn your drawing into a plan you can revisit, check and share with your installer.
Open Review plan and work through the warnings, including disconnected pipes and pressure issues.
Use Project → Export design (JSON) to keep an editable backup. Sign in to use cloud projects.
Open Report to see PDF export options and any access requirements for your plan.
Good to know: Guest projects stay in this browser. Export a backup before clearing browser data or changing devices.
Illustration · simplified garden plan
FAQ
Something not working?
How do I finish or cancel a shape?
Double-click or press Enter to finish a garden, bed or obstacle. Escape cancels the current drawing. Use Undo (Ctrl/Cmd + Z) to reverse your last change.
Why does my imported plan have the wrong size?
A background image needs calibration. Open its settings, pick two points a known distance apart and enter the real distance. Check this before laying out sprinklers and pipes.
Why is a sprinkler shown as disconnected?
A nearby pipe is not always a connection. Draw to the sprinkler’s snap ring and check the route back through a valve box to the source. Review identifies remaining connection problems.
Where is my project saved?
As a guest, your design is stored in this browser. Keep a JSON backup using the Project menu. Signed-in cloud projects are available from Projects; check the save status before leaving.
Why can’t I export the PDF?
The Report dialog shows the access available on your plan. Check that you are signed into the account used for your purchase. If access still looks wrong, contact support with a description of the issue.
Can I design on my phone?
Use a computer or a wide-screen tablet for the drawing editor. On your phone you can read this guide and browse example projects.
Still need a hand?
Tell us what you were trying to do, what happened, and which browser you use. A screenshot of the issue helps too.