ISOMETRIC DRAWING

Chapter 5

I II III
Projections

• Two basic types

– Orthographic/multiview
– 3D Pictorials
• Perspective projection [Converging Projection Technique]
• Parallel projection [Parallel Projection Technique ]
– Oblique
– Axonometric
» Trimetric
» Dimetric
» Isometric

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 Perspective projections
z Projectors converge at center of
projection
z Notice how the lines converge
together as the distance increases

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 Parallel projections
Oblique
– Surfaces which are parallel to the front
face are undistorted
• Draw the front face first
– Lines which are perpendicular to the
front face are drawn at an angle of 15,
30, 45 and 60°
– The top and side view are then
projected back from the front view

– Cavalier Oblique
• Depth is drawn full size
• Object looks distorted (depth is exaggerated)
– Cabinet Oblique
• Depth is drawn to 1/2 of full size
• Depth appears more accurate (2/3 is best)
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 Parallel projections
Axonometric

Rotate

Tilt

The Greek word “axon” means axis and

“metric projection” means projection to a
scaled measure. Axonometric projection is Axonometric
a parallel projection technique used to
create pictorial drawings of objects by drawing
rotating the object on an axis relative to a
projection plane to display all three
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dimensions in only one view.
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Types

Axonometric drawings are classified by the angles

between the lines comprising the axonometric
axes.
• Trimetric
– No equal angles
Axonometric axes

• Dimetric
– Two equal angles

• Isometric
– Three equal angles (120°)

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 Isometric Views
• An isometric view of an object is created by rotating it 45
degrees about a vertical axis, then tilted forward until the
body diagonal of the cube (A-B) appears as a point in the
front view.
• The angle the cube is tilted forward is 35 degrees 16
minutes.

45° 45°

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Isometric Views
• Isometric means equal measure.
• The three corners meet to form equal angles of 120 degrees
and is called the isometric axis.
• Any line that is parallel to one of the legs of the isometric
axis is called an isometric line.
• The planes of the faces of the cube and all planes parallel to
them are called isometric planes.

60° 60°
30° 30°

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Isometric drawings

The forward tilt of the cube

causes the edges and planes
of the cube to become
foreshortened as it is
projected onto the picture
plane. Thus the projected
lengths are approximately
80% of the true lengths.

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Isometric drawings

• If the drawing is drawn at full scale it is called an isometric

drawing.
• Isometric drawings are almost always preferred over
isometric projection for engineering drawings, because they
are easier to produce.

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Isometric standards

• Generally, DO NOT use hidden lines or

centre lines on Isometrics
– Hidden lines may be shown to define a feature
that would be unclear otherwise
• Usually orientation should be chosen so that
hidden lines are not needed
• Holes are assumed to go completely through
– unless depth is indicated with a note or with
hidden lines

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Isometric Axis Convention

Height

Width
Depth

Front view Height

Depth
Width
i e w
t v
ro n
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F 15
Isometric representation of circles

Circles that lie on any face of an isometric cube

will appear as ellipses.

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Basic steps used to create an
isometric sketch of an object

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 Boxing-in the Object Begin with
Front Face

Front Face

Height

Width

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Boxing-in the Object: Add Side Face

Side Face

Height

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Depth
Isometric Drawing 20
Blocking in the Object: Add Top Face

Top Face

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Adding Detail Cut Outs – Part 1

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Adding Detail Cut Outs – Part 2

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Adding Detail Cut Outs – Part 3

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 Darken Final Lines - Part 4

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Surface Type A:
Principal Surface

Miter Line
1 2

• True size in one

view
4 3
4,1 3,2
A • Edge (line) in
3,4 2,1
other 2 views
• Plane Æ Line

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Surface Type B: Inclined Surface

1 2 • Characteristic
shape in 2 views
but not true size in
either
4 3 • Edge (line) in 3rd
4,1
B 4 1 view
• Lengths of sides
3,2 3 2 can be determined
from appropriate
views
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Surface Type C: Oblique Surface

• Characteristic shape in all

3 views but true size in
2 none
Q: In which views
could you get the
1 3 true length of edges
1 2 C 1 2 of this oblique
surface?

3 3
1 to 2
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3 to 2
 Creating an
isometric
drawing using
the boxing-in
method.

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 Constructing non-
isometric lines by
locating points in
isometric

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• Tomorrow’s (04.02.09) tutorial class will be on
isometric drawing

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