Technical Drawing

Designing things on paper

 Conceptual Sketches
• When you first get
an idea for
something you want
to build you may
draw it roughly,
without using
instruments or
accurate scales.
This is called a
conceptual sketch.
 Types of Drawings
All Drawings

Artistic Technical

Sketches Diagrams Drawings

(conceptual) (design & technical) (technical/engineering)

simulated
perspective

Diagram Diagram Oblique Isometric Multi view

(design plan) (technical) projection projection orthographic

Less technical More technical

• A conceptual sketch…
– Allows an idea to be
expressed quickly in graphic
form
– Is prepared free-hand (without
drawing instruments)
– Is not done to scale, but it
respects the rules of technical
drawing as much as possible,
and is made roughly
proportional to the object
represented.
Technical Drawings
• Serve as a reference
to workers, architects
or machinists.
• When you are ready
to design the details,
you make a technical
drawing, done with
more detail and more
accuracy.
 Difference:
• Sketch: made without drafting tools...
Just pencil and paper. Scale is
approximate, not accurate, but the sketch
should still look like the object.
• Drawing: made with drafting tools...
Ruler, set squares, protractor and
compass. Scale should be accurate and
the drawing carefully made.
 A technical drawing…

Presents all the information necessary for the object’s construction.

Is made with great precision,
Requires the use of rulers, compass and protractor or drafting software.
Is done to scale, and respects the proportions of the object represented.
Respects conventions in the mode of the representation.
 Basic Lines (part 1)
Visible Represents the Thick Draw the visible
object edges
(Object) Line outline
with these lines
Hidden Line Shows hidden Medium Draw hidden
edges with
details dashed
these
Construction Used during Fine Faint lines,
sometimes
Line drafting
coloured
Dimension Used to indicate Fine, Dimension &
8cm extension lines
Line a dimension with arrows
go together!
Extension Used with a Fine 8 cm

Line dimension line Near arrows

Center Shows center or Fine

(Axial) Line symmetry With dash in
middle
 Basic Lines (part 1)
Ghost Line Shows possible Fine Sometimes in
other color
movement dashed

Cutting Position of a Thick Used only if you

plan to draw a
plane line cross-section With arrows
cross section
Hatched Surface of a Fine Show where it
is solid (section
Lines cross-section
view only!!)
Long Break Shows that a Fine Used only for
large objects
line is shortened With zig-zag

Short break Object shortened Medium

or cut away With curve
(cutaway)
Attaches a comment
Leader Line Points to Fine or angle or dimension
something With bent to an object.
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Technical Drawing of Fighter Plane
(Isometric Projection, exploded view)
Technical drawings can represent things…

as simple as a spoon,

or…

Technical Drawing of a spoon

Multi-view, Orthographic projection
• as complex as a space ship

Photograph of Mercury Spacecraft

Technical Drawing of Mercury Spacecraft, Top View, Orthographic

 Technical Drawing of Mercury Spacecraft, Isometric Projection

 Projections
• Perspective projections
• Multi-view projections
• Isometric projection
• Oblique projection
 Vanishing Point

True Perspective
• Objects drawn in true perspective
look realistic.
• They have “vanishing points”
where straight lines seem to
converge Vanishing Points
• They can have one, two or three vanishing
points, depending on how much the artist
wants to work.
• But in true perspective, objects far
away will be drawn smaller than
nearby objects… not a good idea
in technical drawing!
Vanishing Points
More True Perspective Drawings
• Now that you have seen how nice
perspective drawings can be...
• FORGET ABOUT THEM!
– We hardly ever use perspective projections
when doing technical drawing.
– They are too much work, and they don’t show
all the details we may need to show.
– Also, they distort both angles and dimensions.
• Leave them for ART class...
 Isometric Projection
(a simulated perspective drawing style)

• Isometric (or simulated

perspective) drawings
look at first like
perspective drawings…
• But the lines don’t
converge. There are no
vanishing points and
distant objects are the 60˚
Represents 90˚
same size as nearby
ones.
• Right angles in isometric
projections are usually
Represents 90°
represented by 60° or
120° angles.
 More isometric drawings

Warning: Your workbook classifies isometric drawings as “perspective”

drawings, but they are not true perspective. They resemble perspective
drawings but in a true perspective drawing, distant objects are drawn smaller.
In isometric drawing, distant objects are not smaller..
 Oblique Projection
another “simulated” perspective

• Similar to isometric projection, it This side

is not!

is also a “simulated perspective” This side is

accurate
• In oblique projections, the side 90°
=60° 90°
of the object facing you is drawn
“square” and accurate (that is
with right angles at 90° and its
measurements proportional)
• The sides not facing you are
distorted
• Warning: Your workbook calls this oblique
perspective, but it is not a true perspective.
 Orthographic Projections
• Orthographic projections “flatten” one view
of the object onto a sheet of paper, while
retaining the correct proportions (angles
and dimensions)
• Maps are an example of orthographic
projection (a top view)
• The trouble with orthographic projections
is that one view usually isn’t enough.
• Maps and floor-plans are exceptions, where one
top-view is often enough.
 Orthographic Projection
(Multi-view)
• Draws an object as it
would be seen from
several different
directions
• The views are “flat”,
with all angles shown
correctly and all
measurements to
scale.
 Comparing Projections
• Perspective drawings look nicer
when used by an artist, but…
• Isometric, oblique and multi-view
drawings give more accurate
information when used in
Oblique
technical drawing.
• Isometric drawings show accurate
dimensions, but distorted angles.
• Oblique drawings give accurate
dimensions for one side only.
• Orthographic (multi-view) are the Orthographic
(multi-view)
best choice for most technical
drawing.
 Comparison of Projections
Projection Used for Tested on

Orthographic Drafting, maps, floor plans Yes

(top view)

Orthographic Technical drawings, Yes

(multi-view)
drafting, conceptual
sketches (sometimes)
True Perspective Artistic drawing, conceptual No
(one, two or three point) sketches
Isometric Conceptual sketches, Yes
(simulated perspective) technical drawings (sometimes)
Oblique Conceptual sketches No
(simulated perspective)
An Isometric Drawing
 Scale
• SCALE is the relationship between the
measurement of an object drawn on a sheet
of paper, and the measurements of the actual
object.
• Often technical drawings are made a different
size from the objects they represent.
• Scale-reduction is when the drawing is smaller
than the actual object
• Scale-increase is when the drawing is larger
than the actual object.
 Dimensioning
• When a drawing is done to scale, you should
label it with its dimensions.
• Use dimension lines to label each dimension, with
extensions where necessary
• You should label just enough edges to show all the
dimensions, but you don’t need to repeat.
• In Canada (at least for science) dimensions are
usually given in millimetres (mm). If you use different
units (cm, in, feet etc.) you need to write the unit. You
do not need to write mm if all of your dimensions are
in millimetres.
• Angles can be shown in degrees (°), diameter by Ø,
and radius by R
300 means 300mm
unless another unit is
specified
Dimensioning

A Toy Truck

How to label
an angle.

Ø means diameter
(R would be radius)

How to label small

dimensions.
Dimensioning
Dimensions can also be
shown on isometric
drawings, but you have to
be a bit more careful.
Also, you should only
show the most important
dimensions on an
isometric drawing.
 Diagrams
• Diagrams are simplified versions of a
drawing. Diagrams show how an object
works, not necessarily how it looks.
• Diagrams often use abstract symbols
rather than actual pictures to represent
things.
 A Circuit Diagram
– Doesn’t show what the circuit looks like, but
tells an electrician how its all connected.
Diagram of Energy Conversion Unit
– It doesn’t show what the unit looks like, but rather,
what it does or how it works.
 Exploded Views
• A diagram that shows an object “taken
apart” is sometimes called an exploded
view.
 Define:
• Technology Technical Drawing
• Basic Lines Geometric Lines
• Sketch Projection
• Isometric (projection) Oblique (projection)
• Orthagonal (proj.) Multiview (projection)
• General drawing Exploded drawing
• Detail drawing Scale
• Dimensioning Tolerance
• Section Cross section
• Diagrams: design, technical, and circuit
 Basic Lines to Know
• Visible(or object)
• Hidden
• Construction
• Centre
• Dimension and extension
• Cutting Plane
• Hatching
• Leader (or reference)
 Geometric Lines to know
• Horizontal (straight)
• Vertical (straight)
• Oblique
• Ellipse (and circle)
• Curve
 Methods of Drawing
• Sketching
• Drafting
• Computer Assisted Design (C.A.D.)
 Projections
• Multiview (orthagonal)
• Isometric
• Oblique
 Scale
• Dimensioning
• Calculating Scale