BITS F110 ENGINEERING GRAPHICS

ISOMETRIC DRAWINGS

Soumyajit Roy
Assistant Professor
Mechanical Engineering Department
BITS-Pilani, Pilani Campus
Types of Projections
 Recap: Orthographic Projection

Orthographic Projection

 Represented by two or more views

 Projection planes are perpendicular to one another

 Parallel projectors

 Projectors are perpendicular to projection plane

 Exact shape and size of object (when surfaces are

parallel to the mutually perpendicular planes)
 Recap: Axonometric Projection

 Pictorial projection: Apparent 3D view

 Three faces are inclined to the plane

of projection

 Reduced size/distorted faces

 Extent of reduction depends on angles

of inclination
 Isometric
 Dimetric
 Trimetric
Recap: Axonometric Projection

120°

All 3 surfaces are 2 out of 3 surfaces All 3 surfaces are

equally inclined have equal inclined at different
to the projection inclination with the angles to the
plane projection plane projection plane
Isometric Projection vs. Isometric Drawing/View

Relation b/w true length & projected length in isometric projection

Top View Isometric

Note: These figures are not to scale and are for visualization purposes only.
Isometric Projection vs. Isometric Drawing/View
Relation b/w true length & projected length in isometric projection

The reduction in
length is
applicable to any
line parallel to the
edges of the cube

Note: These figures are not to scale and are

for visualization purposes only
Isometric Projection vs. Isometric Drawing/View

Orthographic Isometric Isometric Drawing

Projection
TV

0.82 H

H
FV
H

 Isometric projection → length is reduced (81.5% scaling)

 Objects are seldom drawn in true isometric projection
 Instead, the actual true lengths are used → isometric drawing

Hidden lines are not drawn in the isometric drawing.

Isometric Lines and Non-isometric Lines

 Lines parallel to the isometric axes (x, y, z) → isometric lines

 Lines not parallel to isometric axes → non-isometric lines
 Only isometric lines can be measured and drawn directly
 Parallel lines on object remain parallel in isometric drawing
Angle & distance in isometric sketch
Angles in an isometric sketch distort from the actual angle
found in the object.
Actual or true distance can be measured along the isometric
lines of the isometric sketch.

Example
Isometric
axes C
D

90o angle
appears as 120o. B

Correct
A
90o angle
appears as 60o. Wrong
 Isometric view if the Shape is
SHAPE
F.V./SV or T.V.
D
H
RECTANGLE D
BOX METHOD A A
D
C C
A

B C B B
B
H
TRIANGLE 3 B
ISOMETRIC 1 B 1 3
OF A A
PLANE FIGURES 3
1
2 A 2 2
4
PENTAGON H E
1 E 1
4 D 4
D
E
A D A
1 3
3 A C
C
2 3 B B
B C 2 2
Starting Point Concept

Multi-views given – How to decide orientation of isometric drawing?

TV TV

Point of intersection
of the L, H and D
axes is the starting
FV FV
point S = common
bottom corner in FV
and SV

L = Length axis; H = Height axis; D= Depth axis

Recap: Different surfaces
Inclined
surface

Principal surfaces

Skew
surface
Isometric Drawing using Block Method
Major Steps

 Draw an imaginary box that can just

fit/enclose the object

 Identify principal surfaces, inclined

surfaces and skew surfaces

 Draw isometric lines using true

lengths Principal surface: One area view and
two line views
 Draw non-isometric lines using
reference points on isometric lines Inclined surface: Two area views
(similar shapes) and one line view
 Do not show hidden lines Skew surface: Three area views
(similar shapes)
Isometric Drawing using Block Method
Major Steps

 Draw an imaginary box that can just D

fit the object
L
 Identify principal surfaces, inclined
surfaces and skew surfaces H

 Draw isometric lines using true D

L
lengths

 Draw non-isometric lines using

reference points on isometric lines
H
 Do not show hidden lines

L D
Isometric Drawing using Block Method
Search for one area view on FV &
two line views along periphery
Major Steps
TV
 Draw an imaginary box that can just
fit the object

 Identify principal surfaces, inclined

surfaces and skew surfaces FV RSV

 Draw isometric lines using true Similar shape

lengths with compatible
dimensions
absent in other
 Draw non-isometric lines using views
reference points on isometric lines

 Do not show hidden lines

Isometric Drawing using Block Method
Search for one area view on TV &
two line views along periphery
Major Steps
TV
 Draw an imaginary box that can just
fit the object
Similar shape
with compatible
 Identify principal surfaces, inclined dimensions
surfaces and skew surfaces absent in other
FV RSV
views

 Draw isometric lines using true

lengths

 Draw non-isometric lines using

reference points on isometric lines

 Do not show hidden lines

Thank You!
 Acknowledgement

We acknowledge Dr. Sayantan Chakraborty (CE), Dr. Mukund Lahoti (CE)

and Dr. Gaurav Watts (ME) for providing us with necessary materials for the
preparation of lecture slides
References
• D.M. Kulkarni, A.P. Rastogi and A. K. Sarkar., Engineering Graphics with AutoCAD, PHI Learning Private Limited, New
Delhi

• N.D. Bhatt, Engineering Drawing, Charotar Publishing House, Gujarat.

• B. Agrawal, Engineering Drawing. Tata McGraw-Hill Education.
• Asthana, S., Bansal, S., Jaggi, S. and Kumar, N., 2016. A comparative study of recent advancements in the
field of variable compression ratio engine technology.
• Suresh, A., Gaba, D., Bhambri, S. and Laha, D., 2017, December. Intelligent multi-fingered dexterous hand
using virtual reality (VR) and robot operating system (ROS). In International Conference on Robot
Intelligence Technology and Applications (pp. 459-474). Springer, Cham.