AERO/MAAE 2001

Aerospace/Engineering Graphical Design

Sections B and C
Lecture 5
Points, Lines, Planes, and
Descriptive Geometry

Professor Henry Saari

Department of Mechanical and
Aerospace Engineering
 Descriptive Geometry
Descriptive geometry (DG) is used to describe physical geometric elements (points, lines,
planes) of objects as they exist in the 3D physical space described by Euclidean geometry,
and Cartesian coordinates.

DG does not describe what we see.

In other words, we can only see a distorted two dimensional projection of three
dimensional space.

We cannot see things the way they really exist...but we can imagine them, and we can
draw them!

2
Descriptive Geometry

What we see

3
Descriptive Geometry

What is really there

4
Descriptive Geometry

© Johnny Hart and Creators Syndicate, Inc.

5
 The Difference
DG drawings describe the geometry of elements of objects so they can be designed.

Engineering drawings represent the objects so they can be manufactured.

Both types of drawing employ orthographic projection

To use DG, we need geometric tools provided by Gaspard Monge (1746-1818), René
Descartes (1596-1650), and Euclid (~300 BC).

6
 (12)

Orthographic Projection of a Point

Help from Gaspard Monge

Step 1 An Object in 3D Space.

Step 2 Adding the profile, horizontal and frontal
projection planes.
Step 3 Projecting the object to the profile, horizontal
and frontal planes.
Step 4 Opening the box onto the 2D paper plane.
Step 5 The standard formatting of the projection
planes.
Step 6 Choosing a general point.
Step 7 Obtaining the coordinates of that point
relative to the projection box.

7
 (4)

Cartesian Coordinates
Help from René Descartes

Put the origin of a right-handed

coordinate system in a corner of
the box.

In the horizontal (H) plane, the z-

axis looks like a point.

In the frontal (F) plane, the y-axis

looks like a point.

In the profile (P) plane, the x-axis

looks like a point.

8
 Using Cartesian Coordinates in DG
• To make life simple, always place the coordinate origin at the left-hand
end of the FH-folding line.
• Now we can specify points as Cartesian coordinates, and draw the lines
connecting the points.
• For example A(1,1,-1) and
B(3,2,-3):
– In the H-plane we have
only x and y coordinates:
A(1,1); B(3,2).
– In the F-plane, we have
only x and z coordinates:
A(1,-1); B(3,-3).
– In the P-plane, we have
only y and z coordinates:
A(1,-1); B(2,-3).

9
 Lines

A line in orthographic
projection can appear as
foreshortened (FS), True
length (TL), or as a point
(PT)

10
 Lines

A line in space.
Three views of a line are These are the standard three
projected onto the three orthographic views of a line
principal planes

11
 Principal Lines

A horizontal line is true length in the horizontal (top) view. It is parallel

to the edge view of the horizontal plane in the front and side view

12
 Principal Lines

A frontal line is true length in the front view. It is parallel to the edge view
of the frontal plane in the top and side views.

13
 Principal Lines

A profile line is true length in the profile (side) view. It is parallel to the
edge view of the profile plane in the top and front views.

14
 Principal Lines
• To determine if a line is a principal one, you must look in at least one
adjacent view.
• Example: To determine that a line is horizontal, you must look at the
front or side views in which the horizontal projection plane is an edge.
Line AB is seen parallel to the horizontal and is a horizontal line too
AB is seen parallel to AB can be seen parallel to
the horizontal the horizontal in the front
view where the horizontal is
an edge

15
 Locating a Point on a Line

Point O in the top view can be

found in the front view by
projection. The projector is
perpendicular to the HF
reference line between the
views

16
 Intersecting Lines
• Intersecting lines have a point (a set of coordinates) in common.

These lines intersect because O, the The lines cross in the top and the
point of intersection, projects as a front views, but they do not inter-
common point of intersection in all sect because there is no common
17
views point of intersection in all views
 Visibility of Lines

Determining the visibility of lines

Step 1 Project the crossing point
from the front view to the top view.
This projector strikes line CD
before it strikes line AB, indicating
that line CD is in front of line AB
and thus is visible in the front view
Step 2 Project the crossing point
from the top view to the front view.
This projector strikes line AB
before it strikes line CD, indicating
that line AB is above line CD and
thus is visible in the top view.

18
 Planes

(A) (B)

(C) (D)

A plane can be represented as (A) three points not on a straight line, (B) two
parallel lines, (C) a line and a point not on the line or its extension, and (D)
two intersecting lines.
19
 Planes

A plane in orthographic projection can appear as (A) an edge, (B) true size,
or (C) foreshortened (FS). A plane that is foreshortened in all principal views
is an oblique plane 20
 Visibility of Lines and Planes
Determining the visibility of a line and a
plane
Step 1 Project the points where line PQ
crosses the plane from the top view to
the front view. These projectors intersect
lines AB and AC of the plane first,
indicating that the plane is higher than
the line and making line PQ hidden in
the top view.
Step 2 Project the points where line PQ
crosses the plane in the front view to the
top view. These projectors encounter line
PQ first, indicating that line PQ is in
front of the plane, thus the line is visible
in the front view.
21
 Oblique Planes

An oblique plane is neither parallel nor

perpendicular to a projection plane. It is the
general-case Plane

22
 Principal Planes

A horizontal plane is true size in the

horizontal (top) view. It is parallel to the edge
view of the horizontal plane in the front and
profile views.

23
 Principal Planes

A frontal plane is true size in the front view.

It is parallel to the edge view of the frontal
plane in the top and profile views.

24
 Principal Planes

A profile plane is true size in the profile view.

It is parallel to the edge view of the profile
plane in the top and front views.

25
 Locating a Point on a Plane

Step 1 In the front view,

draw a line through point O
in any convenient direction
except vertical.
Step 2 Project the ends of
the line to the top view and
draw the line.
Step 3 Project point O to
this line.

26
 Principal Lines on Planes

Horizontal Line Frontal Line

First, draw a horizontal line in the First, draw a frontal line in the top
front view parallel to the edge view view parallel to the edge view of
of the horizontal plane. Then, project the frontal plane. Then, project it to
it to the top view, where is is true the front view, where is is true
length length 27
 Principal Lines on Planes

Profile Line General Case

First, draw a profile line in the front A general-case line is not parallel to
view parallel to the edge view of the the frontal, horizontal, or profile
profile plane. Then, project it to the planes and is not true length in any
profile view, where is is true length. principal view.
28
 Parallelism: Lines
Constructing a line parallel to a line
Step 1 Draw line CD parallel to the
top view of line AB through point O.
Step 2 Draw the front view of line CD
parallel to the front view of AB
through point O.

Parallel lines appear parallel in all

views, except when they appear as
points.
Parallelism of lines cannot be
determined without at least two
adjacent orthographic views.

29
 Parallelism: Lines and Planes

A line is parallel to a plane when it is

parallel to any line in the plane
A line may be drawn through point O
parallel to plane ABC if the line is parallel
to any line in the plane.

Step 1 Draw line PQ parallel to line AB

of the plane in the front view.
Step 2 Project P and Q to the top view
and draw the line parallel to AB in the top
view.

30
 Parallelism: Lines and Planes

Constructing a line parallel to a plane

Step 1 Draw line PQ parallel to line
AB through point O in the top view
Step 2 Draw line PQ parallel to the
same line, line AB in the front view,
which makes line PQ parallel to the
plane

31
 Parallelism: Planes
When parallel
planes appear
as edges, their
edges are
parallel.

Next
Slide:Two
planes are
parallel when
intersecting
lines in one
are parallel to
intersecting
lines in the
other. 32
 Parallelism: Planes

A plane through a point

parallel to a plane
Step 1 Draw line PQ through
point O parallel to any line in
the plane (AB in this case).
Project the line to the other
view.
Step 2 Draw a second line
RS through O parallel to an
other line (BC in this case).
Project the line to the other
view.
The two crossing lines define
a plane through O
33
 (3)

Perpendicularity: Lines
Perpendicular lines appear perpendicular in views where one line is TL.
In this view the lines must meet at 90o.
In views where neither line is TL, the angle between these projections will not be 90 o.

A line perpendicular to a principal line

Step 1 Line AB is a frontal line and is true length

in the front view, so a perpendicular from point O
makes a true 90º angle with it in the front view
Step 2 Project point P to the top view and
connect it to point O. As neither line is true
length in the top view, they do not intersect at
90º in this view.

34
 (3)

Perpendicularity: Lines
A line perpendicular to an oblique line

Step 1 Draw a horizontal line PQ through O in the

front view.
Step 2 Horizontal line PQ is true length in the top
view, so draw it perpendicular to line AB through O in
this view and project points P and Q.

35
 Perpendicularity: Lines and Planes
A line is perpendicular to a plane when it is perpendicular to two
intersecting lines on the plane.
A plane is perpendicular to another plane if it contains a line that is
perpendicular to the other plane.

36
 (6)

Perpendicularity: Lines and Planes

Step 1 Draw a frontal line on the plane through

O in the top view. This line is in true length in
the front view, so draw line OP perpendicular to
this true-length line.

Step 2 Construct a horizontal line through point

O in the front view. This line is true length in the
top view, so draw line OP perpendicular to it

37
 DG Lab 1: Coordinates and Lines
NOTE:
This is an old DG
Lab 1!!!

Points, Lines, etc

must be labeled
according to the 18 19
view they are in!

38
Questions??

39