Activity 2.1: 3-View Drawings

Activity Description

Students will explore how to handle drawings that involve two adjacent objects. To help show these objects accurately, engineers use the convention of a 3-view sketch. This allows multiple drawing of 2 dimensions to show the complete drawing.

Getting Started

Introduction:

E.Q.: How can we represent 3D objects in 2D?

Preparation Needed for the Activity:

1” wooden cubes (each student should have 2-3)
Short metal rulers
Pencils
Graph Paper

Three squares individually labeled top, front, and right.

Figure 1

A cube with with labeled components including top, front, and right.

Figure 2

Part 1 - Introducing 3-view Sketching: 10-15 min

Review: Face, Edge, Vertex
Review: Isometric drawings and Perspective Drawings
Discuss:

a. Do either of these methods give complete information about the cube?

b. The answer is no. You cannot tell what is going on behind the 3 faces that are visible in the sketches. What if someone had taken a bite out of the back of the cube? Would you realize it?

Intro: 3-View Sketching, 1 cube

a. Draw three 2-D planes of the cube. The positioning of the drawings in this method is consistent with a drafting class. The faces are all drawn to scale in this view. This is an important property of 3-view drawings.

b. Note the ‘L’ shape of the 3 faces. The shared edges for each face are appropriately located between the two faces. In drafting, the positioning of the faces is crucial. It is less critical in this class, but it is important that the ‘guidelines’ distinguishing the edges of cubes remain constant between the views, as shown here.

c. This method of sketching *CAN* be used to give a complete profile of the 3D cube. More details of how this is accomplished will be clear as the lesson continues.

*Refer to Figure 1 & 2

Part 2 - Drawing 2 cubes: 20-25 min

Use the large classroom cubes and put two cubes side by side. Students should also be given their own smaller cubes from which to draw as well as rulers. It may be helpful to have them label the faces of their cubes (top, bottom, left, right, front back) so you know how they have them oriented and to keep them consistent. Have the students draw the isometric view of the two cubes together.

Isometric Drawing Solution: (Figure 3)

Note: Solution could vary based on orientation.

Now, have the students draw the 3-view drawing of the 2 cube configuration.

3-View Drawing Solution: (Figure 4)

Note: Solution may vary based on orientation.

Two cubes stacked next to each other with labeled components including top, front, and right.

Figure 3

Two squares side by side labeled top. Another two squares side by side labeled front. One square labeled right.

Figure 4

Two squares, one stacked on top of the other, labeled right. Another two squares, one stacked on top of the other, labeled front. One square labeled top.

3-view

Two cubes stacked one on top of another with labeled components including top, front, and right.

Isometric - 2 stacked

Part 3 - OPTIONAL - Drawing 3 cubes: 20 min

Same as the images in Part 2 but with 3 cubes (image 3-view).

Another alternative for advanced students, stick with 2 cubes but change the orientation (different front, top, right). If you stacked the two cubes the following would be the solutions (image isometric-2 stacked).

Part 4 -Discussion and Reflection: 5-10 min

Use this closing to answer any questions the students may have or to share additional sketches that the students worked on beyond the class wide sketches.

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