PRODUCT DESIGN: Perspective projection

Perspective projection is as shown in Figure 2.2. Perspective projection is reality in that everything we see in the world is in perspective such that the objects always have vanishing points. Perspective projection is thus the true view of any object. Hence, we use expressions like 'putting something in perspective' Projectors radiate from a station point (i.e. the eye) past the object and onto the 2D picture plane. The station point is the viewing point. Although there is only one station point, there are three vanishing points. A good example of a vanishing point is railway lines that appear to meet in the distance. One knows in reality that they never really meet, it is just the perspective of one's viewing point.Although there are three vanishing points, perspective drawings can be simplified such that only two or indeed one vanishing point is used. The drawing in Figure 2.2 shows only two vanishing points. Had the block shown been very tall, there would have been a need to have three vanishing points.

Although perspective projection represents reality, it produces complications with respect to the construction of a drawing in that nothing is square and care needs to be taken when constructing such drawings to ensure they are correct. There are numerous books that give details of the methods to be employed to construct perspective drawings. However, for conventional engineering drawing, drawing in perspective is an unnecessary complication and is usually ignored. Thus, perspective projection is very rarely used to draw

engineering objects. The problem in perspective projection is due to the single station point that produces radiating projectors. Life is made much simpler when the station point is an infinite distance from the object so that the projectors are parallel. This is a situation for all the axonometric and orthographic projection methods

considered below.

Engineering Drawing for Manufacture

by Brian Griffiths

· ISBN:185718033X

· Pub. Date: February 2003

· Publisher: Elsevier Science & Technology Books