Quadrants in descriptive geometry Modern orthographic projection is derived from
Gaspard Monge's
descriptive geometry. Monge defined a reference system of two viewing planes: horizontal
H ("ground") and vertical
V ("backdrop"). These two planes intersect to partition 3D space into four
quadrants, which he labeled: •
I: above
H, in front of
V •
II: above
H, behind
V •
III: below
H, behind
V •
IV: below
H, in front of
V These labels are the same as used in 2D planar geometry (), as seen from infinitely far to the "left", taking
H and
V to be the
X and
Y axes, respectively. The 3D object of interest is then placed into either quadrant
I or
III (equivalently, the position of the intersection line between the two planes is shifted), obtaining
first- and
third-angle projections, respectively. Quadrants
II and
IV are also mathematically valid, but their use would result in one view "true" and the other view "flipped" by 180° through its vertical centerline, which is too confusing for technical drawings. (In cases where such a view is useful, e.g. a ceiling viewed from above, a reflected view is used, which is a mirror image of the true orthographic view.) Monge's original formulation uses two planes only and obtains the top and front views only. The addition of a third plane to show a
side view (either left or right) is a modern extension. The terminology of
quadrant is a mild anachronism, as a modern orthographic projection with three views corresponds more precisely to an octant of 3D space.
First-angle projection In
first-angle projection, the object is conceptually located in quadrant
I, i.e. it
floats above and before the viewing planes, the planes are
opaque, and each view is
pushed through the object onto the plane furthest from it. (Mnemonic: an "actor on a stage".) Extending to the 6-sided box, each view of the object is projected in the direction (sense) of sight of the object, onto the (opaque) interior walls of the box; that is, each view of the object is drawn on the opposite side of the box. A two-dimensional representation of the object is then created by "unfolding" the box, to view all of the
interior walls. This produces two
plans and four
elevations. A simpler way to visualize this is to place the object on top of an upside-down bowl. Sliding the object down the right edge of the bowl reveals the right side view. File:Object in box upload.svg|An image of an object in a box File:First angle projecting.svg|The same image, with views of the object projected in the direction of sight onto walls using first-angle projection File:First angle unfolding.svg|Similar image showing the box unfolding from around the object File:First angle unfolded.svg|Image showing orthographic views located relative to each other in accordance with first-angle projection
Third-angle projection In
third-angle projection, the object is conceptually located in quadrant III, i.e. it is positioned below and behind the viewing planes, the planes are transparent, and each view is
pulled onto the plane closest to it. Using the six-sided viewing box, each view of the object is projected opposite to the direction (sense) of sight, onto the (transparent) exterior walls of the box; that is, each view of the object is drawn on the corresponding side of the box. The box is then unfolded to view all of its exterior walls. Below is the construction of third-angle projections of the same object as above. The individual views are the same, just arranged differently. File:Object in box upload.svg File:Third angle projecting.svg File:Third angle unfolding.svg File:Third angle unfolded.svg
Additional information First-angle projection is as if the object were sitting on the paper and, from the
face (front) view, it is rolled to the right to show the left side or rolled up to show its bottom. It is standard throughout Europe and Asia (excluding Japan). First-angle projection was widely used in the UK, but during World War II, British drawings sent to be manufactured in the USA, such as of the
Rolls-Royce Merlin, had to be drawn in third-angle projection before they could be produced, e.g., as the
Packard V-1650 Merlin. This meant that some British companies completely adopted third angle projection. BS 308 (Part 1) Engineering Drawing Practice, gave the option of using both projections, but generally, every illustration (other than the ones explaining the difference between first and third-angle) was done in first-angle. After the withdrawal of BS 308 in 1999, BS 8888 offered the same choice since it referred directly to ISO 5456-2, Technical drawings – Projection methods – Part 2: Orthographic representations. Third-angle is as if the object were a box to be unfolded. If we unfold the box so that the front view is in the center of the two arms, then the top view is above it, the bottom view is below it, the left view is to the left, and the right view is to the right. It is standard in the USA (
ASME Y14.3-2003 specifies it as the default projection system), Japan (
JIS B 0001:2010 specifies it as the default projection system), Canada, and Australia (
AS1100.101 specifies it as the preferred projection system). Both first-angle and third-angle projections result in the same 6 views; the difference between them is the arrangement of these views around the box.
Symbol A great deal of confusion has ensued in drafting rooms and engineering departments when drawings are transferred from one convention to another. On
engineering drawings, the projection is denoted by an international symbol representing a truncated
cone in either first-angle or third-angle projection, as shown by the diagram on the right. The 3D interpretation is a solid truncated cone, with the small end pointing toward the viewer. The front view is, therefore, two concentric circles. The fact that the inner circle is drawn with a solid line instead of dashed identifies this view as the front view, not the rear view. The side view is an
isosceles trapezoid. • In
first-angle projection, the front view is pushed back to the rear wall, and the right side view is pushed to the left wall, so the first-angle symbol shows the trapezoid with its shortest side away from the circles. • In
third-angle projection, the front view is pulled forward to the front wall, and the right side view is pulled to the right wall, so the third-angle symbol shows the trapezoid with its shortest side towards the circles. ==Multiviews without rotation==