Drawing means lines, shapes, finishes, sizes and colour combined to construct objects or structures. It will be a cumbersome task when narrating an idea without drawing, if the idea is an object or structure. Engineering is heavily depending on drawings, since, technical drawing has developed a global language named Engineering Drawing, capable to express its objects and structure to everyone without the barrier of human languages. Engineering Drawings conveniently helps to explain and record an idea that can be smoothly conveyed to one person to other or sometimes to machine too.
What is Drawing?
Drawing is a kind of visual language that we can read, record and express objects, structures, events, feelings through eyes. It always depends on visual medium like paper, surfaces, electronic screens and so on. In our early days, our ancestors also understood the importance of drawings if they wanted to construct or build some structures or machines. Hence, before they started doing the actual construction or making the things, they recorded their ideas into various mediums like rock, leather, paper and the like. It helped them planning their work and prevent losing their ideas when time elapsed. In general, drawing is the visual representation of an object or an idea that can be conveyed to another person through a medium. It can be drawn by using free hand or using drafting tools or using computer program.
Classification of Drawings
- Artistic Drawing - Drawings created for events and feelings categorized under art form that will be done by specially talented people by using their imagination and hand skill called Drawing Artists. It sketched or painted in freehand and may not use proper scaling or object dimensions (eg.: wall painting, cartoons, posters).
- Technical Drawing also popularly known as Engineering Drawings - Drawings of objects and structures are categorized under engineering that to build, manufacture, control, and transport to be learned and created by anyone who practice it. Engineering Drawing should precisely represent an object or structure or an idea in a medium with the help of letters, numbers, symbols explaining size, shape materials and characteristics (eg.: house plan, internal structure of IC engine, electronic circuits).
Importance of Technical Drawings or Engineering Drawings
As we come across, Engineering Drawing is the language of engineering and hence, the people who deals with engineering activities require to have good knowledge about engineering drawings. The importance of Technical Drawings extends not only to engineers but to all the technical staff who actively involved in the project. ie., engineers, supervisors, foremen, technicians etc. The crucial role lies with engineers whom has to develop their skills to freehand technical sketches and at the same time to draw proper scaled drawings with the help of available tools (manual drafting tools) or machines like computer (using CAD software).
What is Drafting?
The process of creation, modification, development and editing of drawing is called drafting. Drafting gives output in a medium generally a sheet of paper or on a screen. Since it is a process, it needs well developed procedure for quality output. There are mainly two types of drafting - Manual drafting and Computerized drafting - both needs skills to achieve quality output.
What is Engineering Drawing and Drafting?
As we see Drawing itself is a language, it conveys ideas and feelings to one person to another as to what other human language do. Hence Engineering Drawing conveys engineering ideas, objects and structures to other person to develop, edit, modify, construct and finishes. Engineering drawing has well developed procedures, rules, and norms that universally accepted and implemented for intended output. The procedural process for creating, developing, editing, modifying Engineering Drawing is called Engineering Drafting. It can be done by freehand or manually with the help of sophisticated hand tools or with the help of computerized software (CAD).
Phases of Engineering Drawing
How big or complex your idea, it can be drawn by making small pieces of freehand sketches. Then it can be joined, developed upto its size and complexity. Some of the main phases are:
- Freehand sketches:
- Joining and development of freehand sketches
- Dimensions, materials, technology to freehand sketches
- Scaled drawing using tools or computer
- Developing views in 2D platform
Optional:
- Conversion from 2D to 3D
- 3D Rendering, lighting and rotations
- Animation
