MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE

AND TECHNOLOGY
Faculty of Applied Sciences and Technology
Department of Civil and Building Services
Engineering

Course name: Engineering Drawing (CVE1104)

Level: Year I (CVE, MIE, PEM), Semester I

Instructor: Dr. James Mbabazi, PMP

Email: jmbabazi@[Link]

6 October 2025
 Projection
A projection is defined as an image or a drawing of an object
made on a plane.
• All drawings used in engineering are based on the principles
of projection. This is the reason engineering drawings are
capable of precisely conveying the external as well as internal
features of objects in terms of their shape and size.
• Projections can be classified on the basis of the lines of sight
and the positions of planes on which the drawing is made.
• The lines of sight are popularly called projectors and the
planes on which the drawings are made are called planes of
projection.
 Projection..
From optical physics, an object is seen when the light rays coming from
the object strike the observer’s eye. The size of the image formed in the
retina depends on the distance of the observer from the object.
-if an imaginary transparent plane is introduced such that the object is in
between the observer and the plane, the image obtained on the screen is
as shown below. This is called perspective view of the object. Here
straight lines (rays) are drawn from various points on the contour of the
object to meet the transparent plane, thus the object is said to be
projected on that plane.
 Projection..
In engineering drawing the following methods of projection are
commonly used;
1. Pictorial projection
2. Orthographic projection
 Pictorial Projection
A pictorial projection is a means of representing a three-dimensional
object so as to reveal all three directions (axes) of space in one
picture. It includes perspective, oblique and axonometric projections.
 Projection..
• A perspective projection provides a realistic view similar to that
seen or captured by a camera. The portion of the object nearer to
the observer appears larger than those at a distance.
• Axonometric projection is an approximate perspective projection.
There is no difference in the size of the nearer or the farther
portion of the object.
• An oblique projection provides the front face of an object in its
true shape and size. However the other faces of the object are
shortened and distorted.
 Projection..

Projections (a) Perspective (b) Axonometric (c) Oblique

Thus, a pictorial drawing gives an idea of shape and outside appearance
at a glance. However, this method cannot be universally adopted,
mainly because all objects except the simplest cannot be drawn easily
and rapidly. Also hidden parts and constructional details are not clearly
shown.
 Projection..
 Orthographic projection
The term orthographic is derived from the word ‘orthos’ which means
perpendicular. An observer is considered to look at the given object
from a distance such that the rays of sight (projectors) from the eyes
are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the plane of projection
as shown in the figure below.

Object (a) In front of the plane of projection (b) Behind the plane of projection
 Projection..
 Orthographic projection
Orthographic projection is a means of representing a three-dimensional
object in two dimensions. For complete description of an object, two to
six views are drawn on a set of mutually perpendicular planes. Each
view indicates the true shape and size which facilitates ease of drawing
and its interpretation.
The figure below is an example of multi-view drawing/orthographic
projection where three views are drawn to describe an object.
 Orthographic Projection
Orthographic projections are mainly obtained on two principal planes
(also known as reference planes) namely vertical plane (V.P) and
horizontal plane (H.P) as shown in the figure below

(a) Principal planes (b) Vertical, horizontal and profile planes

 Orthographic Projection..
• These principal planes are perpendicular to each other and they divide
the space into four quadrants. They are popularly called angles. Thus,
we get four angles called first, second, third and fourth angle.
• The object is considered to lie in one of these angles for drawing the
projections. Depending on the position of the object, the orthographic
projection can be classified as follows:
1. First angle projection The object lies in the first angle, i.e., above H.P. and
in front of V.P.
2. Second angle projection The object lies in the second angle, i.e., above
H.P. and behind V.P.
3. Third angle projection The object lies in the third angle, i.e., below H.P.
and behind V.P.
4. Fourth angle projection The object lies in the fourth angle, i.e., below
H.P. and in front of V.P.
 Orthographic Projection..
Terminology
1. Vertical plane; also known as front reference plane, is assumed to be
placed vertically and is denoted by V.P.
2. Horizontal plane; also known as horizontal reference plane, is
assumed to be placed horizontally and is denoted by H.P. It is
perpendicular to V.P.
3. Profile plane: A plane perpendicular to both the above planes is
known as a profile plane. The plane on the right end of the planes is
known is right profile plane while the plane on the left end is known as
left profile plane.
4. Reference plane: All the above mentioned mutually perpendicular
planes are called reference planes.
5. Principal plane: It is an alternative name of the reference plane.
 Orthographic Projection..
Terminology
6. Reference line: The line of intersection between the principal planes
is known as a reference line. It is also popularly called 𝑥𝑦 line.
7. Front view: The view of an object by observing it from the front and
drawn on the V.P. is called front view (F.V.) or elevation.
8. Top view: The view of an object by observing it from the top and
drawn on the H.P. is called top view (T.V.) or plan.
9. Side view: The view of an object by observing it from the left-hand
side or right-hand side and drawn on a profile plane is called side view
or end view.
 Orthographic Projection
The Six Principle views
The 6 principle views of an orthographic projection are shown in the
figure below. Each principle view is created by looking at the object in
the directions indicated in the figure and drawing what is seen as well
as what is hidden from view.
 Orthographic Projection..
The Glass Box method
To obtain an orthographic projection, an object is placed in an imaginary glass box
as shown in the figure below. The sides of the glass box represent the six principle
planes. Images of the object are projected onto the sides of the box to create the
six principle views. The box is then unfolded to lie flat, showing all views in a 2-D
plane.
 Orthographic Projection..
The Glass Box method

The Glass Box being unfolded

 Orthographic Projection..
Label the five remaining principle views with the appropriate view name
 Orthographic Projection..
Referring to the previous slide;
• What are the differences between the Right Side and Left Side
views?
• What are the differences between the Top and Bottom, and Front
and Rear views?
• Which view(s) have the least number of hidden or dashed lines?
 Orthographic Projection..
 First angle projection
When the object is situated in the First Quadrant, that is, in front of V.P
and above H.P, the projections obtained on these planes is called First
angle projection.
-The view obtained on the V.P. is similar to
the front face of the object and is known as
front view. It may be noted that the front
view shows only the length and height
of the object. It does not indicate the width.

Front view on V.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 First angle projection..
• If the observer looks at the object from the top such that the
projectors are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the H.P,
the view obtained on the H.P. is similar to the top face of the object
and is known as top view. It may be
noted that the top view shows only the
length and width of the object. It does not
indicate the height.

Top view on H.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 First angle projection..
• Again if the observer looks at the object from the left hand side such
that rays of the sight are parallel to each other and perpendicular to
the profile plane (P.P), the view
obtained on the P.P is similar to the side
face of the object and is known side view.
Side view shows only the width and
height of the object but not its length.

Left hand side view on P.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 First angle projection..

Final representation of front, top and side views

 Orthographic Projection..
 First angle projection..
The main features of the first angle projection can be summarised as
follows:
1. The object lies in the first angle, i.e., in front of the V.P. and above the
H.P.
2. The object lies between the observer and the plane of projection.
3. Top view is drawn below the front view.
4. Left-hand side view is drawn to the right side of the front view.
5. Right-hand side view is drawn to the left side of the front view.
 Orthographic Projection..
 Third angle projection..
• In third angle projection, the object is considered to lie in the third
angle, i.e. behind the V.P. and below the H.P. The observer who is
theoretically at infinite distance looks at the object from the front.
• The projectors are parallel to each other
and perpendicular to the V.P. The view
obtained on the V.P. is similar to the front
face of the object and is known as front
view. The front view shows only the
length and height of the object.
It does not indicate the width.

Front view on V.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 Third angle projection..
When the observer looks at the object from the top such that the rays
of sight are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the H.P,
the view obtained on the H.P is the top view and shows only the length
and width of the object but not the height.

Top view on H.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 Third angle projection..
If the observer looks at the object from the left hand side such that the
projectors are parallel to each other and perpendicular to the profile
plane (P.P), the view obtained on P.P is the side view of the object.
The side view shows only the width and
height of the object. It does not indicate
the length.

Left-hand side view on P.P

 Orthographic Projection..
 Third angle projection..

Final representation of front, top and side views

 Orthographic Projection..
 Third angle projection..
The main features of the third angle projection can be summarized as
follows:
1. The object lies in the third angle, i.e., behind the V.P. and below the
H.P.
2. The plane of projection lies between the object and the observer.
3. Top view is drawn above the front view.
4. Left-hand side view is drawn to the left side of the front view.
5. Right-hand side view is drawn to the right side of the front view.
 Orthographic Projection..
 Symbols
The front and the top views do not overlap and give the clear picture
when an object is placed in either the first angle or the third angle.
Thus, internationally, only two methods of projections are adopted for
multi-view drawings namely; the first angle projection and the third
angle projection.
The angle of projection is indicated in the title block of the drawing
sheet with the help of multi-views drawn for the frustum of a cone
shown in Figure (a). The diameters of the frustum of the cone are in the
ratio of 1:2 and the length is equal to the diameter at the bigger end.
Figures (b) and (c) show the multi-views of the cone in the first angle
projection and the third angle projection respectively.
 Orthographic Projection..
 Symbols..

• The direction for the principal view is generally indicated on a

pictorial view by an arrow. If it is not given, the view of the object
showing the important features is considered as the front view. It is
the most informative view.
 Orthographic Projection..
 General preparation for multi-view drawings
1. Observe the shape and dimensions of the given object carefully and
determine the overall dimension for each view. Select a suitable scale so as to
accommodate all the views on the drawing sheet.
2. Decide the direction of side view and fix up the relative positions of the
front, top and side views according to the method of projection used. In first
angle projection, top view must be placed below the front view, left-hand side
view must lie on the right side of the front view and right-hand side view must
lie on the left side of the front view.
3. There should be sufficient space between the views (front, top and side
views) to facilitate easy placement of dimensions and also to avoid crowding.
4. Preferably start drawing the views in which the circular parts of the object
are seen as circles or part of it. It becomes simpler to project the points of the
circle in other views.
 Orthographic Projection..
 General preparation for multi-view drawings..
5. The front and top views always lie between the same vertical projectors.
6. The front and side views always lie between the same horizontal projectors.
7. The surface parallel to the reference plane will be seen as true shape of the
surface.
8. The surface perpendicular to the reference plane will be seen as a straight
line.
9. The invisible edges of the object are represented by dotted lines.
10. All lines of symmetry and centre lines should be represented by long
dashed dotted narrow lines.
11. In case two or more lines of different types overlap or coincide, the priority
may be given according to their importance. For example, if a visible line
coincides with a hidden line, then only visible line is to be drawn ignoring the
hidden line.
 Orthographic Projection..
 General preparation for multi-view drawings..
12. Appropriate symbol indicating the type of projection should be placed in
the title block of the drawing sheet.
13. All the views should be dimensioned.
14. All views should be properly labelled.
 Orthographic Projection..
 Conversion of Pictorial View into Orthographic Views
• The majority of objects require three views to completely describe
their geometrical and dimensional features.
• The front and the top views have common length dimension; the
front and the side views have common height dimension; the top
and the side views have common width dimension.
• The views should be aligned properly so as to share the common
dimension.
• The distance between the views can vary according to the space
available on the drawing sheet and number of dimensions to be
shown.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 1: Pictorial view of an object is shown in Figure below. Using
first angle projection, draw its (a) front view from the X-direction, (b)
top view and (c) left-hand side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Construction
Assume that the object is kept on the H.P.
1. The faces in dark grey shade are parallel to the V.P. and will appear as
true shape and size in the front view. Draw the front view as shown and
project all the points perpendicular to 𝑥𝑦.
2. The faces in light grey shade are parallel to the H.P. and will appear as
true shape and size in the top view. Draw the top view and project all
the points up to 𝑥1 𝑦1 . Transfer these points on line 𝑜𝑦 with the help of
the compass taking 𝑜 as centre. Project these points vertically upwards.
3. The faces without shade are parallel to the P.P. and will appear as
true shape and size in the left-hand side view. Draw the side view on
the intersection of projectors from the front view and vertical lines
drawn in the previous step.
Orthographic Projection..

Orthographic views
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 2: Pictorial view of an object is shown in Figure below. Using
first angle projection, draw its (a) front view from the X-direction, (b)
top view and (c) left-hand side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
From the pictorial view, it can be observed that the basic feature of the object
lies in the plane parallel to V.P. Therefore, it is convenient to first draw the front
view which is the true replica of this feature. Then project all the points from
the front view and obtain the top and side views.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 3: Pictorial view of an object is shown in Figure below. Using
first angle projection, draw its (a) front view from the X-direction, (b)
top view and (c) left-hand side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
From the pictorial view, it can be observed that the basic feature of the
object lies in the plane parallel to H.P. Therefore, it is convenient to first
draw the top view which is the true replica of this feature. Now project
all the points from the top view and obtain the front and side views.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 4: Pictorial view of an object is shown in Fig. 4 (a) below. Using
first angle projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c) right-
hand side view.

Fig. 4 (a) Pictorial view

 Orthographic Projection..
The object given in Fig. 4(a) may be analysed as a combination of a
vertical plate and a horizontal plate shown in Fig. 4.1(a) and Fig. 4.2(a),
respectively. The orthographic projections of the vertical plate can be
drawn as Fig. 4.1(b) and those of the horizontal plate as Fig. 4.2(b).
The final orthographic views of the object are illustrated in Fig. 4(b)
which is a combination of Fig. 4.1(b) and Fig. 4.2(b).

Fig. 4.1(a) Vertical plate (b) orthographic views

 Orthographic Projection..

Fig. 4.2(a) Horizontal plate (b) orthographic views

Orthographic Projection..

Fig. 4(b) Final orthographic views of the object

 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 5: Pictorial view of an object is shown in Figure below. Using
first angle projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c) right-
hand side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 6: Pictorial view of an object is shown below. Using first angle
projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c) right-hand side
view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 7: Consider the Pictorial view of an object is shown below.
Using first angle projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c)
side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Object containing Inclined surfaces
Problem 8: Pictorial view of an object is shown below. Using first angle
projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c) side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 8….
It can be observed that the inclined
surface of the given object is
perpendicular to the V.P. Therefore,
its front view shall be a straight line
whereas its top and side views shall
appear as rectangles. At the first
sight, it one may get an impression
that the dimension value 𝑝 is
missing. This is obtained by drawing
a horizontal line up to 𝑎′ 𝑏 ′ in the
front view. This is further projected
to get line 𝑎𝑏 in the top view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 9: Pictorial view of an object is shown below. Using first angle
projection, draw its (a) front view, (b) top view and (c) side view.
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 10: Draw three views for each of the objects shown below
using first angle projection
 Orthographic Projection..
Problem 11: Draw three views for each of the objects shown below
using first angle projection