Projection Views

Content
Coordinate systems
Orthographic projection
(Engineering Drawings)

Graphical Coordinator Systems

A coordinate system is needed to input, store and
display model geometry and graphics.
Four different types of coordinate systems are used
in a CAD system at different stages of geometric
modeling and for different tasks.

Model (or World, Database) Coordinator System

The reference
Th
f
space off the
th model
d l with
ith respectt to
t which
hi h all
ll
of the geometrical data is stored.

It is a Cartesian system which forms the default coordinate

system used by a software system.
z
Y

y
X

Viewing Coordinate System

View Plane
Yv

Textbook setup - for

P
Parallel
ll l Projection,
P j ti
the viewer is at
infinity.

View Window
Xv
Zv
Viewing Direction
Viewer

AutoCAD
A
t CAD D
Default
f lt
Setup

Y
X
Viewer

Viewing Coordinate System (VCS)

A 3-D Cartesian coordinate system (right hand of left hand) in
which a projection of the modeled object is formed. VSC will be
discussed in detail under Perspective or Parallel Projections.

Viewing Coor. System

Model Coor Sys

Viewer

Viewer

Parallel Projection
Preserve actual dimensions and shapes of objects
Preserve parallelism
Angles preserved only on faces parallel to the
projection
p
j
plane
p
Orthographic projection is one type of parallel
projection

Perspective Projection
Doesnt preserve parallelism
Doesn t preserve actual dimensions and angles
Doesnt
of objects, therefore shapes deformed
Popular
p
in art ((classic p
painting);
g); architectural
design and civil engineering.
Not commonly used in mechanical engineering

Geometric Transformations for Generating

Projection View
Set Up the Viewing Coordinate System (VCS)
i) Define the view reference point P = (P x , Py , Pz )

v
ii) Define the line of the sight vector n

v
n = N x , Ny , Nz

and

iii) Define the "up" direction

v
V = Vx , Vy , Vz

v
n,

(normalized)

N x 2 + N y 2 + Nz 2 = 1

v v
V n = 0

This also defines an orthogonal vector, u = V n

v

r
v
u
,
V
,
n) forms the viewing coordinates
(
Define the View Window in

u v n

coordinates

Generatingg Parallel Projection

j
Problem: for a given computer model, we know its x-y-z
coordinates in MCS; and we need to find its u-v-n
coordinates in VCS and Xs-Y
Ys in WCS.
WCS
Getting the u-v-n coordinates of the objects by transforming the objects
and u-v-n coordinate system together to fully align u-v-n with x-y-z axes,
then drop the n (the depth) component to get Xs and Ys

Viewing Coor. System

Model Coor Sys

- Translate Ov to O.
- Align the n axis with the Z axis.
- Fully aligning u-v-n with x-y-z

Generating Parallel Projection (1)

First transform coordinates of objects into the u-v-n coordinates (VCS),
then drop the n component. (n is the depth)
i.e. Overlapping u - v n with x

-y-z

i)) Translate Ov to O.

ii) Align the

v
n axis with the Z axis.

The procedure is identical to the

transformations used to prepare for
the rotation about an axis.

A = Nx ,

B = N y,

C = Nz
2

L = N x + Ny + Nz
V = N y + Nz

0
[D ] =
0

0 vx

0 vyy

0 vz

Generating Parallel Projection (2)

Rotating about X: [R]x; and Rotating
1

2 about Y: [R]y

Fully aligning u-v-n with x-y-z

Then, rotate 3 about the Z axis to align with X and v with Y

Generating Parallel Projection (3)

Rotate 3 about the Z axis to align with X and v with Y
At this point, V is given by (Vx , Vy , 0 ) where
T

Vx

Vy
= Ry
0

1

[ ]

V x

V y
[R x ] [Dov ,o]
Vz

1

We need to rotate by an angle 3 about the Z axis

L = Vx2 + Vy2 ,

V r L

Vx L
[R z ]=
0

sin3 =

V x L
Vy L
0
0

Vx
,
L

0 0

0 0

1 0

0 1

cos 3 =

Vy
L

Result:

Generating Parallel Projection (4)

Drop the n coordinate

1
0
[Dn ]= 0
0

0 0 0
1 0 0
,
0 0 0
0 0 1

u
u
V
V
= [Dn ]
00
n


1
1

In summary,
summary to project a view of an object on the UV plane
plane, one needs to
transform each point on the object by:

[T ] = [ Dn ][ Rz ][ Ry ][ Rx ][ Dov ,o ]
u
V
P = = [T ]P = [T]
0

1

x
y

z

1

Note: The inverse transforms are not needed! We don't want to

go back to x - y - z coordinates.

O th
Orthographic
hi P
Projection
j ti
Y
Top
Front

Right
X

Projection planes (Viewing planes) are

perpendicular to the principal axes of the
MCS of the model
The projection direction (viewing direction)
coincides with one of the MCS axes

Y
Top
Front

Right
X

Geometric
Transformations for
Generating
Orthographic Projection
(Front View)

1 0 0 0
0 1 0 0
P
Pv =
0 0 0 0

0 0 0 1

Yv,Y
F
Front

Xv X
Xv,

Drop Z

Geometric Transformations
for Generating
Orthographic Projection
(Top View)

Y
Top
Front

Yv
Right

Top

Xv, X
Z

0
0
1 0 0 0 1
0 1 0 0 0 cos(90 ) ssin(90
(90 )

Pv =
0 0 0 0 0 sin ( 90 ) cos(90 )

0
0
0 0 0 1 0
Drop Z

[ R]90
x

0
1
0
0
P=
0
0

1
0

0 0 0
0 1 0
P
0 0 0

0 0 1

Y
Top
Front

Yv, Y

Geometric Transformations
for Generating
O
th
hi P
j ti
Orthographic
Projection
(Right View)

Right
Right

X
Z

Xv

sin( 90)

1 0
0 0
P
0 0

0 1

1 0 0 0 cos( 90)
0 1 0 0
0

Pv =
0 0 0 0 sin ( 90 )

0
0 0 0 1
Drop Z

0
1
0
0

0
0 0
0 1
0
0
P=
0 0
cos( 90) 0

0
1
0 0

[ R ]y90

Rotations Needed for Generating Isometric Projection

Y

Yv
Top
Front

Y
Right

Top
Front

Right

Xv

Z
Z

0
1 0
0 cos sin
Pv = [ R]x [ R]y P =
0 sin cos

0
0 0

Zv

0 cos

0 0
0 sin

1 0

0 sin 0

1 0 0
P
0 cos 0

0 0 1

Isometric Projection: Equally foreshorten the

three main axes

= 45, = 35.26

Other Possible Rotation Paths

Rx --> Ryy

rx = 45, ry = 35.26
Rz --> Ry(Rx)

rz = 45, ry ( x ) = 54.74
Rx(Ry) --> Rz

ry ( x ) = 45, rz = ANY ANGLE