Drawing and Visual Communication
Development drawing
A development is a type of drawing that shows how a 2D shape can be folded up to make a 3D shape.
Rendering
Rendering is a. collection of techniques for shading, colouring, adding shadows, and drawing patterns on surfaces to make them look more realistic and three-dimensional, such as in the sketch of a wheel.
Dimensioning
Dimensioning is the correct way to indicate size measurements on drawings. Each measurement should be shown using an arrow, and the value and units should be written beside the arrow.
CAD
CAD (computer-aided design) software is used to aid in the design and modification of a product. It can produce very detailed and high-quality 2D and 3D drawings, with rendering and dimensions.
Electrical diagrams
Electrical diagrams show how electronic components are connected.
The two main types are:
circuit diagrams (or schematics)
wiring diagrams.
Circuit diagrams use symbols to show how electronic components are connected in an electrical circuit. Wiring diagrams show how the physical components of a circuit are wired together.
communication
Logos or emblems are symbols that represent an organization. Logos generally represent a company or product and serve a commercial purpose, whereas, emblems usually relate to a non-commercial organization or idea, i.e. Olympic Games. Companies use logos to create an instantly recognizable brand.
Other types of visual communication
Icons are symbols used on computer screens to represent a certain function. The advantage of icons is that they take up little space and are internationally recognized.
Reports and presentations
Most forms of technical communication are compiled into reports or multimedia presentations. Reports usually contain lots of drawings, graphs, and photos as well as text.
Multimedia presentations are designed to be projected on large screens and often have video and audio playback as well as graphs and photos, and small amounts of large-sized text so that they can be viewed from a distance.
Graphs and charts
Graphs are a highly effective way of summarising data in a visual way. Most people find graphs much easier to understand than numbers on their own. There are several different types, such as line graphs, bar charts, and pie charts.
Exploded drawings
Exploded views are also called assembly drawings. This type of pictorial drawing shows you how to assemble items. It shows objects a distance apart so that you can see how they are designed to fit together.
Orthographic drawings
Orthographic drawing is a technique for representing 3D objects by making two or more 2D
drawings of the object, with each taken from a different angle/viewpoint. Orthographic drawings usually consist of one or more side views, called elevations, and/or a top view, called a plan.
Elevation
An elevation is a 2D drawing of an object, drawn as if you were looking at it from one side. You may need two elevation drawings to provide enough information, e.g. one from the front and one from the side (at 90˚ to each other).