Off Axis Projection

TDT - Productivity solutions for tech illustrators.

	Case 1 is a projection that is off axis but on an isometric plane. This means that the projection would project in or out radically, along an isometric plane. To illustrate this the accompanying art shows a cylinder with ellipses drawn on the outside. To create this effect you should create a simple isometric protractor. Begin by creating another perfect circle by choosing the ellipse tool (F7) and while holding down the constrain key (Ctrl) drag across the screen to about 8 inches. Create a vertical line slightly longer than the diameter of the circle by choosing the pencil tool (F5) and while holding down the constrain key drag the line from slightly above the top of the circle to slightly below the circle.
	Marquee select both objects and using the Align Dialog (Ctrl+A) align centered vertically and horizontally. Click off and select the vertical line. Use the Transform Roll-up to apply a 10 degree rotation to a duplicate of that line until you have gone all the way around. Users of Tech Drawing Tools or Isometric Tools simply use the Radial Array function then separate the cloned objects. Click off and select the vertical line again. Apply a red pen color to that line. Select the horizontal line and repeat (Crtl+R) the line color.
	Select the circle and convert it to a curve by pressing ctrl+Q. Since we will apply the simple "ellipse" formula to all of these objects everything must be rotated 45 degrees. Marquee select the circle and all of the lines (19 objects) and apply a 45 degree rotation using the Transform Roll-up. Convert all of these to Isometric by applying a 57.4 percent vertical stretch using the Transform Roll-up Tech Drawing Tools users ti+E. You now have the beginnings of an isometric protractor that has 10 degree increments. The lines are known as radials or thrust lines with the red lines along 0 degrees axis.

	Start		Back	1	2	3	4	5	6	7		Next		End	Learn More