Chapter 1
Creating an isometric drawing
Chapter contents
Introduction..........................................................................................................................................................12
What you will need as an illustrator.......................................................................................................................12
Making a simple isometric shape ...........................................................................................................................13
A different angle on things.....................................................................................................................................16
Changing directions by using the Reflect tool .................................................................................................16
Changing positions from standing upright to lying flat on back ......................................................................17
More details, please ...............................................................................................................................................18
Making a more realistic dimensioned diagram ................................................................................................18
Convert to isometric .......................................................................................................................................19
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
Introduction
In this chapter, you will learn how to draw an item in isometric projection. Examples in this chapter are
described using the Macromedia FreeHand toolset—tools that are also available in other high-end drawing
applications like Adobe Illustrator, but usually under different names (for example, the Skewing tool in FreeHand is called the Shearing tool in Illustrator). So if you’re not using FreeHand to do the examples, use the
appropriate tool in your application to do the stated tasks.
What you will need as an illustrator
Isometric illustrations are the easiest-to-create and most flexible type of three-dimensional drawing. If you take
the time to understand and practice the techniques described in this chapter, you’ll be able to quickly create
beautifully detailed illustrations.
You should the following to do your illustrations:
• A tape measure for measuring large objects.
• A ruler for fine measurements. It doesn't matter whether you measure in inches, centimeters, or knotted
bits of string, the ruler just helps you keep the items you're drawing in correct proportion—or scale—with
the rest of the drawing. I prefer a 6-inch metal ruler that measures in decimal inches.
• Paper and pencil for making rough sketches of the object you’ll be drawing and for jotting
down dimensions.
• Computer with a drawing application installed. Any computer built since 2000 will be adequate for the
job and any of the major drawing applications (Macromedia FreeHand, Adobe Illustrator, Corel Draw, etc.)
will do. If you don’t already have a computer, I strongly recommend an Apple Macintosh with
Macromedia FreeHand.
• Digital camera (optional) for taking snapshots of the object you’ll be drawing—very handy if the item
being drawn is not in the room where you are working. A camera can speed the process because you’ll have
images at hand when questions arise about connector labels, LED colors, and so on.
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Introduction
Technical Illustration Guide
1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Making a simple isometric shape
In the examples that follow, we draw a familiar consumer product: the Apple iPod. Normally, you would make
hand-drawn sketches of the item you are drawing, in this case we will be using an dimensioned diagram from
Apple’s iPod website (http://www.apple.com/ipod/specs.html) (see figure 1).
Note
There are many ways to go about getting a dimensioned diagram:
using hand-drawn sketches, mechanical drawings, or even (if you’ve
got access to a CAD department) PDF versions of mechanical drawings that can be imported directly into your drawing application.
Figure 1. iPod diagram
Do the following:
1. Using figure 1 as a template, create a simple drawing of the iPod as shown in figure 2.
Figure 2. Simple diagram
Making a simple isometric shape
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Note
Technical Illustration Guide
Work from a copy of the diagram in figure 2 on page 13, do not use
the original because we will be returning to that graphic later in
the chapter.
2. Select the front graphic and use the Skewing tool to skew it as follows (see figure 3):
– Horizontally (H): 0°
– Vertically (V): -30°
Figure 3. Skewing the front side
3. Skew the right side H 0° and V 30° and move the skewed shape next to the front side as shown in figure 4.
Figure 4. Skewing the right side
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Making a simple isometric shape
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
4. The top side is a little more complicated because you have to compensate for foreshortening. We do this by
using the Scaling tool to resize the top side vertically as follows (see figure 5):
– X 100%
– Y 58%
Skew the shape as follows:
– H 60°
– V -30°
Scale
X 100%
Y 58%
Skew
H 60°
V -30°
Figure 5. Scaling and skewing the top side
That’s it, you’ve done your first isometric drawing!
Making a simple isometric shape
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
A different angle on things
As was mentioned in section “What you will need as an illustrator” on page 12, isometric illustrations are flexible because you can take the same building blocks that you used to create a shape and quickly change them to
flip the object so it is facing in a different direction or position the object so it is lying on its back rather than
standing upright (see figure 6).
Figure 6. Quick changes
Use the graphic you created in “Making a simple isometric shape” on page 13 for the following procedures.
Changing directions by using the Reflect tool
1. Select all elements and Group them so you can manipulate them as a single entity.
2. Use the Reflect tool so the iPod is facing to the right (see figure 7).
Figure 7. Changing directions
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A different angle on things
Technical Illustration Guide
1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Changing positions from standing upright to lying flat
1. Using figure 2 on page 13 as a starting point, take what was the front side and modify it using in the Scaling tool as follows:
– X 100%
– Y 58%
Skew the shape as follows:
– H 60°
– V -30° (see figure 8)
Figure 8. Using scaling and skewing tools to make the front become the top
Now the front side has become the top.
2. Using what you learned in section “Making a simple isometric shape” on page 13, skew the remaining
shapes to complete the graphic (Hint: the skew angles should be H 0° and V 30° or V -30°). When you’re
done, the image should look like figure 9.
Figure 9. Completed graphic
A different angle on things
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
More details, please
Now that you understand the basics, we’ll redraw the image to make it look more like the real thing.
Making a more realistic dimensioned diagram
Take your time when creating the diagram because an accurate drawing will save time when you are ready to do
the isometric version.
1. Starting with figure 1 on page 13 as the template, create a detailed drawing of the iPod as shown
in figure 10.
Figure 10. Detailed diagram
Note
Because the diagram on the Apple website was simple and detailed, I
chose to use it as a template, overlaying the various rectangles and circles directly on Apple’s diagram.
2. Using rectangles and circles, draw the iPod diagram. To create a rectangle with rounded corners (which is
what you’ll need for the iPod body and the switch, draw a rectangle the size of the desired object, then type
values in the Corners box in the Objects palette until the you achieve the desired amount of rounding.
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More details, please
Technical Illustration Guide
Note
1 • Creating an isometric drawing
If you used the Apple diagram as a template, the top side is not oriented
properly, so you will need to use the Rotate tool to turn the top 180° so
it is properly oriented (the red-outlined shape in figure 11 indicates the
front of the iPod).
Figure 11. Rotating the top so it is correctly oriented
3. When you reach the point of drawing the menu labels (Music, Settings, and so on), use the Chicago font
(available on all Macintosh computers). If you are on a Windows PC, use Narrow Helvetica or Arial.
4. To draw the headphone icon, draw a circle, then use the Knife tool to remove the top third of the circle (see
figure 12).
Figure 12. Creating the headphone icon label
5. Add small black rectangles as shown in figure 13 to finish the label. Using the Scaling tool, resize the label
to fit.
Figure 13. Completing the label
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
Converting the flat dimensioned diagram to isometric
Do the following:
1. Take the front side and set the Skewing tool to H 0° and V -30° (see figure 14).
Figure 14. Skewing the front side
2. Next we have to add a little depth to the front so it resembles the iPod’s rounded edges. First, we’ll create a
guide line that will help use when we can shift objects along the isometric axes. Draw a straight line and
skew it H 0°, V 30°. Position the line as shown in figure 15).
Guide line
Figure 15. Making an isometric guide line
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More details, please
Technical Illustration Guide
Note
1 • Creating an isometric drawing
The next step is difficult to describe but simple if you’re actually
doing it. When you select and drag shapes in FreeHand, outlines of
the shapes remain at their original location as a visual aid (see
figure 16). When you release the mouse button after moving the
shapes, the old outlines disappear. We will use this effect to help us
move shapes in the isometric axis.
While being dragged to a new
location, the items being dragged
are displayed in two places: at the
current location as you move them
around the page, and also at their
original location as a visual aid.
Items being dragged to
new position on page
Figure 16. Dragging items on page
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
3. Select everything except the shape outlined in red in figure 17. Drag the selected shapes a short distance
using the guide line to make sure you move along the isometric axis. You have just added the illusion of
depth to the front face (see figure 18).
Drag a short distance
in this direction using
the guide line
Figure 17. Adding depth to the front side
Figure 18. Front face
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Technical Illustration Guide
1 • Creating an isometric drawing
4. Using figure 19 as a guide, make a rectangle the width of the iPod.
Figure 19. Determining the width of the iPod
5. Scale the top as follows:
– X 100%
– Y 58%
Skew the top as follows:
– H 60°
– V -30° (see figure 20)
6. Repeat step 5 to modify the width rectangle created in step 4.
7. Position the top and width rectangle as shown in figure 20.
Figure 20. Front and top faces
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
8. Clone the shape outlined in red in figure 21.
Figure 21. Making the side and top walls of the iPod
9. Using the guide line to make sure you shift along the isometric axis, drag the cloned shape (green outline)
up and toward the right side of the page the distance indicated by the width rectangle.
10. Create a short horizontal line. Skew it H 0°, V 30°.
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
11. Position the line at the lower right of the iPod as shown in figure 22. The depth line should be placed at
the point just before the curves reverse and move inward.
Figure 22. Creating a depth line
12. Use the Knife tool to cut the depth line at the places indicated in figure 23. Delete the unneeded
line segments.
Figure 23. Cutting the depth line
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
13. Select the rear shape (outlined in green in figure 24) and use the Knife tool to cut where indicated.
Figure 24. Cutting the rear shape
14. Clone the depth line and place it at the top left of the iPod as shown in figure 25. The depth line should be
placed at the point just where the curves reverse and move downward.
Figure 25. Positioning the second depth line
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
15. Select the rear shape (outlined in green in figure 26) and use the Knife tool to cut where indicated.
Figure 26. Making second cut to rear shape
16. Join the depth lines and rear shape, then click the Closed button in the Object palette to complete the new
shape (outlined in green in figure 27).
Figure 27. Joined depth lines and rear shape
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
Technical Illustration Guide
17. Use the Send to Back command to put the new shape behind everything else.
18. Using the techniques already described, add new depth lines and a top to the switch to further the
3D illusion (see figure 28).
Switch
Depth line
Figure 28. Adding more depth lines and a top to the switch
19. Finally, we’ll add a recessed area to the switch slot for added realism. Clone the slot and drag it straight
down slightly. Color the shape red (see figure 29).
Figure 29. Adding depth to the switch slot
20. Cut the red-colored shape. Select the original slot (outlined in green as shown in figure 30) and select Paste
Inside. The red-colored shape will appear inside the original slot.
Figure 30. Finishing adding depth to the switch slot
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
21. The detailed isometric drawing is complete (see figure 31).
Figure 31. Completed graphic
At this point, you know how to create an isometric drawing from a flat dimensioned diagram. The next chapter
describes how to apply realistic shading to isometric images (see figure 32).
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Figure 32. Shaded iPod drawing
More details, please
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1 • Creating an isometric drawing
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Technical Illustration Guide
More details, please