Drafting

INTRODUCTION TO DRAFTING

Technical drawing, also known as drafting, is the academic discipline of creating standardized technical drawings by architects, interior designers, drafters, design engineers, and related professionals. Standards and conventions for layout, line thickness, text size, symbols, view projections, descriptive geometry, dimensioning, and notation are used to create drawings that are ideally interpreted in only one way.
A person who does drafting is known as a drafter. In some areas this person may be referred to as a drafting technician, draftsperson, or draughtsman. This person creates technical drawings which are a form of specialized graphic communication. A technical drawing differs from a common drawing by how it is interpreted. A common drawing can hold many purposes and meanings, while a technical drawing is intended to concisely and clearly communicate all needed specifications to transform an idea into physical form.
In order to communicate design ideas, suggestions, decisions or revisions the draftsperson/engineer uses graphics of various types. These drawings may circulate in an engineering office or within a local manufacturing plant or be transmitted to other on the other side of the world. Generally, the person who originates the drawing is not available to explain what is meant. Drawings must be easily read and understood. To enable these communications to occur, the graphics system used has been standardized. The drawings mean the same thing to anyone trained in repairing and reading them regardless of what language they speak or the country they live in.
Through the evolution of drafting, many drawing conventions, terms, abbreviations, and practices have come into common use. In order for technical theories or ideas to be communicated effectively, it is essential that all engineers and draftspersons use the same practices. Throughout this course, you will be instructed in techniques defined in standards developed by the... [continues]

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