Planning means finding out whether three views fit the sheet at your chosen scale before you draw. It takes a few minutes and saves a full redraw.
This lesson is part of integrated drawing practice. It uses the skills from drawing conventions and scale and orthographic views.
What is the planning routine?
- Write the object’s width, height and depth.
- Choose a scale, and compute each view’s drawn size.
- Add up the space the views need, including gaps.
- Compare with the usable area, then position the views with equal margins.
Worked example: one object, full size
The object is 80 mm wide, 50 mm high and 40 mm deep. The example sheet is 297 × 210 mm with a 10 mm border on every side, so the usable area is 277 × 190 mm.
At 1:1, the drawn sizes are:
- Front view: 80 wide, 50 high.
- Top view: 80 wide, 40 deep.
- Side view: 40 wide, 50 high.
Horizontal space: front view 80 + gap 25 + side view 40 = 145 mm. This is less than 277, so it fits.
Vertical space: front view 50 + gap 25 + top view 40 = 115 mm. This is less than 190, so it fits.
Margins: (277 − 145) ÷ 2 = 66 mm either side horizontally, and (190 − 115) ÷ 2 = 37.5 mm above and below. Start the front view 66 mm in from the left border and 37.5 mm down from the top. Place the top view 25 mm below it, and the side view 25 mm to the right of it.
Worked example: an object that needs a smaller scale
A larger part is 240 mm wide, 120 mm high and 100 mm deep. At 1:1, the horizontal need is 240 + 25 + 100 = 365 mm, which exceeds 277. It does not fit.
At 1:2: front view 120 × 60, top view 120 × 50, side view 50 × 60. Horizontal: 120 + 25 + 50 = 195, which fits. Vertical: 60 + 25 + 50 = 135, which fits.
Real sizes are still written on the dimensions, so a 120 mm drawn line at 1:2 carries the figure 240, the real width.
The mistake: starting without counting
A student begins the front view of the large part at the left border, full size. The front view is 240 mm wide, which takes most of the sheet, and the side view cannot be placed.
| Step | Wrong | Right |
|---|---|---|
| Scale | 1:1 by default | 1:2 after checking space |
| Horizontal need | Not calculated | 195 mm for 1:2 |
| Result | Side view off the sheet | All views placed with margins |
The 365 mm requirement was visible in one line of arithmetic.
Check yourself
An object is 100 mm wide, 60 mm high and 50 mm deep. Use the 277 × 190 mm usable area and a 25 mm gap. Does it fit at 1:1? If so, what margins would you use for the horizontal direction?
Answer
Horizontal need: 100 + 25 + 50 = 175 mm, which is less than 277. Vertical need: 60 + 25 + 50 = 135 mm, less than 190. It fits at 1:1. The horizontal margin is (277 − 175) ÷ 2 = 51 mm either side.
What to study next
Review typical slips in common scale, projection and labelling mistakes, then test yourself with the integrated drawing practice set.
If you want a teacher to check your layout plan on a real question, see online one-to-one Engineering Drawing tuition.