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Plans & Elevations (AQA GCSE Maths)
Revision Note
Plans & Elevations
What are plans and elevations?
- These are two-dimensional views of a three-dimensional object
- They are the mathematical shapes you would see when looking directly at a 3D object, ignoring colour, shade, vanishing points, etc.
- This topic is often used alongside Isometric Drawing
What do I need to know?
- Consider looking at a 3D object, such as a building
- Think about the different directions you could look at the object from
- There is the front view, the side view and the view from directly above
- The view you would see if you were looking directly down on an object is called the plan view
- This is commonly known as a birds-eye-view
- The shape you would see if you were stood directly in front of the object is called the front elevation
- The shape you would see if you were stood directly facing the side of the object is called the side elevation
Examiner Tip
- These questions often require your answer to be drawn on a given grid using the grid as a scale
- To avoid having to repeatedly rub out and change your working it is a good idea to roughly sketch out your answer first – either on the side of the page or on a separate sheet of paper
- With isometric drawings, it is often helpful to colour the three views on the diagram
- This will make it easier for you to see the three elevations and any ‘hidden’ parts
- If you don’t have colours you can use different types of shading (lines, dots, crosses, etc)
Worked example
Using squared paper draw the plan, front and side elevations of the object shown below on isometric paper.
It can be helpful to colour each of the three views in three different colours.
As you draw each of three views, make sure you label them clearly to say which is the plan, the front elevation and the side elevation.
Notice that two of the squares shaded orange cannot be seen from the side as they are hidden by the cubes in front of them.
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