Oblique Projection
Problem
Draw it in Oblique Projection - you may find using squared paper helpful.
Now try drawing it again, this time with a different face as the front.
Which properties of the original structure are preserved in your drawings, which are not? You should think about:
- the relationship between the lengths of the edges of the cubes
- the angles between them
- parallel and perpendicular lines
What do you think the advantages of Oblique Projection are? What disadvantages are there with this method of representing 3D objects in 2D?
Teachers' Resources
Why do this problem?
Representing 3D objects in two dimensions on paper is a vital skill in the Design Technology curriculum, as well as an aspect of Shape and Space in the Maths curriculum. This problem is part of a set of problems which will help students to understand why there are different ways to represent a 3D object in two dimensions, and what maths lies
behind each method.
The article 3D Drawing was written to support these problems.
Key questions
What are the advantages of this method of 3D drawing? What are the disadvantages?
What features of the object are retained in the drawing, which are not?
Possible extension
Oblique Projection is probably the easiest for students to understand. Those who find it straight-forward should be encouraged to tackle the other problems in this set (linked from 3D Drawing) and to compare the various methods.