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An old good principle |
Perhaps the simplest and most valued drafting principle is the old one: “anything that can be sketched can also be calculated”. For many years before (and after) the wide spread of cad-cam (computer aided design and manufacturing), designers in all areas of production used plain trigonometry for calculating the basic dimensions of a design. These designers have developed a modeling sense; they visualized anything in their mind before putting it down on a blueprint. They knew that if something could be sketched can also be calculated.
For instance in the figure if we know the distance L and the circle R we can calculate all the data of the trapezoid ACDEA. If we think how this principle applies in this example we realize that with the point A known (on line tangent to circle R), we can draw a line tangent to other side of the known circle. If we didn’t know point A, the drawn line couldn’t be possible. It is a good practice for designers (especially for modern ones) to practice with such simple exercises, which helps them realize the world of trigonometry beneath simple geometrics shapes. The cad-cam systems have powerful algorithms which perform millions of calculations in a few seconds, which help us to produce faster and more complex designs than ever. But an excellent designer must learn not to trust them completely. He must always be in position to know if the system tries to fool him (after he makes some mistakes). It is good practice to learn designing things with the old way. This old principle for sure will make one a better designer with a developed modeling sense.
(To Theo Georgiadis, the best mentor and friend)
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This is a very good advice. It is good to remind the new designers those thingsposted by orfeo 6 years ago
