Graphic CommunicationQ&A by dot point

Assembly and production drawings: the assembly (and exploded) view, item numbers and the parts list, the title block and scale, and the difference between an assembly drawing and a single-part (detail) drawing.

British Standards (BS 8888) line types and conventions: continuous thick outlines, thin lines for dimensions and projection, dashed hidden detail, chain centre lines, cutting planes and the conventional representation of repeated features.

Building (architectural) drawings: the site plan, floor plan, elevations and sections, common scales, and the British Standard building symbols for doors, windows, sanitary fittings and services.

Dimensioning and tolerances: the rules for dimension and projection lines, leaders and arrowheads, dimensioning circles, radii, diameters and angles, datum and chain dimensioning, and stating tolerances (limits, bilateral and unilateral).

Orthographic projection in third-angle: the six principal views, the front elevation, plan and end elevation, how they line up and project, and the use of the projection symbol and auxiliary views for complex features.

Sectional views: the cutting plane and section labelling, hatching at 45 degrees, the half section and revolved/removed sections, and the parts conventionally left unsectioned (shafts, fasteners, ribs and webs).

3D CAD modelling techniques: sketch-based modelling with constraints, the feature commands (extrude, revolve, sweep, loft), and editing features (shell, fillet/chamfer, array and boolean) to build and modify a solid model.

CAD assembly and rendering: assembling components with assembly constraints (mate, align, concentric), exploded views and animation, and producing realistic renders with materials, lighting, cameras and an environment.

Perspective drawing: one-point and two-point perspective, the horizon line, vanishing points, the picture plane and station point, and why perspective looks realistic but is not measurable.

Pictorial drawing methods: isometric (30 degree axes), planometric (true plan rotated) and oblique (cavalier and cabinet) drawing, the axis angles and scaling of each, and choosing the right method for the object and purpose.

Freehand sketching and manual rendering: crating and construction lines for proportion, line quality, and rendering techniques (tone, shading, highlights, reflections and texture) to suggest form, material and light.

Course assessment overview: the question paper (90 marks) and the assignment (50 marks, the practical coursework of preliminary, production and promotional graphics), how they are weighted and marked, and what the assignment requires.

Graphics technologies and file formats: input and output hardware, vector versus raster (bitmap) graphics and software, resolution and compression, and choosing the right file format (JPEG, PNG, GIF, TIFF, PDF, SVG) for the purpose.

The impact of graphic communication: its social impact (communication, inclusion and influence), economic impact (commercial graphics, advertising and value), and environmental impact (materials, energy, waste and sustainable practice).

Colour theory: the colour wheel (primary, secondary and tertiary colours), harmonies (complementary, analogous, monochromatic), warm and cool colours and the psychology/associations of colour, and the RGB versus CMYK colour models.

The design elements: line, shape, form, texture, colour, value (tone) and space, and how each is used as a building block of a graphic layout.

The design principles: alignment, balance (symmetrical and asymmetrical), contrast, proximity, emphasis (focal point), rhythm/repetition, proportion and unity, and how each organises a layout.

Desktop publishing (DTP) features: grids and guides, columns and gutters, margins and bleed, text features (alignment, leading, kerning, drop capitals, reverse text, flow text/text wrap) and image features (crop, rotate, layers, transparency), used to build a multi-page layout.

The three graphic contexts (preliminary, production and promotional) and the design process: responding to a brief and specification, generating and developing preliminary ideas, and evaluating a design against the brief and target audience.