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Projection of a Solid -- VektorCAD Tutorial

This exercise shows how to construct the projections of a solid (hexagonal prism) using VektorCAD. You will begin with the base in true shape, project to the other view, then impose the required inclination by rotating with arcs and projectors.

What you'll learn

  • Constructing the true-shape base using the Polygon command
  • Projecting from front view to top view (and vice versa)
  • Rotating views to impose axis inclination
  • Distinguishing visible and hidden edges in the final projection

Problem Statement

Draw the projections of a regular hexagonal prism of base side 25 mm and axis length 60 mm. The prism rests with one of its rectangular faces on HP such that its axis is inclined at 45 degrees to VP.

Given Value
Solid Regular hexagonal prism
Base side 25 mm
Axis length 60 mm
Resting position One rectangular face on HP
Axis inclination to VP 45 degrees

Objective:

Requirement Details
Commands used XYLine, UCS, Polygon, Line, Arc, Point, DimLin, DimAlign, Text
Construction lines Normal thickness
Final visible edges Thick thickness
Entity Snap ON throughout

Step-by-Step

1) Prepare Drafting Settings

  1. Set Line Thickness: Select Normal (Thin / Normal / Thick) -- use for XY, projectors, and dimensions

  2. Enable Snaps: Turn Snap ON and Entity Snap ON (recommended: Endpoint, Midpoint, Perpendicular)

  3. (Optional) Toggle Ortho ON for strict horizontals and verticals

2) Draw the XY Reference Line

  1. Run XYLINE
  2. Draw a horizontal line approximately 180 mm across the sheet
  3. This is your XY reference line

3) Construct the True Shape of Hexagon in Front View

Since the prism rests with a rectangular face on HP, start by constructing the hexagonal base in the front view.

  1. From the Rect/Polygon dropdown, click Polygon

  2. At the prompts:

    Prompt Action
    Number of sides Enter 6
    Method Choose Edge
    First endpoint Pick a point on XY line
    Second endpoint Enter @25,0 (25 mm horizontal edge)

  3. Label vertices a'(1'), b'(2'), c'(3'), d'(4'), e'(5'), f'(6') using Text

Hexagon

Note

The Edge method places one side of the hexagon directly on XY, representing the face resting on HP.

4) Project Initial Top View

  1. From each hexagon vertex (a'-f'), draw vertical projectors downward below XY
  2. On each projector below XY, mark the corresponding top view points
  3. Draw vertical edges of length 60 mm to represent the prism's axis

  4. Complete the prism outline in front view

    View What it shows
    Front view Hexagon (true shape of base) + rectangular axis outline
    Top view Rectangle (60 mm long) with projections of all edges

Hex Projection

5) Incline Axis at 45 degrees to VP (Rotate in Top View)

  1. In the top view, identify the prism axis (center-to-center line)
  2. Draw a new axis line at 45 degrees to XY through one corner (e.g., point a)

  3. Use Cutting Arc to transfer vertex distances from the original top view to the inclined axis:

    Action Details
    Center Base corner (a)
    Radius Distance from a to each vertex in original top view
    Cut The inclined axis or parallel lines

  4. Redraw the hexagonal top view in the tilted orientation

  5. Project vertical edges to represent the prism in the tilted top view

Hex Inclined

Tip

The cutting arc ensures exact distances are preserved during rotation -- the prism dimensions don't change, only its orientation.

6) Obtain Final Front View

  1. From tilted top view vertices (a-f), draw vertical projectors upward to XY
  2. From original front view edges, draw horizontals across
  3. Intersections give the final front view vertices a'-f'

  4. Join points to complete the prism outline

  5. Apply line weights:

    Edge type Thickness
    Visible edges Thick (solid lines)
    Hidden edges Normal (dashed lines)

Final Views

Note

Visible edges are those facing the observer. Hidden edges (behind the solid) are drawn with dashed lines to distinguish them.

Final Result

View Description
Top View Inclined hexagonal prism with axis at 45 degrees to VP
Front View Projected prism resting on HP, axis inclined to VP
Edge treatment Visible = Thick solid; Hidden = Normal dashed

Result Checklist

Item Status
XY drawn (Normal) and labeled
Entity Snap ON; UCS positioned conveniently
Hexagonal base (true shape) constructed in front view
Initial top view projected with axis length 60 mm
Axis rotated to 45 degrees to VP using cutting arcs
Final front view obtained by intersection of projectors and horizontals
Visible edges in Thick; hidden edges in Normal dashed
Dimensions and labels placed

Variations (Practice)

Variation What to try
Square pyramid Base 30 mm, axis 60 mm, resting on HP; use polygon with 4 sides, apex at axis end
Pentagonal prism Side 20 mm, axis 50 mm; similar steps with 5-sided base
Cylinder Use circle for base, line for generators; tilting steps are analogous
Cone Base as circle, apex by axis length; rotate using arcs from base center
Different angle Try axis at 30 or 60 degrees to VP

Commands Recap

Command Purpose
xyline Draw XY reference line (Normal)
ucs Reposition origin for convenient numeric input
polygon Base construction (hexagon, side = 25 mm, Edge method)
line Projectors, reference rays, axis, envelope edges
carc Rotate/transfer views to impose inclination
point Mark key points (axis endpoints, intersections)
dimlin / dimalign Linear and aligned dimensions
text Labels, notes, angle callouts
Format Normal for construction; Thick for final visible outlines

Complete

You've completed the projection of a solid by combining true-shape construction with axis rotation, clearly separating final visible edges (Thick) from construction (Normal). Export to PDF to verify and share.