ISOMETRIC PROJECTIONS

A single orthographic projection fails to

illustrate the general 3D shape of an object.
Axonometric projections overcome this
limitations. An axonometric projection is
constructed by manipulating the object,
using rotation and translations, such that at
least three adjacent faces are shown. The
result is then projected from a centre of
projection at infinity onto one of the coordinates plane, usually the Y=0 plane.
In an isometric projection all three sides are
equally foreshortened.

Cube in a space one face is parallel

to the projection plane

Z
10

8
6
4

2
0

10

Rotation about Z - axis by Z

Z
10

8
6
4

2
0

10

Rotation about X - axis by X

Z
10

8
6
4

2
0

10

Assuming a projection to the XZ-plane, the

necessary rotations can be defined as Z
rotation about Z-axis first, followed by X
rotation about X-axis. This sequence will
maintain
the
verticality
for
showing
isometric drawing. The matrix form of two
successive rotations in 3D about Z and X
axes is :

0
0
1
0 cos sin
X
X

0 sin X cos X
0
0
0

0
0

0
1

cos Z sin Z
sin
cos Z
Z

0
0
0
0

0 0
0 0

1 0
0 1

cos Z
sin Z
0

cos sin cos cos sin

X
Z
X
Z
X

sin X sin Z sin X cos Z cos X

0
0
0

0
0

0
1

To
finalize
the
isometric
view,
an
orthographic projection on the XZ-plane is
obtained by,

1
0
=
0
0

0 0 0
0 0 0
X
0 1 0
0 0 1

cos Z
sin Z
0

cos sin cos cos sin

X
Z
X
Z
X

sin X sin Z sin X cos Z cos X

0
0
0

0
0

0
1

cos Z
sin Z
0

0
0
0
M ISO = sin sin sin cos cos
X
Z
X
Z
X

0
0
0

For calculation of unit vectors,

X* 1 0 0 1 M ISO
cos Z 0 sin X sin Z 1
Y * 0 1 0 1 M ISO
sin Z 0 sin X cos Z 1

Z* 0 0 1 1 M ISO 0 0 cos Z 1

0
0

0
1

The projected length of each unit vector is

X*

cos 2 Z sin2 X sin2 Z

Y*

sin2 Z sin2 X cos 2 Z

Z*

cos 2 X

Since original lengths are equal to one; the

equal ratio of projected to original lengths
can be written as follows:

X * Y * Z*

X * Z*
cos 2 Z sin2 X sin2 Z cos 2 X
cos 2 Z sin2 X (1 cos 2 Z ) cos 2 X
cos 2 Z sin2 X sin2 X cos 2 Z cos 2 X
cos 2 Z (1 sin2 X ) sin2 X cos 2 X
2
2
cos

sin
X
2
X
cos Z
2
1 sin X

....(I)

Y * Z*
sin2 Z sin2 X cos 2 Z cos 2 X
sin2 Z sin2 X (1 sin2 Z ) cos 2 X
sin2 Z sin2 X sin2 X sin2 Z cos 2 X
sin2 Z (1 sin2 X ) sin2 X cos 2 X
2
2
cos

sin
X
2
X
sin Z
1 sin2 X

....(II)

Since equations (I) and (II) are equal:

2
2
cos

sin
X
2
2
X
cos Z sin Z
1 sin2 X

cos Z sin Z Z 45
Substituting for Z = 45 in equation (I) then,

cos X sin X 1
cos 45

2
1 sin X
2
2

2 (cos 2 X sin2 X ) 1 sin2 X

2 (1 sin2 X sin2 X ) 1 sin2 X
2 4 sin2 X 1 sin2 X

1
1 3 sin X 0 sin X
3
1 1
X sin
35.26439
3
2

CASE - I
For Isometric Projections :

Z 45 and X 35.264
Taking corner D as pivot point and substituting for tX , = -2, tY = - 2 and tZ =-2 then all
corners will be translated as :

A ' ( 4, 0, 0), B ' ( 4, 4, 0), C ' (0, 4, 0), D ' (0, 0, 0)

E ' ( 4, 0, 4), F ' ( 4, 4, 4), G ' (0, 4, 4), H ' (0, 0, 4)

f
d

c
Y

Therefore the matrix form of transformed

coordinates after Z and X rotations :

cos Z
sin Z
0

0
0
0

sin X sin Z sin X cos Z cos X

0
0
0

X 1
Y
1
Z1
1

0
0 X

0
1

X2 X3 X 4 X5 X6 X7 X8
Y2 Y3 Y 4 Y5 Y6 Y7 Y8

Z2 Z3 Z4 Z5 Z6 Z7 Z8
1

But for Z = 45 and X = 35.264 :

0
0.707 0.707
0
0
0

0.408 0.408 0.816

0
0
0

0 4
0 0

0 0
1 1

4 0 0 4 4 0 0
4 4 0 0 4 4 0

0 0 0 4 4 4 4
1 1 1 1 1 1 1

0
2.828
2.828
0
0
0

1.632 3.264 1.632

1
1
1

0
0
0
1

2.828
0
2.828
0
0
0
0
0

4.896 6.528 4.896 3.264

1
1
1
1

After inverse translation and substituting for

tX = 2, tY = 2 and tZ = 2 the final transformed
ISOMETRIC matrix would be :

2
0.828
4.828
0
0
0

3.632 5.264 3.632

1
1
1

2
0
2
1

4.828
2
0.828
2
0
0
0
0

6.896 8.528 6.896 5.264

1
1
1
1

Z
10

g
6
b
4

-2

d
0

10

Z
10

8
6
4
2

-2

10