2D Drafting

2D drafting creates technical drawings from your 3D models. vcad generates orthographic projections, hidden line views, dimensions, and GD&T annotations for manufacturing documentation.

View Modes

Toggle between 3D and 2D modes using the view mode selector.

Orthographic Projections

Standard views project 3D geometry onto 2D planes. Select from the view direction dropdown.

Isometric Projection

The isometric view provides a 3D-like visualization with configurable angles:

• Standard Isometric: 30 degrees azimuth, 30 degrees elevation
• Dimetric: 26.57 degrees (arctan 0.5) for technical drawings

type ViewDirection =
  | "front" | "back" | "top" | "bottom" | "left" | "right"
  | "isometric";

Hidden Line Removal

Edges are classified as visible or hidden based on occlusion:

• Visible edges: Solid lines (not blocked by any face)
• Hidden edges: Dashed lines (occluded by geometry)

Toggle hidden line visibility using the "Hidden Lines" control.

Edge Types

Dimensions

Add measurements to your drawings using four dimension types.

Linear Dimensions

Measure distances between points or along edges.

Angular Dimensions

Measure angles between two edges or three points. Useful for chamfers, tapers, and angular features.

Radial Dimensions

Measure arcs and circles with radius or diameter callouts.

Ordinate Dimensions

Datum-relative coordinate dimensions for precise feature positioning. Use for hole patterns and features referenced from a common datum.

Adding Dimensions

1. Enter dimension mode
2. Select geometry (points, edges, or faces)
3. Click to place dimension at desired offset
4. Edit value to add tolerances or overrides

GD&T (Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing)

vcad supports GD&T annotations per ASME Y14.5-2018.

Form Tolerances

No datum reference required.

Profile Tolerances

Orientation Tolerances

Require datum reference.

Location Tolerances

Require datum reference.

Runout Tolerances

Require datum reference.

Material Conditions

Adding Feature Control Frames

1. Click "Add Feature Control Frame"
2. Select GD&T symbol from dropdown
3. Enter tolerance value
4. Optionally add diameter symbol and material condition
5. Add datum references (A, B, C) as needed
6. Click geometry to attach leader line

pub struct FeatureControlFrame {
    pub symbol: GdtSymbol,
    pub tolerance: f64,
    pub tolerance_is_diameter: bool,
    pub material_condition: Option<MaterialCondition>,
    pub datum_a: Option<DatumRef>,
    pub datum_b: Option<DatumRef>,
    pub datum_c: Option<DatumRef>,
    pub position: Point2D,
    pub leader_to: Option<GeometryRef>,
}

Section Views

Cut through geometry to reveal internal features.

Section Types

Hatch Patterns

Solid regions are filled with crosshatch lines:

• Default angle: 45 degrees
• Default spacing: 2mm
• Holes and internal features correctly excluded from hatching

Detail Views

Magnify regions to show fine features clearly.

1. Click "Add Detail View"
2. Draw rectangle around region of interest
3. Enter scale factor (e.g., 2x)
4. Position the magnified view on the drawing sheet

Detail views are labeled with letters (A, B, C, etc.) and display the scale factor.

Drawing Controls

Drawing Store

The UI state for 2D drawing mode is managed by the drawing store:

interface DrawingState {
  viewMode: "3d" | "2d";
  viewDirection: ViewDirection;
  showHiddenLines: boolean;
  showDimensions: boolean;
  zoom: number;
  pan: { x: number; y: number };
  detailViews: DetailViewDef[];
}

Best Practices

Future Enhancements

• DXF export for CAM software
• PDF export for documentation
• Drawing sheets with title blocks
• Multiple views on single sheet
• Centerlines and center marks
• Weld symbols per AWS A2.4
• Surface finish symbols per ISO 1302