Plans and elevations of 3D shapes
A plan and elevations drawing is a 2D representation of a 3D solid from three perpendicular directions. It's essential in technical drawing, architecture and engineering — and a regular GCSE assessment.
Three views
- Plan view — looking DOWN from above (top view).
- Front elevation — looking from the FRONT.
- Side elevation — looking from the SIDE (left or right).
Each view is a flat 2D shape showing what you'd see from that direction, drawn to scale, with hidden edges typically shown as dashed lines.
✦Worked example— Worked example: cuboid 4 cm × 3 cm × 2 cm
- Plan: rectangle 4 cm × 3 cm (looking down).
- Front elevation: rectangle 4 cm × 2 cm (front face).
- Side elevation: rectangle 3 cm × 2 cm (side face).
✦Worked example— Worked example: triangular prism
- Plan: rectangle (the base or top).
- Front elevation: triangle (the end face).
- Side elevation: rectangle.
✦Worked example— Worked example: cylinder (height 6 cm, radius 2 cm)
- Plan: circle, radius 2 cm.
- Front elevation: rectangle 4 cm × 6 cm (diameter × height).
- Side elevation: same rectangle.
Constructing from views
If given plan + front + side, you can reconstruct the 3D shape by overlaying the views.
- Plan tells you the footprint.
- Front gives height-and-width.
- Side gives height-and-depth.
Compound solids (built from cubes)
For shapes built from unit cubes, count carefully. Use grid paper.
Worked example: a shape is 3 cubes long, 2 cubes wide, 1 cube tall, with one extra cube on top of the corner.
- Plan: a 3 × 2 rectangle with a small square on the top-right.
- Front: an L-shape — 3 wide, mostly 1 tall but 2 tall on one column.
- Side: 2 wide, mostly 1 tall but 2 tall on one column.
⚠Common mistakes
- Confusing plan with front — plan is always FROM ABOVE.
- Drawing the 3D shape itself instead of the 2D views.
- Forgetting hidden edges — show with dashed lines if they're behind.
- Inconsistent scale between views.
- Confusing left and right side elevations — specify which.
➜Try this— Quick check
A square-based pyramid has its apex directly above the centre of the base. Plan view?
- A square with diagonals drawn (showing the four edges from base to apex).
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