Role of digital methods in engineering graphics discipline and practice

Abstract

Digital methods predominate in information technology and graphical solving methods prevail in 2D-graphical disciplines (Engineering Graphics). Application of computer methods in graphics automatically forms contradiction unless graphics applies digital methods. The survey of the most related works [1-5] shows that information technology is applied as a new tool but not as a tool of the new generation. In the sense of graphics, peculiarity of information technology lies in the fact that solving is made not by graphical methods (what is the basis of descriptive geometry), but by digital methods which are provided only graphically. Therefore, just in principle, graphical methods in information technology cannot be rational. On the other hand, although the real world is three-dimensional, modern picturing means (like a computer screen) are two-dimensional, so, operating geometric-graphical information we have to solve transformation problems picturing that world and perceiving it in two-dimensional views. One more peculiarity of computer science is that digital methods can be very rational in interactive formation of views (it concerns the practical-educational theme of projection drawing) and surface objects developments (drainpipes, ventilating ducts, etc.) necessary for engineering practice.