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Fundamentals of Graphics Communication, 3/e
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Bertoline - Fundamentals of Graphics Communication Third Edition

Glossary A

Please click on the desired term below to view the glossary definition.
absolute coordinates  (n) Coordinates associated with an origin that never changes location and thus gives a stable method of locating geometry in space. The absolute coordinate system is also called the world or global coordinate system.
absolute scale  (n) A data scale that has both a defined zero point and units. The Kelvin temperature scale is an example of an absolute scale.
actual size  (n) A tolerancing measure used to describe the size of a finished part after machining.
additive  (adj. or v) A process or state whereby elements combine together, such as two primitive shapes combining to form a larger, more complex one. Additive is the opposite of subtractive.
additive primaries  (n) The three primary colors: red, green, and blue. Color systems use these primaries in differing amounts, working on the principle of adding spectral wavelengths to the light energy to create new colors. This system is used in lighting and computer display graphics. The complementary colors are the subtractive primaries: cyan, magenta, and yellow.
adjacent areas  (n) Surfaces that are separated on a multiview drawing by lines that represent a change of planes. No two adjacent areas can lie in the same plane.
adjacent view  (n) Orthographic views that are aligned to each other, allowing dimensional information to be shared. Examples are the front and top views or the front and right side views.
aerial perspective  (n) A perceptual cue where objects farther away appear bluer and hazier. The cue is based on the effect of particles in the atmosphere blocking the passage of light.
aerospace engineering  (n) A field of engineering concerned with the design and operation of aircraft, missiles, and space vehicles.
aesthetics  (n) The artistic qualities or aspects that elicit an emotional response to an object.
agricultural engineering  (n) A field of engineering concerned with production agriculture and its natural resource base and the processing and chemistry of biological materials for food and industrial products.
aligned dimensions  (n) A style of dimensioning in which text is placed parallel to the dimension line, with vertical dimensions read from the right of the drawing sheet. The aligned method of dimensioning is not approved by the current ANSI standards but may be seen on older drawings.
aligned section  (n) A section view created by bending the cutting plane line to pass through an angled feature. The resulting section does not show the section in true projection, yet it gives the clearest possible representation of the features.
allowance  (n) A tolerancing measure used to describe the minimum clearance or maximum interference between parts. Allowance is the tightest fit between two mating parts.
alphabet of lines  (n) The standard linestyles established by ANSI to be used for technical drawing. The standards specify both the thickness and the design (i.e., dashed, solid, etc.) of the lines.
alternate four-center ellipse method  (n) A method of creating an approximate ellipse. The method is used for cavalier oblique drawings.
ambient light source  (n) A light source defined by its lack of orientation or location. Fluorescent lighting in an office is an example of ambient lighting. In renderings, an ambient light source is sometimes used as a default light source to give a baseline level of lighting to the model.
analogous  (adj.) A concept meaning similar or comparable in some respects. The concept is used to describe the extent to which a graphic representation compares with a real object.
analytic geometry  (n) The analysis of geometric structures and properties, principally using algebraic operations and position coordinates. The term also refers to a particular geometric method for describing 3-D solid models.
angle  (n) The relative orientation of two linear elements with respect to each other. The angle is usually measured relative to the point of intersection or termination of the two lines.
angularity  (n) An orientation control for geometric dimensioning and tolerancing. Angularity is a condition of a surface, center plane, or axis at an angle other than a right angle to a datum plane or datum axis.
apparent motion  (n) The sense of motion induced by rapidly displaying a series of images of an object to make the object appear to change location or shape. Animation techniques take advantage of this perceptual effect.
archiving  (v) A term used to describe the storing and retrieval process for engineering documentation. Although originally involving paper documents, the term increasingly refers to the storage of computer-generated information on magnetic or optical media.
area rendering  (n) A data visualization technique in which the pixels in a 2-D area are each assigned a value. A color lookup table maps a specific color to each data value to create a rendered region.
array  (n,v) Either the process of or resulting geometry of a single feature being duplicated in a regular fashion in a model. An array is procedural, in that instructions are given as to how a feature(s) is to be duplicated rather than having the user define the final location of each duplicate. Arrays are defined as being either linear or radial, depending on how the duplication is defined. Typically, the operator will indicate the direction (in one or two dimensions) of the duplication, spacing between each duplicate feature, and how many duplicates to create.
arrow plot  (n) A visualization technique in which the dependent variable is a vector rather than a scalar and is represented by line or arrow marks. Because there are typically a large number of arrow marks in a small region, pattern (texture) perception can be used to evaluate trends in the data.
artistic drawing  (n) A type of drawing used to express aesthetic, philosophical, and abstract ideas. These types of drawings are not intended to communicate clear, concise information pertaining to a design.
artwork drawing  (n) See fabrication drawing.
assembly drawing  (n) A drawing showing how each part of a design is put together. An assembly drawing normally consists of all the parts drawn in their operating positions and a parts list or bill of materials.
assembly section  (n) A section view of multiple parts in an assembly. Differing section line designs differentiate between different materials, or between similar materials belonging to different parts.
authoring  (v) The process of using computer programming tools to assemble different media into an interactive presentation. automation (n) The use of machinery in place of human labor.
autorouting  (v) A specialized software process that suggests routing connections between components on a circuit board. Autorouting is usually part of a suite of CAD electronics software functions that also include automated component placement, programming of CNC board drilling, and component insertion equipment.
auxiliary section  (n) A section view derived from an auxiliary view. The term distinguishes from section views derived from standard orthographic views.
auxiliary view  (n) A view derived from any image plane other than the frontal, horizontal, or profile planes. Auxiliary views are usually termed primary or secondary, depending on whether or not they are perpendicular to one of the above-mentioned primary projection planes. Primary auxiliary views are termed depth, height, or width auxiliaries, depending on the dimension transferred from the measuring view.
axis  (n) The line or vector representing a center of rotation, such as the longitudinal center line that passes through a screw thread cylinder. Also, a vector indicating a dimension in model space or in a visualization such as a graph.
axonometric axes  (n) The axes used to define the orientation of the primary dimensions in an axonometric pictorial projection. The relative angle of the axes to each other determines the type of axonometric projection.
axonometric projection  (n) A parallel projection technique used to create pictorial drawings of objects by rotating the object on an axis relative to a projection plane.