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Subject:Question: match the views? From:"Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA> To:"TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com> Date:Fri, 9 May 2003 08:49:46 -0400
Therese Harris wonders: <<I am working on a manual for an industrial grading
machine. With a whole-machine photo (that will have part callouts) should
the photo view match the technical drawing view of the whole machine?>>
If you're trying to show exactly the same thing in both images, then yes,
they should match as closely as feasible. If you're showing different
things, or the same things in different ways, then it's okay for them to
differ--indeed, it's quite likely that they _should_ differ, since using a
different view provides... um... a different (hopefully clearer) view. <g>
<<Is it OK (or even better) to have one show infeed and the other show
outfeed?>>
Definitely better. The purpose of an illustration is to abstract (simplify)
the reality so viewers aren't distracted by irrelevant details. If you want
viewers to focus on (say) the infeed, why confuse them by showing the
outfeed at the same time? Of course, if the relationship between the infeed
and the outfeed is the concept you're trying to communicate, then both
belong together, presented in such a way as to show that relationship.
<<The photo will be in an introductory chapter while the tech drawing will
be in an appendix, so how important is it that they match?>>
Unless someone's going to look at both of them simultaneously, nobody will
ever notice if they don't match. Of course, you can't call the infeed the
outfeed in one of the graphics--labeling must be correct and consistent,
obviously--but that's not what you're asking about.
<<The photo isn't redundant since it has many more parts called out, while
the technical drawing shows, in addition to a few labeled parts, elevations
and measurements for placing the machine.>>
Different goals require different solutions. Different images clearly sounds
like the right choice here.
--Geoff Hart, geoff-h -at- mtl -dot- feric -dot- ca
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada
"I have always wished that my computer would be as easy to use as my
telephone. My wish has come true. I no longer know how to use my
telephone."--Bjarne Stronstrup (originator of C++ programming language)
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