FWD to the left? (automotive) 1

[Dave K]

This question came up, and I'm wondering if there is some SAE, ANSI, or other standard to support it. In my history of drafting and design, I have always drawn the side view, with FWD to the left, AFT to the right...this was dictated in the company drafting manual when I worked on jet engines, and I was directed to do it this way at two different race car companies.

At my current job, I was tasked to do a drawing, and given one done in Europe to use as reference. The European drawing has the front of the car pointed to the right, but I stayed with what I've always done, and did my drawing with the front of the car to the left.

Is there some standard which dictates how this should be?

-Dave

NX 5.0.6.3mp7

 

[MadMango]

There's First Angle and Third Angle projection. Folks on opposite sides of The Pond do things differently, depending on which side you're on (or which standards you follow).

Check out:
ASME Y14.1- Drawing sheet size and format
ASME Y14.1M- Metric sheet size and format
ASME Y14.100- Engineering drawing and practices

"Art without engineering is dreaming; Engineering without art is calculating."

Have you read faq731-376 to make the best use of these Forums?

 

[Dave K]

This isn't so much a matter of which way the view is projected, since the side view of the car is the only view on the drawing.

I'll have to track down a copy of Y14.100, and see if that covers this. Thanks.

-Dave

-Dave

NX 5.0.6.3mp7

 

[CheckerHater]

Most likely you will not find much in ANSI/ASME, as standards you are looking for are industry-specific.

Big guys like Ford or GM (and you may be with GM or supplier if you are using NX) have internal CAD standards specifying where the "0" point is and where X, Y, and Z axis are pointing.

Usually "0" is in front of the car and "X" is pointing AFT. This way if you draw the car with front pointing to the left, the coordinate "balloons" on your dwg will increase to the right which seems "natural".

But there are also some obscure rules like "operator perspective" which means if you are designing the fixture to install door or fender you have to draw it the way operator will see it - looking thru the fixture with the car behind it.

It is not uncommon to design the fixture, say only for the right door and consider left-side fixture "opposite". This way the car on your drawing will be pointing to the right.

So, like I mentioned, things like that are industry- and even company-specific, so you should try and get a hold of your companys or customers standard.

 

[TheTick]

Rule of thumb: do it the way the customer (or boss) wants it.

 

[KENAT]

Gunman, back in aerospace in the UK it was the same, the front went to the left on the primary view.

I think that may have been in a DEF-STAN but it wouldn't be directly relevant to automotive in the US.

I don't recall seeing it in y14.100 or elsewhere, but I could be wrong.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[Dave K]

I didn't expect an ANSI/ASME spec, but thought there might be an SAE standard.

fyi, I'm not at any of the big 3, but a nascar race team...nascar rule book shows the front of the car to the left, so I'll use that as my reasoning for now

Thanks,
Dave

-Dave

NX 5.0.6.3mp7