The Drawing Atlas
Every term the course teaches, defined
The complete glossary for the course — 188 terms drawn from all ten modules, each tagged GLOBAL (universal grammar), COMPARE (varies by region) or APPLY (a worked case). Search it, filter by module, and jump to the lesson that introduces each term as the modules go live.
188 of 188 terms
- AI-view caution GLOBAL
- AI image tools warp architectural geometry (bending straight lines, drifting parallels). Use for atmosphere only, never as accurate or measurable representation. Module 6 · Lesson 6.4 →
- Alignment GLOBAL
- Lining elements to a shared edge or grid. Strong alignment reads instantly as care and control. Module 9 · Lesson 9.4 →
- Annotation GLOBAL
- Text and references that name and explain parts of a drawing — room names, call-outs, instructions. Module 5 · Lesson 5.2 →
- Anthropometrics GLOBAL
- The measurement of the human body — the source data from which architectural dimensions are derived. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Architect's scale COMPARE
- An imperial scale rule whose edges are divided in fractions of an inch to the foot (¼", ⅛"), reading feet directly. Module 2 · Lesson 2.3 →
- Associative dimension GLOBAL
- A CAD dimension linked to the geometry, so its figure updates automatically when the object changes. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Audience (portfolio) COMPARE
- The reader a portfolio is aimed at. A school wants thinking, an employer wants competence, a client wants results — tailor accordingly. Module 9 · Lesson 9.3 →
- Axonometric GLOBAL
- A paraline drawing made by tilting the object so three faces show at once, with parallel axes. Isometric is the most common type. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Baseline body GLOBAL
- The set of 50th-percentile body dimensions a designer memorises as a starting point, then adjusts. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- BIM GLOBAL
- Building Information Modelling — a coordinated 3D model from which drawings derive, used to catch clashes automatically. Module 8 · Lesson 8.4 →
- Break line GLOBAL
- A line signalling the drawing has been cut short to save space — the object continues beyond it. Module 1 · Lesson 1.2 →
- Bubble diagram GLOBAL
- A sketch of loose circles for rooms and lines for connections, testing relationships and adjacencies before any shape. Module 8 · Lesson 8.1 →
- Building code COMPARE
- A region's legal rulebook setting minimum dimensions for safety and access — e.g. NBC (India), IBC/ADA (USA), Eurocodes (Europe). Drawings must obey the local one. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Capstone project GLOBAL
- A single project taken from brief to finished set by the learner, proving they can run the whole workflow. The centrepiece of a portfolio. Module 9 · Lesson 9.1 →
- Cast shadow GLOBAL
- The darkness an object throws onto another surface by blocking the light. Belongs to the ground or other surfaces, not the object. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Centre line GLOBAL
- A dot-dash (chain) line marking an axis, centre or line of symmetry — an idea rather than a physical edge. Module 1 · Lesson 1.2 →
- Clash detection GLOBAL
- Finding where elements from different drawings or disciplines collide (a beam through a duct); increasingly automated with BIM. Module 8 · Lesson 8.4 →
- Clear for the large GLOBAL
- Design rule: size clearances (doorways, corridors) to the 95th percentile so the largest user still fits. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Clear width COMPARE
- The actual unobstructed opening of a door or passage, measured between the obstructions — what a body must pass through, as opposed to the nominal size. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Code-governed dimension COMPARE
- A dimension set as a legal minimum or maximum by a building code (door, corridor, stair, clearances); varies by region. Module 3 · Lesson 3.4 →
- Confident stroke GLOBAL
- A line pulled in one smooth motion rather than feathered from many short strokes — the mark of control. Module 1 · Lesson 1.3 →
- Context GLOBAL
- The neighbouring buildings, streets and ground that situate a design in its real surroundings. Module 7 · Lesson 7.3 →
- Continuous line GLOBAL
- An unbroken line showing a visible edge or cut — a fact you can see. The default line type. Module 1 · Lesson 1.2 →
- Convention GLOBAL
- An agreed rule for how something is drawn. In this course, every convention is treated as an argument made visible, not an arbitrary rule to memorise. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Conversion factor COMPARE
- The exact relationship between unit systems. The key one: 1 inch = 25.4 mm (1 foot = 304.8 mm). Module 2 · Lesson 2.5 →
- Coordination GLOBAL
- The active work of keeping every drawing in a set in agreement, resolving clashes before they reach site. Module 8 · Lesson 8.4 →
- Course as reference GLOBAL
- Treating the lessons, Atlas and worksheets as a library to return to when stuck, rather than content to memorise once. Module 9 · Lesson 9.2 →
- Cross-reading GLOBAL
- Tracing a feature across plan, section and elevation to build a full mental model and check the drawings agree. Module 4 · Lesson 4.5 →
- Cultural norm COMPARE
- A local habit of living (squat WC, tatami, floor seating) that reshapes dimensions independently of body size. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Curation GLOBAL
- Ruthlessly selecting only your strongest work. A portfolio is judged by its weakest piece, so fewer stronger pieces win. Module 9 · Lesson 9.3 →
- Cut line GLOBAL
- The heaviest line on a drawing, marking where solid material has been sliced through. Its weight signals it is the most important fact on the sheet. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Cut line vs seen line GLOBAL
- In plan and section, material sliced by the cut plane is drawn heavy (cut); things beyond, still visible, are lighter (seen). Module 4 · Lesson 4.3 →
- Cut plane GLOBAL
- The imaginary flat plane along which a building is sliced to create a plan or section. Where it sits changes what the drawing shows. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Deliverable set GLOBAL
- The defined list of drawings a project will produce — its finish line, decided before drawing begins. Module 9 · Lesson 9.1 →
- Derived dimension GLOBAL
- A dimension worked out from what the body must do, rather than chosen arbitrarily. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Design brief GLOBAL
- A short statement of a project's users, site, climate, budget and key requirement. Specificity lets you make real design decisions. Module 9 · Lesson 9.1 →
- Design development GLOBAL
- The iterative loop of drawing, testing against all constraints, and refining, by which a loose idea becomes a resolved design. Module 8 · Lesson 8.2 →
- Design sketch GLOBAL
- A fast, loose, disposable drawing whose job is to think — to find the design by externalising ideas and reacting to them. Module 8 · Lesson 8.1 →
- Design workflow GLOBAL
- The full sequence from brief to issued sheet — sketch, develop, set, coordinate, check — that the course's modules collectively teach. Module 8 · Lesson 8.5 →
- Detail scale GLOBAL
- A small-ratio, zoomed-in scale (1:1, 1:5) used to show construction detail where every millimetre matters. Module 2 · Lesson 2.1 →
- Dimension line GLOBAL
- The thin line between extension lines that carries a measurement, with terminators at each end. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Dimension string GLOBAL
- A row of dimensions. Layered as detail (inner), intermediate, overall (outer) so they cross-check by adding up. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Dimensioning GLOBAL
- Adding measured figures to a drawing so a builder knows exact sizes. The drawing's most important annotation. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Dimetric GLOBAL
- An axonometric where two axes share an angle and the third differs — two directions share a scale, one is foreshortened. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Do not scale GLOBAL
- A standard drawing note reinforcing 'figures govern' — build only to written dimensions, never to scaled measurements. Module 2 · Lesson 2.5 →
- Door swing GLOBAL
- The thin arc on a plan showing the path a door sweeps as it opens — a reference-tier line. Module 1 · Lesson 1.4 →
- Drawing index GLOBAL
- A cover-sheet list of every drawing in the set — the set's table of contents. Module 8 · Lesson 8.3 →
- Drawing number COMPARE
- A structured address locating a sheet in a set (e.g. A-201 = architectural, sections, sheet 01). Conventions vary by office/region. Module 5 · Lesson 5.5 →
- Drawing set GLOBAL
- The coordinated group of plan, section and elevation that together describe a building completely and must agree internally. Module 4 · Lesson 4.5 →
- Elbow height GLOBAL
- The height of the elbow when standing (~1050 mm). Sets working-counter and handrail heights. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- Elevation GLOBAL
- A flat, head-on view of a face of a building with no cut and no depth. Shows what a façade looks like. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Elevation oblique GLOBAL
- A paraline starting from a true elevation, with depth projected back at an angle. The front face reads true. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Entourage GLOBAL
- Everything in a drawing that isn't the building — people, trees, vehicles, sky, context — giving scale, life and story. Module 7 · Lesson 7.3 →
- Ergonomics GLOBAL
- The practice of designing things to fit the human body and its actions comfortably and safely. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Extension line GLOBAL
- A thin line projecting from an object's edge (with a small gap) to show what a dimension is measuring. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Eye level GLOBAL
- The height of the eyes above the floor (~1600 mm standing, ~1200 mm seated). Sets mirror, art and signage heights. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- Feet and inches COMPARE
- The imperial length notation, written with a hyphen (8'-6" = eight feet six inches); inches subdivide into fractions. Module 2 · Lesson 2.3 →
- Figures govern GLOBAL
- The rule that a written dimension is the truth, never a length measured off a (possibly distorted) print. Module 2 · Lesson 2.5 →
- First-angle / third-angle projection COMPARE
- Two conventions for arranging projected views on a sheet. Third-angle is common in the US; first-angle in much of Europe and Asia — a regional dialect. Module 4 · Lesson 4.5 →
- Flat drawing GLOBAL
- A drawing where every line is the same weight, so nothing leads the eye. The most common beginner mistake. Module 1 · Lesson 1.1 →
- Foreshortening GLOBAL
- The apparent shrinking of dimensions that recede from the viewer — present in perspective, absent in orthographic projection. Module 4 · Lesson 4.1 →
- Foreshortening (perspective) GLOBAL
- The compression of equal depths toward the vanishing point, which makes perspective realistic but impossible to scale. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Full size (1:1) GLOBAL
- Drawing at actual size, with no reduction. In CAD, all geometry is drawn at 1:1 and scale is applied only at output. Module 2 · Lesson 2.4 →
- General to particular GLOBAL
- The sequencing of a set from whole-building small-scale drawings down to large-scale details — like zooming a map. Module 8 · Lesson 8.3 →
- Glass-box method GLOBAL
- A teaching model: imagine a building in a glass box, trace each straight-on view onto a pane, then unfold the box flat to get plan, section and elevation. Module 4 · Lesson 4.1 →
- Goldilocks brief GLOBAL
- A capstone scope rich enough to show range but small enough to finish — a small building with a few rooms, a clear site and a real user. Module 9 · Lesson 9.1 →
- Grounded over grand GLOBAL
- The principle that a modest project resolved with real care beats an ambitious one left vague — for learning and for showing. Module 9 · Lesson 9.1 →
- Hand-to-digital handoff GLOBAL
- The deliberate moment of switching from hand sketching to digital drawing, chosen for what each tool does best. Covered fully in Module 8. Module 0 · Lesson 0.2 →
- Hatching GLOBAL
- A patterned fill of cut material showing what it is made of — brick, concrete, timber, insulation. Module 5 · Lesson 5.3 →
- Hidden line GLOBAL
- A dashed line showing something that exists but cannot be seen from the current view — a quieter claim than a solid line. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Horizon line GLOBAL
- A horizontal line at the viewer's eye level on which vanishing points sit. Its height sets the mood of the view. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Human Dimension & Interior Space GLOBAL
- Panero and Zelnik's classic anthropometric reference focused on the body and interior fit. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- Imperial scale COMPARE
- Scale written as a length equivalence (¼"=1'-0") rather than a ratio. ¼"=1' equals the ratio 1:48. Module 2 · Lesson 2.3 →
- Imperial system COMPARE
- Measurement in feet and inches, used chiefly in the USA. Architectural scales are written as, e.g., ¼"=1'-0". Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Inclusive design GLOBAL
- Designing so a range of bodies and abilities can use a space — spanning percentiles rather than one average. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Internal consistency GLOBAL
- The requirement that all drawings in a set agree — a dimension in one view matches the same feature in another. Module 4 · Lesson 4.5 →
- ISO 128 GLOBAL
- The international standard for technical drawing lines, including the line-width series (0.13–1.0 mm) used worldwide. Module 1 · Lesson 1.1 →
- Isometric GLOBAL
- An axonometric with the three axes at equal 120° angles, all measured with one scale. 'Iso' means equal measure. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Iteration GLOBAL
- One pass through the develop loop. Each iteration makes the design more resolved and specific. Module 8 · Lesson 8.2 →
- Layer GLOBAL
- A CAD grouping of lines by purpose, each carrying a pen weight — the digital way of always using the right pencil. Module 1 · Lesson 1.3 →
- Layout system GLOBAL
- A consistent set of margins, grid, type and placement held across every page, making a portfolio read as professional. Module 9 · Lesson 9.4 →
- Lead grade GLOBAL
- The hardness rating of a pencil. H grades (e.g. 2H) are hard and light; B grades (e.g. 2B) are soft and dark; HB sits in the middle. Module 0 · Lesson 0.2 →
- Leader GLOBAL
- A thin line from a note or label to the thing it describes, ending in a dot or arrow. Module 5 · Lesson 5.2 →
- Legend GLOBAL
- A key listing the symbols a drawing uses and what they mean; essential where conventions vary. Module 5 · Lesson 5.2 →
- Light direction GLOBAL
- The single chosen direction of the light source. Every shadow in a drawing must agree on it, or the image reads as wrong. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Line type GLOBAL
- The pattern of a line (solid, dashed, dot-dash) that signals what kind of claim it makes — its 'part of speech'. Module 1 · Lesson 1.2 →
- Lineweight GLOBAL
- The thickness of a drawn line. Used to show importance — the eye reads heavier lines as more important. Module 1 · Lesson 1.1 →
- Lineweight hierarchy GLOBAL
- The system of using thicker and thinner lines to show importance: cut (heaviest), seen edges (medium), hidden or reference lines (lightest). Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Linework GLOBAL
- The craft of producing clean, correctly weighted and typed lines. Built by repetition until it becomes muscle memory. Module 1 · Lesson 1.4 →
- Living document GLOBAL
- A portfolio treated as something revised often throughout a career — swapping in stronger work and re-tailoring to new audiences — never finished once. Module 9 · Lesson 9.5 →
- Material identity GLOBAL
- The way rendered material turns a generic mass into a particular building — brick, glass, stone, timber each reading distinctly. Module 7 · Lesson 7.2 →
- Material legend GLOBAL
- A key naming each hatch pattern's material, resolving any ambiguity between similar patterns. Module 5 · Lesson 5.3 →
- Measurability vs realism GLOBAL
- The core trade of pictorials: paraline keeps measure (good for assembly/diagrams); perspective keeps realism (good for presentation). Module 6 · Lesson 6.4 →
- Measuring point GLOBAL
- A construction aid used to plot true distances along receding lines in a perspective, letting accurate perspectives be built despite their non-measurability. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Medium (rendering) GLOBAL
- The tool used to render — pencil, ink, watercolour, digital. The principles hold across all; AI renders warp geometry and are for mood only. Module 7 · Lesson 7.4 →
- Metric scale COMPARE
- Scale written as a clean ratio (1:50, 1:100) in the metric system; scaling reduces to division by a round number. Module 2 · Lesson 2.2 →
- Metric system COMPARE
- Measurement in millimetres, centimetres and metres, used in India, Europe and most of the world. Architectural drawings usually work in mm. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Millimetre convention COMPARE
- The metric practice of dimensioning drawings in millimetres rather than metres or centimetres, to avoid decimal-point errors. Module 2 · Lesson 2.2 →
- NBC / IBC / ADA / Eurocode COMPARE
- The major regional building codes — India, US (general), US (accessibility), and Europe — each governing its own territory. Module 5 · Lesson 5.4 →
- Neufert (Architects' Data) GLOBAL
- Ernst Neufert's reference work (1936, continuously updated), the European-rooted international standard for building dimensions. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- North point COMPARE
- A symbol on a plan indicating which way is north. The drawing's orientation reference; its graphic style varies by region and office. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Not to scale (NTS) GLOBAL
- A label marking a drawing or detail that deliberately does not follow its stated scale, so the reader won't measure it. Module 2 · Lesson 2.1 →
- One-point perspective GLOBAL
- Perspective with a single vanishing point; the face nearest the viewer stays flat and true. Best for looking straight into a space. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Orthographic projection GLOBAL
- A way of drawing 3D objects on flat paper using parallel projection lines, so measurements stay true. Plan, section and elevation are all orthographic. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Output scale GLOBAL
- In CAD, the scale applied to a view when it is placed on a sheet and printed — a property of the view, not the geometry. Module 2 · Lesson 2.4 →
- Page grid GLOBAL
- An invisible structure of columns and rows underlying a clean page, onto which all elements are placed. Module 9 · Lesson 9.4 →
- Paraline drawing GLOBAL
- A pictorial in which the three main axes stay parallel (never converge), so measurements remain true. Includes axonometric and oblique. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Parallel projection GLOBAL
- Projection in which sight-lines stay parallel rather than converging, the basis of orthographic (and paraline) drawing. Module 4 · Lesson 4.1 →
- Parti GLOBAL
- The single big organising idea of a design, captured in one diagram — the design's DNA (e.g. 'rooms around a court'). Module 8 · Lesson 8.1 →
- Partial indication GLOBAL
- Suggesting a material in part of a surface and letting the eye complete it, rather than covering the whole face. Reads confident and light. Module 7 · Lesson 7.2 →
- Pen weight GLOBAL
- The plotted thickness assigned to a digital line, in millimetres (e.g. 0.50 for cut), following the ISO 128 series. Module 1 · Lesson 1.3 →
- Pencil grade GLOBAL
- A pencil's hardness rating. H grades are hard and light (2H), B grades soft and dark (2B), HB between. Module 1 · Lesson 1.3 →
- Percentile GLOBAL
- A measure of where a body sits in a population. The 50th is median; the 5th is small, the 95th large. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Perspective GLOBAL
- A pictorial where receding parallel lines converge to vanishing points, mimicking real vision. Realistic but not measurable. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Phantom line GLOBAL
- A long-dash-two-short line showing alternate positions or adjacent parts shown for reference. Module 1 · Lesson 1.2 →
- Pictorial drawing GLOBAL
- Any drawing that shows a building in three dimensions on a flat sheet — paraline or perspective — as opposed to flat orthographic views. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Picture plane GLOBAL
- The flat plane onto which a view is projected; in an elevation, the building's face is projected straight onto it. Module 4 · Lesson 4.4 →
- Plan GLOBAL
- A horizontal cut through a building, viewed from directly above — typically cut around 1.2 m. Answers how people move through a space. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Plan oblique GLOBAL
- A paraline starting from a true (undistorted) plan, with walls raised vertically. Keeps the room layout readable. Module 6 · Lesson 6.1 →
- Poché GLOBAL
- Filling or heavily hatching cut material solid in a section or plan, so cut walls and floors read as massive. Module 4 · Lesson 4.3 →
- Poché vs hatch GLOBAL
- Poché fills cut material solid to show mass; hatching adds a pattern to that fill to identify the specific material. Module 5 · Lesson 5.3 →
- Portfolio GLOBAL
- A curated argument — a tight, sequenced selection of work making a case about your skills and thinking to a specific audience. Module 9 · Lesson 9.3 →
- Portfolio assembly GLOBAL
- Ordering the finished pieces into a story: cover, capstone (with process), supporting work, contact. Delivered as a polished PDF or print. Module 9 · Lesson 9.5 →
- Presentation drawing GLOBAL
- A drawing made to persuade — usually a perspective — showing how a design will look and feel, not how to build it. Module 6 · Lesson 6.3 →
- Presentation render GLOBAL
- A fully rendered drawing that contains every skill in the course at once — line, scale, body, projection, conventions, light, material and life. Module 7 · Lesson 7.4 →
- Process vs product GLOBAL
- Showing how you got to a result (sketch, parti, iterations) alongside the finished drawing — evidence that you can think, not just render. Module 9 · Lesson 9.3 →
- Projection plane GLOBAL
- The imaginary plane (a 'pane of the glass box') onto which a building's view is projected and traced. Module 4 · Lesson 4.1 →
- Protect the finish line GLOBAL
- Resisting scope creep mid-project; a finished modest capstone always beats an unfinished grand one. Module 9 · Lesson 9.2 →
- Quarter-inch scale COMPARE
- ¼"=1'-0", the imperial workhorse for floor plans, roughly equivalent to metric 1:50. Module 2 · Lesson 2.3 →
- Raking light GLOBAL
- Light striking a surface at a low, grazing angle, which catches and reveals texture most strongly. Module 7 · Lesson 7.2 →
- Ratio GLOBAL
- A unitless comparison of two quantities. Scale is expressed as a ratio (1:50) — drawing on the left, world on the right. Module 2 · Lesson 2.1 →
- Reach for the small GLOBAL
- Design rule: size reach-dependent things (top shelves) to the 5th percentile so the smallest user can still use them. Module 3 · Lesson 3.1 →
- Reach height GLOBAL
- The comfortable upward reach of an arm (~2000 mm). Sets top-shelf and high-storage limits. Module 3 · Lesson 3.2 →
- Redline GLOBAL
- A checking pass in which errors are marked in red on a printout, then corrected — so checking doesn't rely on memory. Module 8 · Lesson 8.4 →
- Reference flag GLOBAL
- A tagged symbol (e.g. a circle 'A / A-201') cross-linking one drawing to another in the set. Module 5 · Lesson 5.2 →
- Reference line GLOBAL
- The lightest line, for dimensions, grids, hatching and hidden elements. Tier 3. Module 1 · Lesson 1.1 →
- Reflected ceiling plan (RCP) GLOBAL
- A plan of the ceiling drawn as if mirrored on the floor, keeping left-right consistent with the floor plan. Module 4 · Lesson 4.2 →
- Regional body variation COMPARE
- The fact that mean body size differs across populations (by 100 mm+), so a baseline must be checked locally. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Regional dialect (of drawing) COMPARE
- The parts a region sets for itself: units, governing building code, symbol conventions, material hatches, preferred scales. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Render to purpose GLOBAL
- Matching how far you render to the drawing's job — a little for a sketch, none beyond hatch for a working drawing, the full stack for presentation. Module 7 · Lesson 7.4 →
- Rendering GLOBAL
- Adding light, tone, material and life to a line drawing so it reads as solid and believable, rather than abstract. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Rendering stack GLOBAL
- The deliberate layering of a render: line → form (shade) → shadow → material → entourage, each depending on the one below. Module 7 · Lesson 7.4 →
- Resolution (design) GLOBAL
- How firmly worked-out a design is — increasing one way from loose sketch to fully dimensioned, code-checked drawing. Module 8 · Lesson 8.2 →
- Restraint (rendering) GLOBAL
- Keeping shadow, texture and entourage simple enough that the building stays the subject, never buried by its support. Module 7 · Lesson 7.3 →
- Revision block GLOBAL
- The dated log of every issued version of a drawing. Always build from the latest revision. Module 5 · Lesson 5.5 →
- Scale GLOBAL
- A ratio between a drawing and reality. 1:N means one unit on paper equals N of the same units in life. Module 2 · Lesson 2.1 →
- Scale figure GLOBAL
- A human figure drawn at the correct height for the view. A known body height instantly calibrates the whole drawing's scale. Module 7 · Lesson 7.3 →
- Scale rule GLOBAL
- A ruler (often triangular, six edges) carrying several pre-divided scales, so real lengths read directly off a drawing with no calculation. Module 2 · Lesson 2.4 →
- Scope by stage GLOBAL
- Shaping a set to its purpose — a small concept set, a planning/permit set, or a full construction set. Module 8 · Lesson 8.3 →
- Section GLOBAL
- A vertical cut through a building, viewed from the side. Reveals heights, how things are built, and how a wall meets weather — often the most honest drawing. Module 0 · Lesson 0.1 →
- Section line GLOBAL
- A line with arrows on a plan marking where a section is cut and which direction the view looks; keeps section and plan in agreement. Module 4 · Lesson 4.3 →
- Seen line GLOBAL
- A medium-weight line for visible edges that weren't cut — door leaves, furniture, fixtures. Tier 2. Module 1 · Lesson 1.1 →
- Shade GLOBAL
- The darkness on an object's own surfaces that face away from the light — the object shading itself. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Shadow geometry GLOBAL
- The rules linking the sun's position to a shadow: direction is opposite the sun, length set by the sun's height. Also predicts real daylight and overshadowing. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Sheet series COMPARE
- Grouping of sheets by type within a discipline (1xx plans, 2xx sections, 3xx elevations, 5xx details). Conventions vary by office/region. Module 8 · Lesson 8.3 →
- Site scale GLOBAL
- A large-ratio, zoomed-out scale (1:500, 1:1000) used to show whole sites and their context. Module 2 · Lesson 2.1 →
- Snap GLOBAL
- A CAD feature that locks the cursor to meaningful points (endpoint, midpoint, intersection) for exact line meeting. Module 1 · Lesson 1.3 →
- Snap point GLOBAL
- In CAD, a defined location (endpoint, midpoint, intersection) the cursor locks onto for precision — the digital equivalent of aiming a pencil exactly. Module 0 · Lesson 0.2 →
- Spine six COMPARE
- The core dimensions worth memorising: single door 900, counter 900, corridor 1000, riser 175, tread 275, turning circle 1500. Module 3 · Lesson 3.4 →
- Squat WC clearance COMPARE
- The floor space and drainage needs of a squat toilet, common in South Asia and elsewhere; differs from a seated WC. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Standard scale set COMPARE
- The recognised everyday scales. Metric: 1:1, 1:5, 1:10, 1:20, 1:50, 1:100, 1:200, 1:500. Imperial has its own set. Module 2 · Lesson 2.2 →
- Standard vs code COMPARE
- A code is law (mandatory); a standard is an agreed technical reference or best practice. Drawing conventions are mostly standards. Module 5 · Lesson 5.4 →
- Stated scale GLOBAL
- The scale a drawing declares in its title block or under each view. A drawing without one is unreadable. Module 2 · Lesson 2.4 →
- Surface texture GLOBAL
- Marks suggesting what a material looks like on a seen face (brick courses, glass sheen, timber grain), as opposed to section hatch showing what it's made of. Module 7 · Lesson 7.2 →
- Symbol (drawing) GLOBAL
- A compact conventional mark standing for an element — door, window, stair, north arrow, fitting — read at a glance. Module 5 · Lesson 5.2 →
- Tatami module COMPARE
- The Japanese practice of sizing rooms by the tatami mat (~1760 × 880 mm) rather than an abstract grid. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Terminator GLOBAL
- The mark at each end of a dimension line — an arrowhead, dot, or (common in architecture) a 45° tick. Module 5 · Lesson 5.1 →
- Testing against the brief GLOBAL
- Repeatedly checking that the developing design still answers the client's needs, budget, site and climate. Module 8 · Lesson 8.2 →
- Thinking on paper GLOBAL
- Using sketching as a cognitive tool: the hand and idea in a fast loop, where a loose line's ambiguity can spark new directions. Module 8 · Lesson 8.1 →
- Thumbnail plan GLOBAL
- A quick, small, freehand plan testing whether the parti works as an actual layout. Module 8 · Lesson 8.1 →
- Title block GLOBAL
- The bordered metadata panel that turns a drawing into a controlled document: project, title, scale, number, revision, date, author. Module 5 · Lesson 5.5 →
- Trace paper GLOBAL
- Thin, semi-transparent paper used for overlaying and iterating sketches by hand — a core thinking tool. Module 0 · Lesson 0.2 →
- Two-point perspective GLOBAL
- Perspective facing a corner, with two vanishing points; vertical edges stay true while horizontals converge. The most natural-looking view. Module 6 · Lesson 6.3 →
- Unit system COMPARE
- The family of units a drawing uses — metric (mm/m) or imperial (feet/inches). A regional dialect; the grammar of scale is shared. Module 2 · Lesson 2.5 →
- Universal grammar (of drawing) GLOBAL
- The parts of drawing identical everywhere: projection, lineweight hierarchy, perspective, scale as ratio. They let a drawing cross borders. Module 0 · Lesson 0.3 →
- Value hierarchy GLOBAL
- A simple set of tones for rendering: lit surfaces light, shaded surfaces medium, cast shadows darkest. Keep to three or four values. Module 7 · Lesson 7.1 →
- Vanishing point (VP) GLOBAL
- The point on the horizon where a set of receding parallel lines appears to meet. One in one-point, two in two-point. Module 6 · Lesson 6.2 →
- Vegetation (entourage) GLOBAL
- Trees and planting added to a drawing for scale, softness and a sense of place; kept lighter than the building. Module 7 · Lesson 7.3 →
- Vertical experience GLOBAL
- The dimension of height and light that only a section reveals — double heights, clerestories, level changes — designed in section. Module 4 · Lesson 4.3 →
- Visual hierarchy GLOBAL
- Making some elements larger and first so the eye knows where to look. One hero drawing dominates; support sits smaller. Module 9 · Lesson 9.4 →
- Wheelchair turning circle COMPARE
- The clear diameter (~1500 mm) needed for a wheelchair to turn; a code-required accessibility dimension. Module 3 · Lesson 3.3 →
- Whitespace GLOBAL
- Deliberate empty space on a page that directs the eye, signals confidence, and lets each drawing be seen. Module 9 · Lesson 9.4 →
- Work in parallel GLOBAL
- Developing plan, section and elevation together rather than finishing one then starting the next, so they stay consistent. Module 9 · Lesson 9.2 →
- Workflow tracker GLOBAL
- A checklist of the capstone stages, each tied to its module, used to keep a solo project honest and on track. Module 9 · Lesson 9.2 →
- Working drawing GLOBAL
- A drawing a building is actually constructed from — always orthographic, because every dimension must be reliably scalable. Module 4 · Lesson 4.1 →
- Working vs presentation drawing GLOBAL
- Working drawings (orthographic) are measurable and get a building built; presentation drawings (perspective) persuade. Each has its job. Module 6 · Lesson 6.4 →
- Worm's-eye / bird's-eye view GLOBAL
- Perspectives with a very low horizon (looking up, monumental) or very high horizon (looking down, surveying). Module 6 · Lesson 6.3 →