Drawing Standard and Style Guide: ME EN 382
C. A. Mattson1 & O. K. Johnson | REV 1.2 | 11 Jan 2021
Above all, drawings should be clear, complete, and unambiguous. It is valuable to create drawings that are
pleasing to look at and require the least amount of energy to be correctly understood.
Formatting
1. Exploded/Assembly Drawings must use B‐sized (11 by 17 inches) landscape drawing sheets. B‐sized
landscape drawing sheets should also be used on any drawings that need it to ensure readability.
Simple parts that only require a small number of views (e.g. the piston rod bushing) should use A‐
sized landscape drawing sheets.
2. In Exploded Drawings, components are clearly ballooned with Item Numbers or Part Numbers that
appear in the bill of materials. Hidden lines are removed.
3. Title blocks should be in the lower right corner of the sheet. Identical sheet formats are used for all
sheets of a multi‐sheet drawing.
4. The following title‐block information is required on all drawings:
a. Team Name
b. Drawn by (First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name. For example: C. A. Mattson)
c. Drawn date (DD JAN YYYY)
d. Checked by (First Initial. Second Initial. Last Name. For example: C. D. Sorensen)
e. Checked date (DD JAN YYYY)
f. Units (INCHES or MM, if using title‐block tolerances)
g. Title/Part Name. Short and descriptive, written broad to specific.
h. Material, matching that which is specified in the part file.
i. Part Number
j. Revision (REV)
k. Scale
5. Information in the title block should be neat, tidy, and remain within the space provided.
6. The bill of materials (BOM) for an assembly drawing should be placed immediately above the title
block (unless there are so many parts that it doesn't fit there, in which case it should be on its
own page). The BOM should contain accurate quantity, part number, and material used for both
manufactured parts and hardware/stock parts (assign a simple alpha‐numeric part number to
custom‐built parts to be used on both the BOM and title‐block of the associated part drawing).
7. Hidden lines should be shown in standard orthographic views of part drawings, unless it causes the
view to become obscured and meaningless.
8. Hidden lines should not be shown on isometric views nor section views of part drawings.
9. Hidden lines should not be shown in assembly drawings, unless visual and/or technical clarity
requires it (this is rare).
10. Views should be selected to minimize the number of hidden lines. The conventional preferred views
are front, top, and right.
11. The most descriptive view of the product should be chosen as the front view (in the set of
orthographic projections). If there is an obvious top to the object, the top should be selected as the
top view, even if it is more descriptive than the front.
12. Isometric views of parts should be placed in upper right area of a part drawing, but may be the
center and only view of an assembly drawing.
13. Views should not be shaded or rendered on any drawing.
1
Adapted from Carl Sorensen, CAPSTONE Drawing Standard.
Dimensioning Standards
1. Each part must be fully dimensioned, and no redundant dimensions should be present. If there are
two different dimensions that apply to a particular measurement, one should be removed or
indicated as a reference dimension with parenthesis or the notation “REF”.
2. Dimensions should generally be made to a common origin/baseline. However, if this would lead to
accumulated error in critical dimensions (e.g. relative position of features), then the critical dimensions
should be dimensioned directly instead.
3. Dimensions should be placed so they are easily understood and do not interfere with
part/assembly lines.
4. Dimensions should not be placed on isometric views.
5. Dimensions should be placed close to the part (approximately 3/8 inch distance from the part, when
printed). When there are successive dimensions, they should be placed close to each other (1/4 inch,
when printed).
6. Dimensions should generally be placed between orthogonal views.
7. Dimension lines should not cross, and should not cross part lines nor extension lines.
8. Extension lines should have a small (visible) gap between the feature being dimensioned and the
extension line.
9. Extension lines may cross part lines, but should not coincide with part lines.
10. Dimensions should be made to visible lines, not hidden lines.
11. Dimensions should be placed in views where the feature has its true shape, and is most clearly
shown.
12. Angular dimensions should point to extension lines, not feature lines.
13. Holes should be dimensioned in views where they appear as circles. They should use the diameter
symbol before the dimension or the notation “DIA” after the dimension. The location dimensions
should come from the centerline of the circle.
14. Cylinders should be dimensioned in views where they appear as rectangles. They should use the
diameter symbol before the dimension or the notation “DIA” after the dimension. The location of any
features on the shaft should come from the centerline of the shaft.
15. Objects with rounded ends (not rounded corners) should be dimensioned using the centerline of the
end as an extension line, and with a radius dimension on the end (the dimension is preceded by “R”).
16. When there are multiple identical features, dimensions should be made to one feature, with the
indicated number of features to which the dimension applies by, e.g. “6X”, preceding the dimension.
17. Rounds and fillets should be dimensioned by radius, not length or diameter.
18. Chamfers may be dimensioned by horizontal and vertical distances, or by a horizontal dimension and
an angle.
19. Hole depth should be specified for any non‐through holes.
20. Counterbore holes require counterbore depth specification.
21. Countersunk holes should be specified with a countersink diameter and angle.
22. Complex surface geometry should generally be dimensioned by pointing to surface and clearly
indicating which solid model defines the shape.
23. Dimension units should be indicated in the title block, not on the dimension itself.
24. Use the proper number of significant digits for the desired implicit tolerance.
25. Inch dimensions do not have a leading zero before the decimal point, while metric dimensions do.
26. Threads are dimensioned using standard thread callouts (e.g. UNC 5/16‐18 2B), unless the
threads will be custom machined. Note that a hole that is not threaded to its depth must also have
a diameter callout given for the unthreaded portion.