Regular polygons are studied at the beginning of 1st year as an introduction to technical graphics. They are 2D shapes that have 3 or more sides. All the sides are equal length and all the angles are the same. The external angles of any polygon adds up to 360 degrees. Regular polygons appear in many places throughout our everyday lives (stop signs, UFC ring, hexagonal bolts, stars, footballs). These shapes can appear in many other chapters of technical graphics as part of a task.
Orthographic Projection is the fundamental chapter of all graphics syllabi. It is typically how drawings are provided to you or how you are to complete them. A concrete understanding of orthographic projection is key for successful graphical education and results. Orthographic views generally contain three views; an elevation, a plan and an end view (or end elevation). Simplified they show the front, top and side of an object, structure, or another piece of 3D geometry. Click on the link below for more details on Orthographic Projection.
Rotations of objects is a chapter that studies the 2D representation of an object after it has been rotated about a vertical or horizontal axis. It appears as question 2 of the higher level Junior Certificate exam. Typically a question involves the surface of an object which has been rotated a certain amount on a certain axis, and we must represent the object with its new position orthographically. Click on the link below for more details on Rotations of Objects.
Developments are one of the major topics within Junior Cycle Technical Graphics. It is the study of unwavering 3D objects and structures to make them 2D. Developments can be seen everywhere in our everyday lives; the most common example being the cardboard box. Tasks and exam questions require pupils to draw the development of a 3D object typically given as an orthographic drawing. Click on the link below for more details on developments.
Transformation Geometry is the study of moving images / shapes into different positions and orientations using different types of movement. This topic is very applicable to other areas of the graphics syllabus; axial symmetry, translation, rotation etc. The topic appears as question 5 of the Junior Certificate exam. Click on the link below for details on each of the movements required for transformation geometry.
The Ellipse appears in question 6 of the Junior Cert examination. It is a conical shape that is found by cutting a cone through its axis at an angle. It is accompanied by the parabola for this question and pupils are required to use the elliptical principles and relationships to complete the questions. Click on the button below for more.
The Parabola, like the ellipse, is a conical shape that is found by cutting a cone parallel to its edge. It appears on question 6 of the Junior Cert exam and is accompanied by the ellipse. Click on the link below for more.