Development of surfaces

Introduction
Imagine that a solid is enclosed in a wrapper of thin material, such as paper. If this
covering is opened out and laid on a flat plane, the flattened out paper is the
development of the solid. Thus, when surfaces of a solid are laid out on a plane, the
figure obtained is called development.

Notes:
➢ Development is different drawing than projections.
➢ It is a shape showing AREA, means it is a 2-D plain drawing.
➢ Hence all dimensions of it must be TRUE dimensions.
➢As it is representing shape of an unfold sheet, no edges can remain hidden and
hence DOTTED LINES are never shown in development.
Fig. 1 shows a square prism covered with paper in process of being opened out. Its
development consists of four equal rectangles for faces and two similar squares for its
ends. Each figure shows the true size and shape of the corresponding surface of the
prism. The development of a solid, thus represents the actual shape of all its surfaces
which, when bent or folded at the edges, would form the solid.

Figure 1
 Development of lateral surfaces of different solids
lateral surfaces is the surface excluding top and base of the solid

Figure 2
 Methods of Development

The following are the principal methods of development:

1. Parallel-line development: It is employed in case of prisms and cylinders in which
stretch-out-line principle is used. Fig. 3 shows the development of square prism, in
which line A-A and A1-A1 are called stretch-out lines.

Figure 3

2. Radial line development: This is used for pyramids and cones in which the true
length of the slant edge or the generator is used as radius (Fig.2).
3. Triangulation development: This is used to develop transition pieces. This is simply
a method of dividing a surface into a number of triangles and transferring them into
development.

4. Approximate method: It is used to develop objects of double curved or wraped

surfaces as sphere, paraboloid, ellipsoid, hyperboloid and helicoid.
Class problems
1. A square pyramid edge of base 30mm and axis 40 mm long rests with its base on H.P.
such that edge of the base is parallel to the reference line. It is cut by a plane
perpendicular to V.P., inclined at 45⁰ to H.P and cuts the axis at distance 20 mm below
the apex. Develop the lateral surface of the pyramid. (Fig. 4)
Sol:
Step 1: Draw the projections (top and front view) of the square pyramid in the required
position.
Step 2: Draw a line 45⁰ to the H.P and cuts the axis at distance 20 mm below the apex.
Step 3: With ‘O’ as centre and radius O1, draw an arc upto point 11 and project them
upto the reference line and get the true length O’11’ .
Step 4: With any point ‘O’ as centre and radius equal to true length (O’11’ ) of the slant
edge of the pyramid, draw an arc of the circle. With radius equal to the true length of
the side (30 mm) of the base, step-off (on this arc) 4 number of the divisions (i.e.
number of sides of the base).
Step 5: Mark a point ‘A’ in O1 and D in O4 such that OA = OD = O’a’’. Similarly,
mark ‘B’ in O2 and C in O3 such that OB = OC = O’ b’’.
Step 6: draw lines AB, BC, CD, DA and complete the required development.

Figure 4
2. A cone of base 60 mm diameter and height 70 mm rests with base on H.P. A section
plane perpendicular to V.P. and inclined at 45⁰ to H.P. bisects the axis of the cone. Draw
the development of the lateral surface of the truncated cone. (Fig. 5)
Sol:
Step 1: Draw the projections (top and front view) of the cone in the required position.
Step 2: Draw the base circle in the top view and divide it into 12 equal parts.
Step 3: With any point ‘O’ as centre and radius equal to O’1’ or O’ 7’ , draw an arc of
the circle. The length of this arc should be equal to the circumference of the base circle
(Π*D = 188.4 mm) .
radius of the base circle
Step 4: or calculate θ = 360° ×
slant height
Step 5: Divide the arc or Ө into 12 equal parts.
Step 6: Join the division points with ‘O’, thus completing the development of the whole
cone 12 generators (O1, O2, O3, O4 ,………., 012).
Step 7: Mark point ‘B’ and ‘B1’ on generators O-2 and O-12 respectively, such that
OB = O B1 = o’b’’ and OC = O C1 = o’ c’’ .
Step 8: Locate all the points in the same way and draw a smooth curve through them
(ABCDFG F1E1D1C1B1 A).
 F
C D E GF D1 C1
1 E1

Figure 5
Problems for Lab Work on drawing Sheet

➢ A hexagonal prism edge of base 20 mm and axis 50 mm long rests with its base on H.P. such
that one of its rectangular faces is parallel to V.P. It is cut by a plane to V.P., inclined at 45⁰ to H.P.
and passing through the right corner of the top face of the prism. Draw the sectional top view and
develop the lateral surface of the truncated Prism.

➢ A pentagonal pyramid, side of base 25 mm and axis 70 mm long, is standing on the H.P. on its
base with one of the side of the base perpendicular to V.P. It is cut by a section plane inclined at
45⁰ to the H.P. through midpoint of the axis. Draw its projections. Also draw true shape of the
section and development of surface of remaining solid.

➢ A cylinder of diameter of base 40 mm and axis 55 mm long is resting on its base on H.P. It is
cut by a section plane, perpendicular to V.P. and inclined at 45⁰ to H.P. The section plane is
passing through the top end of an extreme generator of the cylinder. Draw its projections and
development of the lateral surface of the cut cylinder.

➢ A cone of base 50 mm diameter and height 65 mm rests with its base on H.P. A section plane
perpendicular to V.P. and inclined at 30⁰ to H.P. bisects the axis of the cone. Draw the
development of the lateral surface of the truncated cone.