How to Read Multiview Drawings

Find the plan in the set of multiview drawings. Buildings or designs with multiple levels will have a plan for each level. View the first plan in the set. The plan will be annotated with notes, dimensions, element or room names and numbers, section cuts, and call outs. The call outs are bisected circles with letters and numbers within, and these are keyed to the plan with arrows or leaders to dashed rectangles. Similarly, the section cuts have bisected circles with letters and numbers.

Read the letters and numbers in the call out and section cut circles. The top letter or number is the drawing number of the associated view in the set. The bottom letter and number combination is the drawing page number where the associated view is located. So, a bisected circle pointing to a plan element with "3" on the top section of the circle and "A601" on the bottom section of the circle explains that the associated drawing for that plan element is "Drawing 3 on Page A601." In this way, the section cuts and call outs work like the table of contents or index in a book.

Turn to the drawing sheet and find the drawing number called out in the plan annotation. If all of the multiview drawings are found on only one drawing page, there will not be a drawing page number -- only a drawing number. The associated drawing can be any type of drawing: orthographic projection, isometric projection, or perspective. Like the plan, all of the drawings in the drawing set will have call outs to reference other drawings. In this way, a building or design is fully documented.