Drafting for the Theatre

3. Graphic Standards and Conventions

21 3.1 Communication Is the Key The primary purpose of drafting is to graphically convey design and technical information. Theatre graphics are used to communicate design and construction ideas to members of the production team and studio crew. As in most fields, drafting should be viewed not as an end product, but as a means to an end. For the information on the drafted plate to be effectively communicated, drawings must be of a high quality and follow established graphic standards. Factors such as line-weight quality, drawing arrangement, and presentational style play significant roles in meeting these needs. In 1983, the theatre industry, through action taken by the United States Institute for Theatre Technology (USITT), established a standard graphic language in scenic design and technical production, following the example of professionals in other fields such as the AIA (American Institute of Architects) and ANSI (American National Standards Institute). The primary reason cited for the development of the USITT graphic standards was the everincreasing mobility of theatre designers and technicians. For example, a designer in, say, New York might be working on a production in San Diego that is being built in Phoenix and directed by someone from Minneapolis. At the same time, the cost of holding face-toface , on-site conferences is often too high for production budgets, although the popularity of Skype and similar webcam technology is making electronic conference meetings more feasible. Still, today much information is exchanged through overnight delivery services and other information delivery systems, such as email, social network sites on the Internet, and electronic file exchanges. As mobility increases, so does the need for a standardized graphic language that is familiar and equipped with symbols and notation relevant to the needs of theatre practitioners. A second reason given for standardization is to enhance education. For educators to successfully prepare students to enter the fields of theatre design and technology, industry standards needed to be defined. Information that is merely assumed to be true may not reflect current or industry-wide practices and can have a detrimental effect on a student’s professional growth. A significant benefit of standardization is in­ creased efficiency. Theatre drafting is frequently done under severe time constraints. The use of standardized schematic symbols reduces drafting time while maintaining high quality. 3.2 Line Thickness Drawing is the language of lines. We begin this discussion by examining the topic of line thickness and style. No other single factor has a greater impact on the graphic quality of drafting than does line weight, which refers to a combination of specific thickness and a consistent opacity. A proper line weight will give both good reproduction capability and clear line differentiation to your work. All lines are expected to approximate the opacity of a black ink-drawn or plotter -drawn line, except those that are drawn using a gray- or screened-color line. The USITT graphic standard uses two line thicknesses for both pen and pencil: thick and thin. The same thickness standard applies to CAD-drawn lines. The USITT-approved graphic standard for line weights, a modified form of the ANSI standard, is shown in figure 3.1. Note that, in fact, the USITT standard permits the use of a third line thickness, although drafters are directed to use the “extra-thick” line weight rarely and then only for very specific purposes . The thickest line works well for architectural outlines (and eliminates the need to hatch these areas, which can become visually dominating in some instances) and for the cutting-plane line that indicates the plane of a section (cut-through) view. While no one, as a practical matter, will be measuring the width of lines on any given 3. Graphic Standards and Conventions 22 drawing, the drafter has the responsibility to draw thick lines that are consistently thicker than the thin lines and, conversely, thin lines that are thinner than thick ones. The sizes listed in figure 3.1 serve primarily as a guide. 3.3 USITT Line Types, Ground Plan, and Hardware Symbols To aid the reader of a drawing in making distinctions between various lines and their respective meanings, USITT has adopted all of the most commonly used line symbols (line types) found in the ANSI standard and has added a few of its own. The so-called alphabet of lines, figure 3.2, is included here as a ready reference and appears again in appendix A (the USITT graphic standards for scenic design and technical production). Should...