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I would like to create a drawing on isometric drawing paper like the following:

isometric-paper

N.B. Forget the drawing on top of the paper; it is just something I found in order to illustrate the type of paper I would like to have.

On the blank isometric paper, I would like to draw the following simple sketch of a house:

house

Update

Thanks to Herbert's answer, I created the following (which is the house from another angle):

\documentclass{article}

\usepackage{pstricks-add}

\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
\centering
 \psset{linejoin = 2}
 \SpecialCoor
  \begin{pspicture*}(-0.5,-2.3)(10,8.5)
    \pstVerb{gsave [0.8660254 0.5 0 1 0 -400] concat}
   {\psset{linewidth = 0.3pt, linecolor = black!50}
     \multido{\iA = 0+1}{25}{%
       \psline(\iA,-4)(\iA,20)
       \psline(!-5 \iA\space 10 sub)(!20 \iA\space 10 sub)
       \rput(!0 \iA\space 15 sub){\psline(0,0)(!\iA\space abs dup add dup)}
     }
   }
   \psset{linewidth = 2pt}
    \pspolygon(8,2)(8,6)(11,9)(11,5)
    \pspolygon(1,2)(1,6)(8,6)(8,2)
    \pspolygon(1,6)(2.5,9.5)(9.5,9.5)(8,6)
    \psline(11,9)(9.5,9.5)
   \psset{linestyle = dashed}
    \pspolygon(4,5)(4,9)(11,9)(11,5)
    \pspolygon(1,6)(4,9)(4,5)(1,2)
    \psline(4,9)(2.5,9.5)
    \pstVerb{grestore}
  \end{pspicture*}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

house

Community
  • 1
Svend Tveskæg
  • 31,033
  • One can easily draw 3D objects in pstricks using pst-solides3d. However, using isometric paper like the above would not work with true 3D objects, since the projection would not coincide with the 2D guidelines. So, either fake 3D (naturally, 2D) on isometric paper, or true 3D. That's what I'm thinking. – Werner May 14 '13 at 18:06
  • @Werner I think a fake 3D is what I'm after, but I don't know how to draw the actual isometri paper. :( The house itself should no be too difficult (I think). – Svend Tveskæg May 14 '13 at 18:08
  • @SvendTveskæg: in your edit the roof is not symmetrical, it is 1 to 2 and not 1.5 on each side –  May 15 '13 at 13:36
  • @Herbert Good point; thank you. Is it correct after the edit? – Svend Tveskæg May 15 '13 at 16:55
  • yes, it is ok now –  May 15 '13 at 18:05

1 Answers1

15
\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pst-3dplot}
\begin{document}

\psset{coorType=1,Alpha=30}% type 1 for orhtogonal x-z-axes
\begin{pspicture}(-2,-3)(3,3)
\pstThreeDCoor[IIIDticks,zMax=6,yMax=1]
\pstThreeDLine(0,0,0)(3,0,0)(3,0,4)(0,0,4)(0,0,0)
\pstThreeDLine(3,0,4)(1.5,0,6)(0,0,4)
\end{pspicture}

\end{document}

enter image description here

the isometric lines are simple lines in the plane. However, you can use the transformation matrix and set the values so that all lines in a 2d coordinate system are isometric.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{pstricks,multido}\SpecialCoor
\begin{document}

\begin{figure}
\begin{pspicture*}(-0.5,-2)(11,10)
\pstVerb{ gsave [1 0.5 0 1 0 -400] concat }
{\psset{linewidth=0.3pt,linecolor=black!30}
\multido{\iA=-0+1,\iB=-10+1,\iC=-15+1}{25}{
  \psline(\iA,-4)(\iA,20)
  \psline(-5,\iB)(20,\iB)
  \rput(0,\iC){\psline(0,0)(!\iA\space abs dup add dup )}}}
\psset{linewidth=2pt}
\pspolygon(0,0)(0,4)(3,4)(3,0)
\psline(0,4)(1.5,6)(3,4)
\psline(3,0)(10,7)(10,11)(3,4)% see isometric grid for the coordinates
\psline(1.5,6)(8.5,13)(10,11)
\pstVerb{grestore }
\end{pspicture*}
\caption{foo}
\end{figure}

\end{document}

enter image description here

Look into a PostScript documentation for the meaning of the transformation matrix. It is the same as the one in PDF.

  • This is nice, Herbert. However, I would like to have the isometric paper, i.e., the 2D triangles, too. – Svend Tveskæg May 14 '13 at 18:34
  • Thanks a lot. Two questions: (1) Can I somehow use pdflatex if loading auto-pst-pdf? (As it is now, the lines are placed wrong if I do this.) (2) The house is not 4 units high, but something like 3½ units; how do I correct this? – Svend Tveskæg May 14 '13 at 19:25
  • 3
    I know, it is only a way how it could be done. The distance outside of the matrix is the default unit, you can correct it. I have no idea why pdflatex fails. –  May 14 '13 at 19:28
  • Okay about pdflatex; I will just use latex --> dvips --> ps2pdf instead. I don't quite understand how to change the units to corret the problem. Any chance I can make you show me how to do it? – Svend Tveskæg May 14 '13 at 19:31
  • 3
    see my edited answer –  May 15 '13 at 05:39
  • Nice. One last question: If I add a caption beneath the drawing inside a figure environment, the caption is rotated just as (the beginning of) the house on the drawing. How do I avoid that? (I tried putting \SpecialCoor inside the pspicture* but wihtout effect.) – Svend Tveskæg May 15 '13 at 06:42
  • 3
    see edit. We have to save the current graphic state and restore it at the end of the pspicture environment –  May 15 '13 at 06:52
  • Perfect, Herbert! – Svend Tveskæg May 15 '13 at 06:57
  • Arrrh! I actually have a one other problem (sorry): How do I draw the house in 3D instead of just drawing the end of it in the (x,z) plane? I tried to add for example \psline(3,0,0)(3,7,0) but that (of course) just adds a line from (3,0) to (3,7). – Svend Tveskæg May 15 '13 at 07:10
  • Where is the problem?? That are all simple lines. You must draw the coordinate axes with labels then it is easy to see what coordinates do you have to choose. See my edited answer for the 2d solution. –  May 15 '13 at 08:55
  • I have no idea what I missed; what you do it obvious and simple. Thank you! – Svend Tveskæg May 15 '13 at 09:36
  • After a closer examination, I have found that the triangles making up the isometric paper are not regular; the vertival side is shorter than the two others. How do I make them regular? – Svend Tveskæg May 16 '13 at 14:19
  • I already told you that everything is done by the setting of the transmations matrix: 0.5 is sin(30) –  May 16 '13 at 14:38
  • Okay; I didn't realize that [1 0.5 0 1 0 -400] was the transformation matrix. If I change the first 1 to 0.8660254 (almost sqrt(3)/2), it works. Thank you. – Svend Tveskæg May 16 '13 at 14:51