ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Engineering Drawing

Okay kiddo, imagine you want to tell your dad how to build a castle made of blocks. You don't want to just show him, you want to tell him exactly how to build it so it turns out just right. So, what you do is draw a picture like a map that shows him how to build it. This is called an engineering drawing.

An engineering drawing is like a map for someone who wants to build something. People use engineering drawings to make sure what they build is the same as what they originally planned. It takes lots of work and lots of planning to make something like a building or a bridge or a machine, and if you don't plan it correctly, it might not work at all!

In an engineering drawing, there are lots of lines and symbols that show what things look like and how they fit together. Some lines might be straight, some might be curved, and some might be short or long. Some symbols mean things like "this line is hidden" or "this is where a hole goes." It's like a secret code that only people who work with engineering drawings all the time can understand.

So, if you ever want to build something really cool like a robot or a house or a bridge, you'll need to start with an engineering drawing to make sure it turns out just right!