how to improve my 3d visualisation skill

482 Views Asked by At

when I solve a volume problem in calc3 the hardest part is to visualise the solid in 3d but I recently noticed that after solving many problems I can visualise solids more clearly and I figured that might be a skill that I can train myself to be better at , so my question is : is there a way to train myself to visualise 3d objects , projection and Cross section of them ( something like problem book or training plan )

1

There are 1 best solutions below

0
On BEST ANSWER

I've been a mentor for first year engineering students and I've noticed that the students are very (and I mean VERY) different when it comes to visual abilities. Some of them can imagine things in 3d in a matter of milliseconds, while others really struggle to do it. But why is that?

This question has hunted me for at least two years, but I think I've got some ideas about it.

  1. Better know what we are dealing with: What you've described is known as "Spatial Visualization Ability". This is a Wikipedia article about it.

  2. It is probably not about how smart you are: I've seen students with all levels of IQ experiencing the same problem. Although, some references consider this visual ability as a subcategory of intelligence. See this Wikipedia article for example.

  3. How to test this ability: The most common test for this ability is the "Mental Rotation Test". You are given a 3D object (printed in 2D) and you are asked to choose which of the 4 options is actually the result of rotating the object. This is a very interesting test. Just so you know, there is a significant difference between male and female participants. You can search which gender performs better on this test, but all sexuality-related debates aside, there is some good news:

  4. This ability is improved by practicing: Don't believe me? See this. If you are not good at it yet, don't worry. You can do great after some exercising.

  5. Where to start: I think mental rotation test problems are a good place to start. Also, you can use technical drawing books. See for example, "Basic Technical Drawing Problems" by Spencer.