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3D Primary Forms

A plane extended into an additional dimension becomes a “volume,” or a 3-dimensional form. Volumes have length, width, and depth and are made of the other basic elements: points (where several planes come together), lines where two planes meet, and surfaces, which are planes in themselves.

A volume's shape is determined by the shape and configuration of the planes that make it up. The primary 3-dimensional forms are “cubes,” “spheres,” “cones,” “pyramids,” and “irregular volumes.” Volumes can either be made up of flat or curved planes. Volumes are hollow whereas solid forms are referred to as "mass".
 

Select a 3-dimensional primary form on the left. Roll over the example image to display how the primary form is used. Click on 1, 2, or 3 on the right to switch between the examples of each form.