Technical axonometric drawings are typically foreshortened at set ratios in order to achieve pictorial accuracy. These ratios vary according to the angles of the axonometric (and correspond to the foreshortening that one would see if drawing a line rotated to that angle in elevation). Lines along axes at equal angles are foreshortened equally. In these examples all dimensions are shown as true, leading all to appear too large (compare the isometric cube to the plan view of a cube on a point) and the dimetric and trimetric drawings to appear distorted. In Rhino, parallel three-dimensional views (including the the isometric view mode) correspond to these axonometric types (with foreshortening).

While oblique projections are not technically axonometric projections as defined for instance in engineering or software development, architects will often refer to them as axonometrics (used to describe three-dimensional parallel projections) and as isometrics (used to describe axonometrics where all measurements are true). oblique projections maintain one face parallel to the plane of projection and maintain all angles on that face true.