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Scratchbuilding from Google Streetview


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I've decided after doing some kitbashing with some downloaded model kits to take up some scratchbuilding to fill in the top corner of my layout. Having looked around google maps and streetview I have found some buildings which I like the look of and want to scratchbuild. I have a scale ruler with the measurements for 1:76 on it so scaling up is not much trouble I have. The only thing I'm stuck with is with streetview itself. When viewing a building I don't know how much zoom to use to get the proportions right. Do I zoom in full and measure every bit of detail or stick with the original view and work from that?

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Work off relative dimensions from a known size - such as a door.

 

E.g. door in picture is, say, 210mm high - width of building is 1200mm

 

Knowing that a standard door is 3ft wide and 6ft 6" to 7ft high, the width of the building will be  (calculators at the ready !!)  210/7 = 30, so 1200/30 = 40ft, then multiply by 4 (for 4mm to ft) = 160mm long.

 

From that, guestimate the relative sizes of doorway to window to brick column and adjust accordingly to get the model dimensions.

 

Hope that makes sense !

 

Stu

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Knowing that a standard door is 3ft wide and 6ft 6" to 7ft high, the width of the building will be  (calculators at the ready !!)  210/7 = 30, so 1200/30 = 40ft, then multiply by 4 (for 4mm to ft) = 160mm long.

A standard modern door! Old ones were often lower.

 

If I was doing it, I'd load the image into GIMP and use the Perspective Tool to straighten it. The result will have a distorted aspect ratio, so then you need to work out the height and width to correct it. I'd then import the result into Inkscape to produce a drawing. It takes some practice, but can be worth the effort. And the software is free!

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With some buildings I have looked at on Google earth I can almost get a square on view

 

Like John I use Gimp to take out the perspective, I am not keen on Inkscape but love MS Paint...............horses for courses, one man's meat another man's gravy etc. etc.

 

Most brick buildings post 19th century use a brick size of approximately 9 inches long 3 inches high so I tend to use the number of courses up and the number of bricks across to scale a building. Not tried Stu's door size method but again both should reach the same end.

 

The station building on the bridge on my Brisbane Road layout was done from Google Earth.

 

post-16423-0-67475500-1444492510_thumb.jpg

 

post-16423-0-12350000-1444492570_thumb.jpg

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Whilst Google Streetview gives road side views, Google Earth only gives a satellite view, but it does have a measuring tool. This can be useful to check dimensions measured in the ways mentioned above. 

 

Finally, it might be worth checking the local council's planning website, if the building has be altered in recent years you might strike lucky and get scale architect's elevations.

 

I remember years ago at work we got news of a rival bus operator setting up locally and the trainee was sent off to see what he could find. He came back with a good number of photos, but the boss wanted to know the size of the premises. They were rather astounded when I gave an estimate based on counting bricks and scaling off a discarded 45 gallon oil drum - but it works!

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Whilst Google Streetview gives road side views, Google Earth only gives a satellite view, but it does have a measuring tool. This can be useful to check dimensions measured in the ways mentioned above. 

 

Finally, it might be worth checking the local council's planning website, if the building has be altered in recent years you might strike lucky and get scale architect's elevations.

 

I remember years ago at work we got news of a rival bus operator setting up locally and the trainee was sent off to see what he could find. He came back with a good number of photos, but the boss wanted to know the size of the premises. They were rather astounded when I gave an estimate based on counting bricks and scaling off a discarded 45 gallon oil drum - but it works!

 

Ah I didn't think of that. I'm not intending to build full size buildings and only half relief and part of a certain building. I only seem to be unsure as to how close to view a building. I've tried going close in as possible and found the sizes too big and too small if the view is too far.

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With some buildings I have looked at on Google earth I can almost get a square on view

 

Like John I use Gimp to take out the perspective, I am not keen on Inkscape but love MS Paint...............horses for courses, one man's meat another man's gravy etc. etc.

 

Most brick buildings post 19th century use a brick size of approximately 9 inches long 3 inches high so I tend to use the number of courses up and the number of bricks across to scale a building. Not tried Stu's door size method but again both should reach the same end.

 

The station building on the bridge on my Brisbane Road layout was done from Google Earth.

 

attachicon.gifstation 2b.jpg

 

attachicon.gif009a.jpg

 

That's the sort of view I'm looking at. I don't mind if it's not all square as long as I can measure it.

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Work off relative dimensions from a known size - such as a door.

 

E.g. door in picture is, say, 210mm high - width of building is 1200mm

 

Knowing that a standard door is 3ft wide and 6ft 6" to 7ft high, the width of the building will be  (calculators at the ready !!)  210/7 = 30, so 1200/30 = 40ft, then multiply by 4 (for 4mm to ft) = 160mm long.

 

From that, guestimate the relative sizes of doorway to window to brick column and adjust accordingly to get the model dimensions.

 

Hope that makes sense !

 

Stu

Hi Stu

 

Are you sure a standard door is 3 ft wide? Here in Essex we must be slimmer than other parts of the country as both my front door and back door are 2 ft 6ins wide.

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Hi Stu

 

Are you sure a standard door is 3 ft wide? Here in Essex we must be slimmer than other parts of the country as both my front door and back door are 2 ft 6ins wide.

 

Doors themselves - yes; door plus frame, i.e. width of brickwork hole, I usually reckon on 3ft.  Using a 2'6" x 6'6" sized model door often look (to me ) too tall & slim.

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Doors themselves - yes; door plus frame, i.e. width of brickwork hole, I usually reckon on 3ft.  Using a 2'6" x 6'6" sized model door often look (to me ) too tall & slim.

Hi Stu

 

Fair point about framework etc. As long as the modeller knows the size of the brickwork hole or the door and uses only one or the other to size the image then it doesn't matter how she or he arrives at a scale model.

 

Anyhow here is something I have been working this weekend for my Sheffield Exchange layout, the houses are from Grimesthorpe, Sheffield.

 

 

post-16423-0-99934900-1444572933_thumb.png

 

Scaling done by my "count the bricks" method. Note how the Google Streetview camera distorts things.

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Hi Stu

 

Fair point about framework etc. As long as the modeller knows the size of the brickwork hole or the door and uses only one or the other to size the image then it doesn't matter how she or he arrives at a scale model.

 

Anyhow here is something I have been working this weekend for my Sheffield Exchange layout, the houses are from Grimesthorpe, Sheffield.

 

 

attachicon.giflloyd st rm.png

 

Scaling done by my "count the bricks" method. Note how the Google Streetview camera distorts things.

 

I've noticed that myself. I don't think I could see myself using the "count the bricks" method but still who's to say I can't try. I gotta say for a design done from google streetview that's impressive. Making a outline is straightforward to me, it's just getting the scale sizes just right.

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