Scale Plans

[Stuart (Isle of Man)]

I'm currently looking to design a small layout and I need to convert some 'real life plans' down to model form. 

 

I would like to ask what is the simplest/easiest way to do this? The 'real life' plans are an A1 sheet 1:200 and I only actually need the top left corner for my use. 

 

So I just want to reduce it down to something a bit more manageable and easier to handle too! Are there any online tools that may help?

 

I hope this is the right place to ask! 

 

Cheers

 

Stuart

[Nick Holliday]

Why don't you take a photo of the part of the plan that interests you, making sure that you have some sort of scaling device to get things right. A scale rule would do, or perhaps draw a scale line so that it reads in units that you can deal with.

You can open a digital photo in a variety of drawing packages, and then scale it up or down as you like.

[Andy Hayter]

If you have access to a copier or scanner with a reduction feature, copy the corner you are interested at 38%.  This will give you the correct scaling -near as makes no difference. 

[Mike Storey]

If you have access to a copier or scanner with a reduction feature, copy the corner you are interested at 38%.  This will give you the correct scaling -near as makes no difference. 

 

Provided your model is due to be in 00.....if not, you will need a different reduction.

[Nick Holliday]

If you have access to a copier or scanner with a reduction feature, copy the corner you are interested at 38%. This will give you the correct scaling -near as makes no difference.

 

Since the original plan was at 1:200, reducing it still further would take it to 1:526. Not quite sure what scale that is!

We are assuming that Stuart is working in 4mm, to get the plan to full size for that scale would require trio copying at 262% (ratio corrected once mathematical head installed!) and there aren't many copiers that can do that enlargement in one step, and the original point was that the sheet was too large in the first place.

I think we need a bit more from Stuart as to what he wants to do with the drawing, to be able to give him accurate scaling ratios, but a common scale for layout planning is 1mm to the foot, giving a quarter sized plan, and that can be achieved by reducing the drawing at 65% ratio.

Edited to correct miscalculation!

Edited November 12, 2017 by Nick Holliday

[Andy Hayter]

Ooops yes you are right it needs to be expanded not reduced.

[Crewlisle]

.............I think we need a bit more from Stuart as to what he wants to do with the drawing, to be able to give him accurate scaling ratios, but a common scale for layout planning is 1mm to the foot, giving a quarter sized plan, and that can be achieved by reducing the drawing at 65% ratio.

Edited to correct miscalculation!

 

 

Nick,

 

So if I wanted to draw a scale plan of my 10ft x 8ft layout, it would be 10mm x 8mm!!!!  How about 1 ins = 1 foot?

 

Peter

[Guy Rixon]

Why don't you take a photo of the part of the plan that interests you, making sure that you have some sort of scaling device to get things right. A scale rule would do, or perhaps draw a scale line so that it reads in units that you can deal with.

You can open a digital photo in a variety of drawing packages, and then scale it up or down as you like.

 

 

This will give an approximate plan, but it will have all sorts of projection effects that distort it towards the edge of the picture. 

[Nick Holliday]

Nick,

 

So if I wanted to draw a scale plan of my 10ft x 8ft layout, it would be 10mm x 8mm!!!!  How about 1 ins = 1 foot?

 

Peter

  

Only if you wanted a model of your model. The ratio I was referring to was for scaling from the real thing, so your layout represents 760 x 620 feet of real estate, so the scale plan, at quarter size of OO, would be 2' 6" x 2' 0".

 

This will give an approximate plan, but it will have all sorts of projection effects that distort it towards the edge of the picture.

 

I did realise this approach would not be 100% accurate, but as the task was to create a layout plan, I can't believe absolute accuracy was necessary, as there would be compromises and redrawing required. If the subject were a building or item of rolling stock, I would have recommended scanning, but handling A1 on a domestic scanner can be a handful.