Help with retreiving vehicle dimensions

[DOTZ1]

Hey fellow signmakers.im new here.and new to the signmaking game.in the process of designing a decal for a Toyota hilux.i have design ready.but unsure as to scaling the decal to suit the application.

so question is : what are yall using to scale vehicle templates and getting info for the vehicle dimensions to suit.sorry if i sound novice.

yall help appreciated muchly

Regards

Scotty from Nz

 

[White Haus]

If you're using an actual vector template, then scale should be indicated in the file. (I still don't trust these 100%)

If you're using pictures of the actual vehicle (my preference), take a few measurements (doors, tailgate etc.) for reference then bring in pictures and scale up accordingly.

Ideally straight on pictures taken by someone that at least knows how to use the camera on their phone, but sometimes you need to make due with whatever crap the customer gives you, assuming vehicle is off-site during design stages.

 

[Boudica]

When an actual vehicle template is not available, I have a 12" x12" vehicle magnet I made. Place it on the vehicle and take pictures. As straight on as possible. I use the magnet to make the images to scale ( I like 1/10th scale because the math is easier).

 

[bob]

Don't waste your time with tape measures and templates. Simply tape a framing square, 16"x24", 8"x12", or whatever, the larger the better, square to the vehicle. Take a photo of the vhicle with the framing square in place trying for a straight on shot with minimal horizontal and vertical parallax. Import that photo into whatever graphics software you're using. Square the image if necessary. Draw a rectangle around the framing square. Map the image into the rectangle. Make the rectangle 16"x24" or whatever sized framing square you used. Unmap the image from the rectangle. Now you have a full scale image of the vehicle. It takes longer to type this than to do it.

 

[Boudica]

Don't waste your time with tape measures and templates. Simply tape a framing square, 16"x24", 8"x12", or whatever, the larger the better, square to the vehicle. Take a photo of the vhicle with the framing square in place trying for a straight on shot with minimal horizontal and vertical parallax. Import that photo into whatever graphics software you're using. Square the image if necessary. Draw a rectangle around the framing square. Map the image into the rectangle. Make the rectangle 16"x24" or whatever sized framing square you used. Unmap the image from the rectangle. Now you have a full scale image of the vehicle. It takes longer to type this than to do it.

That sounds like it works great for a simple decal. But not as much for a full wrap - or your doing exactly what I just said - you just used more words.

 

[ToneCustomSigns]

That sounds like it works great for a simple decal. But not as much for a full wrap - or your doing exactly what I just said - you just used more words.

I think that's called mansplaining.

 

[GAC05]

I think that's called mansplaining.

I think the gender-neutral term is signsplaining.

 

[Notarealsignguy]

I prefer a few measurements. I'll scale it to 1 and then use a few others to double check. It's hard to get a perfectly square picture and it doesn't take much to knock the dimensions out of wack. On a full wrap you can be pretty sloppy but you can't with everything.

 

[Boudica]

I prefer a few measurements. I'll scale it to 1 and then use a few others to double check. It's hard to get a perfectly square picture and it doesn't take much to knock the dimensions out of wack. On a full wrap you can be pretty sloppy but you can't with everything.

You take a hundred pictures with a measure tape.

 

[monroesigns]

You take a hundred pictures with a measure tape.

I prefer to take my pictures with a camera - I can't get the pictures off my tape measure. I have been to four camera stores and they all lookat me like I'm crazy, LOL.

 

[GAC05]

I prefer to take my pictures with a camera - I can't get the pictures off my tape measure. I have been to four camera stores and they all lookat me like I'm crazy, LOL.

You need to get better gear
This one will broadcast to the cloud or directly to your phone in 4k 120fps....

 

[netsol]

Gac05
i doubt i will ever do a wrap, but i wsnt one of those tape measures
we glove new toys

 

[De.signs Nanaimo]

A very simple method is to get high res photos online, many have been taken perfectly square to the side/rear. Then I find out the wheelbase for the sides and size accordingly to the wheel centers. Back is a bit harder, but I use the license plate which in North America is 12" x 6", this gives me a close enough template and I design accordingly, leaving room for error in my designs. This will cover 80% of your vehicle designs, the rest you have to measure, I recommend a tailors soft tape so you can measure curves and around corners etc., I gorilla tape the metal ends so I don't scratch vehicles.

 

[bob]

That sounds like it works great for a simple decal. But not as much for a full wrap - or your doing exactly what I just said - you just used more words.

Why wouldn't it? I've been doing this method for many years and I doubt the result has ever been more than 1/8" off. It doesn't work well for severely curved or compound curved surfaces. For those you need to flatten the curved surface into two-space with a paper template.

 

[Boudica]

Why wouldn't it? I've been doing this method for many years and I doubt the result has ever been more than 1/8" off. It doesn't work well for severely curved or compound curved surfaces. For those you need to flatten the curved surface into two-space with a paper template.

If the method you described works for a full wrap, then it sounds like we are essentially doing the same thing.

 

[Todd Wigington]

Don't waste you time with any of this. We have doing wraps for 12 years and I hav only used "The Bad Wraps" template and have never had any issues with scaling. All templates are scaled 1/10th the size.You this and you can color the vehicle in any color and lay the graphics to get the proof to them.

 

[Boudica]

Don't waste you time with any of this. We have doing wraps for 12 years and I hav only used "The Bad Wraps" template and have never had any issues with scaling. All templates are scaled 1/10th the size.You this and you can color the vehicle in any color and lay the graphics to get the proof to them.

Do they have a template for a 1997 Buic LeSabre? how about a random food truck?

 

[Todd Wigington]

Anything old you'll have to search on the net. I do not believe there are templates for those cars. Food trucks we draw out and measure everthing because of the palcements of the windows and extras are always different.

 

[Boudica]

Anything old you'll have to search on the net. I do not believe there are templates for those cars. Food trucks we draw out and measure everthing because of the palcements of the windows and extras are always different.

exactly. Not every vehicle has a template - so you have to have ways of laying out graphics and producing them at the right size.

 

[GAC05]

Use whatever method is easiest for you to understand and do quickly/accurately.
Sometimes when exact measurements are critical you have to bite the bullet, grab your tape and get your hands dirty.