Why didn't I think of that???? (scaling)

[Desert_Signs]

I'll go out, take a picture, and measure a few spots. Then, when I get back the shop, I bring the picture into illustrator and play with the size of the image until it matches the measurements I took.

Well, my designer blew my mind today.... If you haven't thought of this trick, it will save you a LOT of time.

Take a piece of 8.5x11 paper. Tape it to whatever you're measuring. Take a picture.

Open the picture in illustrator. Create a rectangle around the piece of paper in the photo. Create a clipping mask. Scale the rectangle (which is now only the piece of paper) to 8.5x11. Release clipping mask. Your image is now scaled perfectly.

I've used the paper thing before, but then just made a rectangle that was 8.5x11 and scaled the image till the paper matched the rectangle. This clipping mask thing changes a few minutes of manipulation into a 5 second task.

 

[Rick]

We use a 18 x 24 coro with 4 boxes in black and white in a
checkerboard configuration, that way we can clearly see the
panel in any color background.

I have Illustrator with CADTools, each layer being a different scale,
I have an 18 x 24 box and size the photo to that box. Then place the
photo on the best scale layer possible for presentation.

 

[phototec]

Yep, I always use a perfect size target for scale, it can be anything as long as you know it true size.

CADTools for Illy is a MUST, if you don't have you are missing a great asset, it turns Illy into AUTOCAD (almost).

The only issue you need to worry about in lens distortion, if you place your paper 8.5x11 paper in the center of the vehicle and you are NOT taking your photo straight on, your image could be distorted and either the left or right side would not be enlarged correctly, only the center area where you place the paper for size.

The way around this is to use a longer focal length that what a normal lens would be, use of a longer lens (lets say 85mm to 105mm (based on a 35mm camera), and place the camera lens exactly centered left to t right and bottom to top of the vehicle, that way you will not have any lens distortion (that's how they make the photos in BadWraps).

Another thought is you use three pieces of paper, one on the left, one in the center, and one on the right. Now when you are enlarging the image in Photoshop, you can skew the image to eliminate any lens distortion. Photosop actually has a very good lens correction filter built in for popular camera lenses to take out lens distortion..

[video=youtube;RLgRwWeqnBc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RLgRwWeqnBc[/video]

 

[neil_se]

I can't be bothered going into the maths right now, but I'd still rather scale a photo using the largest measurement possible. Besides the barrel distortion (which is going to be fairly large when scaling a whole building, and you're never going to be able to get far enough away to minimize it), using a small target is going to magnify the scaling error by the proportion of the total image that the target occupies.

For vehicles (when I can't get a true 2D template) I use wheelbase, and for buildings I measure targets as far apart on the building as possible.

 

[Cross Signs]

I'll go out, take a picture, and measure a few spots. Then, when I get back the shop, I bring the picture into illustrator and play with the size of the image until it matches the measurements I took.

Well, my designer blew my mind today.... If you haven't thought of this trick, it will save you a LOT of time.

Take a piece of 8.5x11 paper. Tape it to whatever you're measuring. Take a picture.

Open the picture in illustrator. Create a rectangle around the piece of paper in the photo. Create a clipping mask. Scale the rectangle (which is now only the piece of paper) to 8.5x11. Release clipping mask. Your image is now scaled perfectly.

I've used the paper thing before, but then just made a rectangle that was 8.5x11 and scaled the image till the paper matched the rectangle. This clipping mask thing changes a few minutes of manipulation into a 5 second task.

I've been playing with an app that does the same thing (On 3D Measure)

 

[Malkin]

I also simply measure a known element, and scale up. The larger the measurement the better, as in a whole wall or vehicle wheelbase. The Illustrator clipping mask trick is very handy as well to scale up quickly.

I recently discovered this masking tape at Target. It's not exact but it's so far been very very close (less than 1/16" error over 4 feet). $3 a roll and works great for something small you can keep with you in case of needing to take photos.

 

[J Hill Designs]

for those with corel:

import image.
draw box to known measurement
doubleclick ruler
click scale
set 'size of drawn box' = 'size of known measurement'
boom. scaled.

edit: if you like to work full-scale:

draw box
powerclip
size to known
release powerclip

 

[Marlene]

for years I've just done the measure something tall measure something wide near and it always has been within reason dead on. the paper thing isn't a bad idea but when you are taking a photo of a large building it would be pretty useless. a 3' wide door seems small when scaling a building so I sure wouldn't want a piece of paper

 

[rjssigns]

I've used Sticky Yard on projects. Interface is a bit odd, but it works. You click point to point and it adds the lines and dims. Pretty simple.

Otherwise for short vehicles I measure the rim. Long vehicles I measure the rim and wheelbase.

 

[visual800]

for years I've just done the measure something tall measure something wide near and it always has been within reason dead on. the paper thing isn't a bad idea but when you are taking a photo of a large building it would be pretty useless. a 3' wide door seems small when scaling a building so I sure wouldn't want a piece of paper

This is what i do. But the paper idea is very cool

 

[LarryB]

We just use 3" x 3" yellow post it notes and take the camera shot straight on. Scale it up in illustrator with no issues.