The Ship Model Forum

I actually built a computer model of the ship, and used Google maps to help with the plan view. One of the problems is the ship is no longer in same configuration as when it was originally built, as it was changed from a destroyer escort to a guided missile frigate. The bow was extended at that time, among other changes. The computer model I made was not for the purpose of an exact plan of the ship, but rather something close enough for some renderings I had to do.

Unless you're using photos just for details, photos tend to distort through perspective (aspherical distortion), and will "stretch" the image around the edges. Unless you buy a horribly expensive specialized lens (aspheric lens) which eliminates that.

Harper57 wrote:It may not be possible to take photos as you describe. Certainly not from above.

I just typed 'USS Recruit' in Google Maps, and then pressed on the 'satellite' function, and immediately was sent to her location, getting a very nice overhead aerial photo view of her. That could be used for basic a plan view drawing.

Fascinating subject by the way!

Marijn

The "ship" that I am interested in is actually not a ship at all, in the traditional sense. It's the USS Recruit in San Diego in Sourthen California, a landlocked training structure on an old naval base that was built to resemble a ship. It may not be possible to take photos as you describe. Certainly not from above. It would be possible to take photos in perspective and some measurements. Getting up on the "deck" may be off limits.

Hi.

I usually try to find pictures taken straight from beside, front, back or from the top. Then I start mark / pick the mesurments that are known. Usually you know the owerall lengt anb breath of the ship. And often it is standard type of doors, and other visible equipment on deck that you can use to find "secure" mesurments. And in about 90% of modern (since the 1980) naval & sivilian ships, the deck spasing betwen deck plates (Examble: distance between A and B deck) is 270cm / about 107 inches.

Then when you have found all known mesurments, its just an advanced game of find the X, use a calculator and a scale converter app. And just start.
Would recomend to keep all numbers in one format at first, then convert them to the scale you need

Good luck on your task.

My i ask wich ship you are gona work on ??

Ps: Sorry for my bad English.

Does anyone have a resource for ideas on how to develop elevations in scale from photos? In my case the actual ship is available to define a few reference dimensions.