need Help enlarging image to start first kit over

[Zeekodadi]

Hey guys like the tittle says. i need help resizing the image below to the size thats on the paper, so i can start over. (restarting a kit that was build 10+ years ago now warped in every direction). i tried playing with the % and copy but that dosn't work, the problem is the lines get thicker the bigger the image gets. any suggestion or can anyone do this for me its my first kit and would like to start it right rather then try fixing it and hope i don't run into problem's.

 

Thanks Zee.

 

This came in a booklet with my kit.    San Francisco (original)

 

[mtaylor]

Outside of scanning and redrawing the images, I can't think of any copy method that won't make the lines thicker.  I don't know of anyone who sells the plans.   You might try contacting AL (use Google Translate and put in both English and Spanish.   Also, check on EBay... you might find a kit that's dirt cheap with the plans.

 

It's possible that someone here has finished the kit and can send you the plans.

[P_Budzik]

Scan your document at the highest optical res that your scanner will do.  Take it into Photoshop and bump your levels up so you get a nice contrast. Might hit it with a pass of Unsharp Mask.  Size your document in inches/mm but keep your pixel count up.  Select the white area and then go to Select - Modify - Expand and put in 1px , delete the selected area and see what it looks like.  You might have to play around with the resolution and expand number, but it should thin the lines out for you.

 

Paul

Edited April 11, 2014 by P_Budzik

[Zeekodadi]

mark: i have the plans not much help only give the keel in real size

 

Paul: i have photo shop cs6 but not that familiar with it at all. 

[cwboland]

Zeek,

 

I was searching through http*://www.modelshipbuilder.com/news.php (remove * at http to follow link) and found he uses "Brava Reader" - can be found by googling both words - to scale drawings and plans.  I haven't had a chance to use it as of yet, so no idea how well it works. You may want to give it a go and see if it works for you.  Let us know if you have any success with it.

[P_Budzik]

If you have Illustrator or Corel, you could import your bitmap and run trace.  That would give you a vector drawing that you could specify line width and scale without changing line weight.  Usually autotrace makes more nodes than necessary, but you could give it a try.  Do a Youtube search for how to use the function if you're not sure.

 

Paul

[Zeekodadi]

Paul: that's what I want I was looking for illustrator. I guss I can then import the vector into Photoshop and enlarge with out the thicker lines? or will illustrator do the enlarging too?

[P_Budzik]

Nope, Photoshop is a bitmap editor, it barely handles vector.  Trace it in Illustrator and stay in Illustrator.  Once it is traced, it will be a vector and you can specify the wieght of the lines.

 

Paul

Edited April 11, 2014 by P_Budzik

[Don9of11]

If you decide to scale the drawing using some scanning/enlarging method and the lines get thicker just work to the center of the line. My reasoning is that years ago drawings were drawn in pencil, very lightly and then draftsman would "ink" over the lines. The pencil line acted like a center line and measurements were taken from the center of the line to the center of the next line, never to the outside or inside.  This reasoning can be applied to lines that get bigger by enlarging.

 

[42rocker]

Everyone - Some interesting ideas here. Thanks for sharing them.

 

Later Tim

[hexnut]

Hi Tim, if you have Illustrator, you are all set.  I would, however, recommend against using auto trace. As Paul pointed out, it makes excess nodes, and it doesn't pay attention to straightness or dimensions.  I tried a quick test, it's fairly straightforward to do it manually, and actually quicker and less frustrating than cleaning up after auto trace. 

1) set your "Document set up" for "custom" and use one of your AL panel dimensions, i.e., 200mm by 484mm. (I just did this off of a screen cap, yours should be a bit more clear.)

 

2) import the bitmap file and size it so that the borders match, as Don said, to the center of the fuzzy bitmap lines.

3) Use the "rectangle" tool to make all slots and ports, as you can use actual dimensions to make them.

This gives you a chance to optimize the templates for your specific material. are you making bulkheads from 3/32" ply? 1/8"?  This gives you a chance to make what you want. Center shapes with the "align" tool where needed.

4) use the "pen" tool to draw out rough boundaries for your shapes. Don't worry about curves yet, keep nodes to a minimum.  Be sure to use the shift key for hoizontal and vertical lines.

5)use the "change" (carat) tool to turn your corner nodes into curved nodes where appropriate, pull node handles into place.  Use the "+" and "-" node tools if you need to add or subtract a node at this point, but in general, try to get a nice curve using as few as possible.

6) All of your lines thus far (except for the center slots) have been only to the center-line. Now use the "reflect" tool to copy and drag another set to mirror. (Notice how there are discrepancies on the 2nd side? You have now corrected errors in the original drawing! )

7) use the "pathfinder " boolean to combine the slots in the center.

8) That's pretty much it, the last image shows the stern bulkhead complete and the false keel started.

You can not only trace the plans, but improve upon them...

Hopefully this was helpful...

Edited April 23, 2014 by hexnut

[Zeekodadi]

wow thanks a lot for the step by step. that helped me out a lot and I'm sure it will to others as well

[Lizzy Borden]

Excellent info. I had a play about with this today using a free program called Inkscape. Did exactly what I wanted it to do and these are the resulting templates for the superstructure I scanned from HMS Andromeda as an experiment.

Scale is spot on, and from the files saved as SVG I can now make the model any size I want.

 

Gary.