How to make a homemade base for an airport or

Bill-ay · 12-05-2006, 07:04 PM

Hi, I was wondering how you guys make such good dioramas. Most of them are homemade. I would like some tips on how to make a base for an airport, like with the parking positions and places to put the buildings, kind of like a ground foil.
Billy

B-16707 · 12-05-2006, 08:02 PM

heres what i do: go to google maps at maps.google.com and search for an airport. then you can get a pretty good idea of how various airports do their ground markings. as for buildings its just pretty much where you want them to go and build the ground around that.

some people like accentuating the squares of cement pieces on the tarmac of airports but i think thats rather unrealistic and dont do detailed models any justice and would rather just take a picture of cement and use that; textures not there but at least it looks real. or get some landscaping supplies from other hobbies such as railroads.
plus if you print your own ground foils on something like photo paper you can get rather cool airplane reflections.

Bill-ay · 12-05-2006, 08:53 PM

mmm I think I got what you said go to google maps and then print the... actually i didnt get any of it.

do you paint the picture on some photo paper? How would you print a ground foil that big? How do I get the markings on the base? Please help!!
Frustrated Billy

Bill-ay · 12-05-2006, 08:57 PM

Also how do you make homemade buildings? Such easy questions to a pro like you

B-16707 · 12-05-2006, 09:23 PM

you would just use google.com as a basis for figuring out your own design but hehe oops i forgot to mention that for my technique youll need something like photoshop or illustrator to lay down the lines and markings. not sure if you have software

but anyways i tiled my printing so that a bunch of 8.5x11 sheets made one huge poster.

btw im no pro...all my buildings were first time first tries.

jasonsw · 12-06-2006, 04:10 AM

yap, that's what i did too. i printed huge 'ground foil' onto 8/5 x 11' papers and made a 'poster'

i had to blow up, since I needed to make something that was rather comparable to 1:200 scale foil than 1:400 or 1:500.

A lot of time with PhotoShop or Photo Editor and Printer...

Jason S.W.

carpenma · 12-19-2006, 05:27 PM

Has anybody considered using one of those large printers? Like a plotter but more detailed. Basically a giant printer that could print it akll in one sweep. Input please.

P.S: Sorry about barging in on your thread Bill-ay but I had to ask.

pimberman · 12-19-2006, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bill-ay

Also how do you make homemade buildings? Such easy questions to a pro like you

Check this two excellent tutorials by Stevej:
http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...play-ramp.html

http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...nal-build.html

B-16707 · 12-19-2006, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by carpenma

Has anybody considered using one of those large printers? Like a plotter but more detailed. Basically a giant printer that could print it akll in one sweep. Input please.

P.S: Sorry about barging in on your thread Bill-ay but I had to ask.

it would be cheaper to tile your prints on your own printer on photopaper. as a graphic designer, i havent found a commercial print house who can do that sort of thing cheaply for you.

if youre talking about quality solely, i would say that plotters generally have excellent output. even the relatively "cheap" hp designjet plotter i have here at work is very decent. cant be printing anything on that hehe, it charges my department. theres also an epson stylus 9800pro which is utmost nice.

i see youre from the US, so i can say dont try kinkos. its deathly expensive there to print on their HP Instadry plotters, plus they dont calibrate colors. last time i did it, my grays turned out green.

Bill-ay · 12-19-2006, 07:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pimberman

Check this two excellent tutorials by Stevej:
http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...play-ramp.html

http://www.diecastaircraftforum.com/...nal-build.html

Thanks pimberman. This helps alot

12-05-2006, 07:04 PM	#1
Bill-ay Bill-ay the A320 FO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dallas Age: 14 Posts: 2,738	How to make a homemade base for an airport or Hi, I was wondering how you guys make such good dioramas. Most of them are homemade. I would like some tips on how to make a base for an airport, like with the parking positions and places to put the buildings, kind of like a ground foil. Billy

12-05-2006, 08:02 PM	#2
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,856	heres what i do: go to google maps at maps.google.com and search for an airport. then you can get a pretty good idea of how various airports do their ground markings. as for buildings its just pretty much where you want them to go and build the ground around that. some people like accentuating the squares of cement pieces on the tarmac of airports but i think thats rather unrealistic and dont do detailed models any justice and would rather just take a picture of cement and use that; textures not there but at least it looks real. or get some landscaping supplies from other hobbies such as railroads. plus if you print your own ground foils on something like photo paper you can get rather cool airplane reflections. __________________ Last edited by B-16707; 12-05-2006 at 08:06 PM.

12-05-2006, 09:23 PM	#5
B-16707 i need more space Join Date: Sep 2006 Posts: 6,856	you would just use google.com as a basis for figuring out your own design but hehe oops i forgot to mention that for my technique youll need something like photoshop or illustrator to lay down the lines and markings. not sure if you have software but anyways i tiled my printing so that a bunch of 8.5x11 sheets made one huge poster. btw im no pro...all my buildings were first time first tries. __________________

12-19-2006, 05:27 PM	#7
carpenma Aircraft Site ********* Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Michigan Posts: 136	Plotter? Has anybody considered using one of those large printers? Like a plotter but more detailed. Basically a giant printer that could print it akll in one sweep. Input please. P.S: Sorry about barging in on your thread Bill-ay but I had to ask. __________________ CARPENMA Visit My Aircraft Site Visit: SurrealGX "Tell 'em Carpenma sent ya"

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12-05-2006, 08:53 PM	#3
Bill-ay Bill-ay the A320 FO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dallas Age: 14 Posts: 2,738	mmm I think I got what you said go to google maps and then print the... actually i didnt get any of it. do you paint the picture on some photo paper? How would you print a ground foil that big? How do I get the markings on the base? Please help!! Frustrated Billy

12-05-2006, 08:57 PM	#4
Bill-ay Bill-ay the A320 FO Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Dallas Age: 14 Posts: 2,738	Also how do you make homemade buildings? Such easy questions to a pro like you

12-06-2006, 04:10 AM	#6
jasonsw MAKE 7 UP YOURS Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Torrance, CA Age: 29 Posts: 1,200	yap, that's what i did too. i printed huge 'ground foil' onto 8/5 x 11' papers and made a 'poster' i had to blow up, since I needed to make something that was rather comparable to 1:200 scale foil than 1:400 or 1:500. A lot of time with PhotoShop or Photo Editor and Printer... Jason S.W.