Model Builder Community

Hi all.
I model in Gauge 1 - live steam and electric - and have just completed a 14 ft by 14 ft all weather shed to house the scenic part of the new layout which goes round the garden. The engine shed, (or garden house as my dearly beloved insists of calling it,) is insulated and heated so card structures will be ok in there. I am looking to Model Builder as a source of these buidings and wondered if anyone else has built anything in 1:32, (Gauge 1 as we call it in the UK. Am I right in saying that Americans call it Standard Gauge?)

I noticed that there is nothing in the 1:32 section here, but wondered if anyone has built in the scale but not published anything here yet?

If anyone has built something or even just played about with it in 1:32, I'd be very pleased to hear from them.

Best wishes to you all,

Allan (Norfolk, UK)

I model in 1:29 scale, but structures size is so similar. I have made one structure using the material sheets printed on heavy paper and applying windows and doors by gluing them on to of the material. But I also model in On30 and have made a bunch of buildings as I can get them to fit on the 4 pages.
Most of my indoor 1:29 layout is a steel mill and most of the structures(blast furnaces, rolling mill, and enginehouse are scratchbuilt out of veneer plastic sheets and thin plywood. I am considering using Model Builder to make flats to go in front of my painted scenery.

I hope this helps.
Cheers,
Jeff

Hello Jeff, thanks for coming back on this.

As you say, the sizes of both are similar, yes.

>> ...Most of my indoor 1:29 layout is a steel mill and most of the structures(blast furnaces, rolling mill, and enginehouse are scratchbuilt out of veneer plastic sheets and thin plywood. <<

I wondered if the Model Builder program allowed 1:32 scaling rather than using printer scaling. I was going to use it for facing just what you said above. I'll ask and see what they say. I suppose you could print one floor at a time and joining it at strategic vertical and horizontal points where it wouldn't show. If the program allows landscape printing, it should be quite easy.

>> I am considering using Model Builder to make flats to go in front of my painted scenery. <<

You mean using perspective as a 'distance maker'? I've experimented a bit using the Bosch Background CDs and it seems to work but half relief as youintend doing it would be a lot better of course. I'd be interested in how you get one.

Good luck,

Allan

Hi Allan
Yes, you can choose 1:32 right from the Model Builder opening screen. When you choose the scale, everything you put onto the screen will automatically be the correct scale.


In the "Other" box you can choose any scale between 1:12 and 1:300
There is also a Scale Guide button you can click on if you are unsure what scale to pick. The scale guide lists the scales common for Model Trains, Wargames, and many other miniature scales.


You will need a lot of pages to make a project. In "File" > "Project/Page" setup you can include 4 pages in a project.


Then save that file. Open it, rename it and make changes to the saved file to make the next side of your building. Repeat for each side of your structure.

[Jeff] Yes, you can choose 1:32 right from the Model Builder opening screen. When you choose the scale, everything you put onto the screen will automatically be the correct scale.

In the "Other" box you can choose any scale between 1:12 and 1:300
There is also a Scale Guide button you can click on if you are unsure what scale to pick. The scale guide lists the scales common for Model Trains, Wargames, and many other miniature scales.

[Allan], that's wonderful, Jeff. Ok, I'll order up a copy now with the brickworks and test this thing out. You've been a lot of help to me, Jeff, and thanks. I'll post here when it arrives (5 - 6 days to England by post) and I have managed to build something with it.
Take care,
Allan
(Norfolk, UK)

Allan
Sorry to cause confusion. That was us, Evan Designs. Actually I am Shelly from over at Evan designs who wrote that last post.

evande wrote:Allan
Sorry to cause confusion. That was us, Evan Designs. Actually I am Shelly from over at Evan designs who wrote that last post.

No problem, Shelly. I'm sorry to be late in replying, but I've been trying to find this forum again since last time I used it. I upgraded Iexplorer 6 to the new Version 8 and it is doing silly things now - nothing new for Microshaft, is it? I had no problems with 6. Oh, well...

Anyway, After three days of looking, I wrote to you this afternoon via your contact form to ask how to get into the forum ......... and then found an e-mail with the details I wanted! That's typical of my luck.

I got the program and brickworks and I'm now 'playing with it'. As a 1:32 modeller, I have to get used to the method of printing. I wondered if I could use an A3 printer instead of an A4?
I have two printers of my own, one a colour laser, but the shop round the corner has a colour A3 laser that you pay by the sheet for. I was wondering if I could draw buildings to 7mm '0' gauge and then blow them up on the colour A3 laser at the shop. That's what I'm working on anyway, but if you have any ideas about this, I'd be interested in hearing about them, please.

Best wishes to you,

Allan (Norfolk, UK)

hi Allen welcome back to the forum!
It sounds as though you might want to go down a version number on your internet explorer. I have IE7 and plan to stay there a little longer, until 8 gets the kinks worked out. You can load IExplorer7 here:
http://www.oldversion.com/Internet_Explorer.html

A3 is a choice. Go to "file" "project/page setup" and look at the paper size menu, there is a picture of that menu earlier in this thread. There is letter, legal, A3, A4, Tabloid and Custom. Check with your print shop to see what sizes they can print to, you can use a size they have in the "custom" area. Go ahead and include the 4 pages also.

A trick I use when I am designing a 4-page spread is this: I take a very thin piece of horizontal and vertical trim. I stretch the trim piece the whole width/height of the paper. Then I refer to the Model Builder rulers and I set the pieces of trim at the place I know the pages will be overlapping after printing. Now I have a guide to work with as I design my building. I try not to have a paper seam cut through the middle of a window or door and if possible I add a drain pipe or some building element to hide the paper seams.

When you have finished designing you can print your project to .pdf and bring the final .pdf file over to the shop for them to print out. There is a post here about export to .pdf, you can read that over and ask questions if you have them.

Have fun!

Shelly