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  #1  
Old 12-27-2011, 05:27 PM
bigbenn bigbenn is offline
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deck planking

Hi,
I admit to being pretty hopeless when I use my PC to try and create "deck planking". To tell the truth, I don't have a clue how to do it and my latest model, I drew the lines by hand, after marking out the plank widths, with a pen which blotted eventually and a straight ruler on an A3 sheet, which I then photocopied a number of times to get backup sheets for a rather large model.
Would one of you clever blokes like to explain how I can use a software package to "create" hull lines about 2mm or 1/8" roughly apart on an A4 sheet which prints out Landscape?
Bigbenn
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Old 12-27-2011, 05:46 PM
Zathros Zathros is offline
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You might have to state what software package you are using?
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Old 12-27-2011, 06:20 PM
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ct ertz ct ertz is offline
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I do one of two things. I either use a pe-made "wood" texture and color and scale as needed or I do the individual planks in sketch up and color them as needed.
CT
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My models are available here http://ecardmodels.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=62
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Old 12-27-2011, 07:35 PM
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gregbal gregbal is offline
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Bigbenn:
I recently tried printing out my own paper card decks for a styrene Bismarck model, and it came out fairly well. I don't have a special program--I just use MS Paint. It wasn't too difficult.
First, I made up a plain black and white planking pattern. (Vertical and horizontal lines is what MS Paint does best.) I guessed at a “typical” plank size of 9 in. by 20 ft. and dimensioned length to width accordingly. When I had a "block" that looked okay I copied it and "cut and pasted" the same block until I had a large enough area, touched up a little here and there when the copied end lines were too close together, then saved that as a .TIF file as my "master" pattern.
Next, I copied various wood pattern "swatches" from online images and experimented until I found one that I liked (good color, large-ish image with not too prominent a grain), then copied and pasted my "master" pattern over it. I tried black lines first, which was too harsh, so I switched to a dark gray, and that seemed to work. I saved that as a second, "art" file.
I don't have MS Word, but Open Office works really well for resizing and printing images. I pasted in the “art” file, and played with the image until the scale size of my planks was correct for the scale of the model (more or less), then printed that color image out on 110 lb. card stock. I wound up with an approx. 8x10 inch sheet of “planking,” which I could print out again and again as needed.
Actually fitting sections of planking to the deck was the tricky part. I made plain-paper patterns for individual areas through a combination of measurement, repeated test-fitting, and lots of taped fill-in bits to get as close a fit as possible to the model's deck features. I used those plain-paper patterns to actually cut sections of my decking. More test-fitting and trimming followed, until I had a section that fit well. Then I glued it down using a tacky craft glue.

If you're curious, here's a link to the post, with some photos:
Lindberg Bismarck with inkjet-printed decks - Forums - FineScale Modeler: Online Community, Forums, Blogs, Galleries

The great thing is that once you've got a planking pattern you like, it's easy to resize it to any scale. The downside is that since you're limited to a length of eleven or so inches, on large models you have to get clever about where to hide the seams.
Good luck!
Greg
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Old 12-28-2011, 12:59 AM
bigbenn bigbenn is offline
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Hi and thanks guys. I don't use any software program to make planks because I'm a GOS (Grumpy Old Sod) and what I've so far learnt on computers, is what I've taught myself from computer crashes, etc and learning new packages which appealed to me has never so far had anything to do with MS Paint, CAD or ?
I am afraid my skills to date have been collecting and cataloguing huge ships and other vehicles plans resources over some 35 years, prior to computer time and now I drift around the fringes, buying whatever takes my fancy. I won't ever build more than a fraction of what I own, but that is not the point, is it?
I do like large models, of about 3 feet long, mainly because I cannot clearly see little ones and for me, big is best and I photocopy enlarge ships kits to my building scale and then build each one for detail scale r/c over a year or so per model, depending on my enthusiasm from day to day on each project.
I am presently building a large model of the Oliver Weiss Lividavia with all external planking emphasized, so that as I paint it, the detail stands out. Unfortunately the decking did not enlarge to my satisfaction, which is why I have had to redeck the decks, as above by hand and unfortunately the paper join of planks was not as effective as I would have liked, if I had been able to produce planking by computer, when planking runs would join up, given the straight edge paper join would show whatever I did. The Livadia, the way I have built it, is the hardest model I have built so far and I've built some real horrors - Supermodel in particular, but my way with detail, detail, detail in 3D.
I am also building a 1/200 Yamato detail scale model based on a Halinski kit I purchased about 30 years ago, again for r/c. I got fed up with it a few months ago and switched back to the Livadia which is nearing completion now.
I could knock off and post some pix if anyone is interested, but I'd like some idea where to post them, so that you lot can go see them, since I'm out of touch with that side of things these days.
Back to planking. What I do is create a page of planking lines, then photocopy enlarge that page by 141% from A4 to A3 (2 x A4) and then I can produce multiple pages for decking projects, when I have enlarged decks which don't look right as with Livadia. I used the Halinski Yamato kit deck on Yamato, so it looks great from the get go.
LOL - and thanks for your input gregbal and link which I will study and try and make sense of. LOL Bigbenn
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Old 01-01-2012, 02:10 AM
HMCS HMCS is offline
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I will be following your thread,.. that ship is beautiful and I know you'll do great!
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  #7  
Old 01-01-2012, 09:41 PM
bigbenn bigbenn is offline
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Thanks HMCS,
Livadia is deliberately a difficult ship for me to build, because I wanted something which would waste large chunks of time and it has been doing that for me, no trouble at all.
I like to think my model will be as nice as the model illustrated, but I will have to wait and see!! Lol.
Richard
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