designing custom cardstock/foamcore buildings

I use Model Builder software from forum sponsor Evan Designs.  Print on a heavier weight paper and glue to either foamcore, bass/balsa wood or styrene.  If Model Builder does not have a roof shingle style that I am looking for, I have used the outline, fill, features of MS Office Excel to create sheets of roofing.  I have also used the same features of Excel to create clear windows by printing to inkjet overhead transparency sheets.  If you look at this page, the fire station is printed and glued to styrene and also has clear windows.  The maintenance building and gate guard shack are printed and glued to foamcore.

Larry

thanks larry

I'm guessing that my buildings fall into this category.

The structures are built out of 1/8 inch paneling that is cut and glued together.  

Window and door openings are cut out for Grantline items.

The siding and roof coverings are printed on regular paper from photos that I have found on the internet.

These papers are glued to the paneling structures.

 I used Westport Models printouts glued onto Foam board. Then cut out the loading dock added a few people and added other details like the vent pipes and water tower.

Another structure that uses foamcoare board. This is a diesel/car service building made from wood strips and 3/16 foamcore board.

Model Builder does what you need and is cost effective. The entire suite is about 25% of the cost of the other software.

Great people to do business with. Very helpful with a phone call.

http://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/model-builder.html

Dave G.

Generally I have a specific place in mind and get its dimensions.  I then tape together a rough 3-D shape out of manila folder or cardstock and check if it sits right and looks good.  On the spot.  A lot of times I trim or expand it until I like it.  

I then measure the mock up and cut the foamcore parts, then make my paper overlays in Powerpoint and print them on a color printer.  

You can build and then add texture.  It is a good way to go too.  Model Builder has hundreds of textures, if you like you can print whole sheets of brick or roofing or siding, etc.  I attached a free O scale brick texture created from Model Builder.  Feel free to use it in your next builds!

This is a really neat site and some of the printouts might be of use to you, either as they are or as a place to start:

http://www.illinois.gov/ihpa/P...ruct_mainstreet.aspx

(I hope the link worked right. The way the pop-up handled it seemed really odd.) The buildings are in HO, so of course you can scale up.

--Becky

I purchased the Evans software tonight. How do I invert an image. For example, I want to make matching doors, but I want them to swing opposite directions. How do I invert the image so the door knob is flipped to the other side?

Thanks

Roger

Invert is something we have not got finished yet.  You could print the doors separately and then put them onto card stock.  Cut them and place them onto the building.  It will give a raised effect which is nice.

Doing the same with building trim can also give a nice effect.

Dave

can you crop from all four sides? I would like to modify a window, but it seems like you can only crop from the right & bottom. 

Roger great you are making such good use of the software!

I will send you an email privately to discuss some more options.

If you have not already visited, we have over a dozen tutorials here

http://evandesignsmodelbuilder.com/tutorials.php

and free buildings to get started with in O scale here

http://evandesignsmodelbuilder.com/

Dave

Thanks for the Link Dave- all I could find was you tube stuff & that didn't seem to help much.

I do all of my printing from Powerpoint, even if I get the images somewhere else, I copy them/convert them to .jped or something and put them in powerpoint, because I know how to invert, resize, I can add things like a weathered/worm MAIL POUCH lettering to the sides of barns, etc.  Easy to flip side to side invert or upside down, etc. in Powerpoint

Well, it seems cumbersone but works well.  Initially I guess (informed guess based on the rulers that can be displayed alongside the image on the screen - I size it as best I can) and print it out in B&W and measure it, then slightly re-size it until I get the B&W image just the right size.  Then I print on the hi-res color printer