Generate a really accurate map/plan of your grounds and house

[vetran]

https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/new...er-landscapes/

[vetran]

String and pegs is fine when it's fairly flat, accessible ground with good sight-lines. When there are elevation changes it's harder to tell the string is straight, when the going is hard then getting to each point to measure is harder and you may struggle to tell if your grid is regular when you can't see far. Still, got to be worth a go. A really good aerial photo would be handy but that probably does require a drone.

get a light strip of wood - roofing batten or similar, add notches 1m apart. rest on string to test spacing. Measure diagonals.

Depends on your level of accuracy.

I had a garden on the edge of a quarry about 6 feet variation in levels strewn with concrete, we got it flat & built walls around the dips.

[d000hg]

String and pegs is fine when it's fairly flat, accessible ground with good sight-lines. When there are elevation changes it's harder to tell the string is straight, when the going is hard then getting to each point to measure is harder and you may struggle to tell if your grid is regular when you can't see far. Still, got to be worth a go. A really good aerial photo would be handy but that probably does require a drone.

[vetran]

Totally forgot about those. Good call although for mapping you need an accurate way to get your x/y. Though this is easier.

If I got this right, this thing would let you measure relative heights of rooms with no windows. e.g. wife stands outside with one end at 1 foot at ground level, I walk into the house with the other end and find if this is higher or lower than the cellar ceiling?

yes within a millimetre. The key thing will be the water will be at the same height at each end, you have 10cm play.

To get accurate X-Y outside I use this stuff called string you poke wooden pegs in the ground and put 2 pieces of string in parallel, use a stick with 2 notches in it to make sure they are the same distance apart.

Depends how fine detail you need. You could use a Theodolite or a scanner outside but once you have your reference point you can get the levels exact.

[d000hg]

sometimes the simple ways are the best

https://www.amazon.co.uk/METRE-WATER.../dp/B00TIM1488

secure level at one high point inside.

find lowest level outside and make static point. Put Mrs inside and call her on the mobile. keep your end low & covered.

You can measure 10cm variations make up a couple of 1.5m stands with 10cm variations and move it around the garden. Be mapped in an hour or two.

Totally forgot about those. Good call although for mapping you need an accurate way to get your x/y. Though this is easier.

If I got this right, this thing would let you measure relative heights of rooms with no windows. e.g. wife stands outside with one end at 1 foot at ground level, I walk into the house with the other end and find if this is higher or lower than the cellar ceiling?

[vetran]

Slightly related to the other thread, but the place we're moving to in the country has about 1/2 acre attached. It has the potential to be incredible but right now is overgrown to the extent I can't easily get a mental picture of how it fits together especially with elevation changes... what I could see from the living room if there wasn't a thicket outside, etc.

Also, I want to figure out the exact positioning of the house in 3D in relation to the land. The house is on a slope and has a cellar in one corner but I can't work out where the ground level is from inside, which is an issue as I'd like to put a drain in.

What I'd really like is a 3D model of the grounds and house. Which presents two problems... 1)what to put the data into 2)how to get the data. Ideally I'd like to map the elevation of the garden at resolution of about 1 foot into a heightmap or something.

It's partly a fun geeky project as well as being useful, so all sorts of ways to approach this are welcome. For instance I have no idea if GPS is accurate at this scale, or I should use a theodolite+wellies or a drone with laser range-finder or...

sometimes the simple ways are the best

https://www.amazon.co.uk/METRE-WATER.../dp/B00TIM1488

secure level at one high point inside.

find lowest level outside and make static point. Put Mrs inside and call her on the mobile. keep your end low & covered.

You can measure 10cm variations make up a couple of 1.5m stands with 10cm variations and move it around the garden. Be mapped in an hour or two.

[woohoo]

That kind of idea is certainly of interest although getting rooms measured is easy with a laser measure... it's how the rooms fit together in 3D space taking risers/stairs/walls into account which is more tricky, and I assume that kind of thing can't do? I sup[pose you can easily measure each room and manually figure it out wehre each room is in relation to each other room and in theory from a single accurate reference point you can then anchor the house relative to the surrounding landscape once you have a heightmap. Sounds pretty error prone though You'd feel stupid to drill a hole through the cellar wall and find it came out a foot underground

tbh I missed the part in your original post about wanting to drill for the drain. I just got excited that someone else may be as weird as me and want an exact map of their house.

I really can't think of a reliable way of using this tech to be able to accurately drill between spaces.

[d000hg]

I was thinking of mapping the house with my roomba and a kinect - alternatively you could look at this...

3D Scanning Entire Rooms with a Kinect | Hackaday

You did say it's geeky that you are after.

That kind of idea is certainly of interest although getting rooms measured is easy with a laser measure... it's how the rooms fit together in 3D space taking risers/stairs/walls into account which is more tricky, and I assume that kind of thing can't do? I sup[pose you can easily measure each room and manually figure it out wehre each room is in relation to each other room and in theory from a single accurate reference point you can then anchor the house relative to the surrounding landscape once you have a heightmap. Sounds pretty error prone though You'd feel stupid to drill a hole through the cellar wall and find it came out a foot underground

[d000hg]

Get googling. There are tools out there that convert contour maps to 3d plots, so perhaps start with the largest scale OS map and go from there?

The best OS map I can find (online at least) shows the entire plot about 4cm long on my screen and doesn't include contour info. I came across some free downloads but I don't really want to install software and download 1Gb+ just to see if it has the kind of scale needed. https://www.ordnancesurvey.co.uk/ope...ts.html#TERR50

Also wouldn't any really high resolution map be based on aerial data and therefore might be messed up by trees? I'm working on the assumption I'll need to gather the data myself.

[woohoo]

I was thinking of mapping the house with my roomba and a kinect - alternatively you could look at this...

3D Scanning Entire Rooms with a Kinect | Hackaday

You did say it's geeky that you are after.

[malvolio]

Get googling. There are tools out there that convert contour maps to 3d plots, so perhaps start with the largest scale OS map and go from there?

[filthy1980]

I've used Autodesk's Homestyler recently to do floor plans and generate 3D walkthroughs, I found the simplest to use with good results

unfortunately I got an email last night saying Autodesk are discontinuing Homestyler, but their email recommended a number of other tools, I've pasted the email below, you may find it helpful . . .


Dear Autodesk® Homestyler Community,

Thank you for being a part of the Autodesk® Homestyler community of designers and decorators. Over the past few years, we have enjoyed giving you a platform to express your home decorating and design ideas. However, Autodesk has recently made a decision to retire the Autodesk® Homestyler family of products in order to focus on strategic core design solutions, help accelerate Autodesk’s business model transition, and streamline our offerings.

Although Homestyler will no longer be available as a discreet product from Autodesk, there are still several other Autodesk product offering that may meet your needs:

I need something for education:

Try Tinkercad! It’s a super simple online 3D design and 3D printing application for both students and teachers. For inspiration on how Tinkercad can be used in the classroom try checking out the Teach section on Tinkercad.com. In this section teachers like you share the benefits of using Tinkercad to inspire students. Here are a few examples of student projects:
•Build a House
•Build a Mobile Amplifier
•Architecture Concepts
•Tinkercoding a House with Shape Generators

I need something with a home community

Try Instructables! Instructables is a place that lets you explore how to make just about anything. Home, crafts, food, costumes and much, much more!

I need something for early stage design concepts

Try Formit 360! Easy architectural sketching and modeling software for tablet, web browser, and Windows.

Want to convert your idea into a 3D printed model? Try Tinkercad and take a look at some user created models to give you an idea of what's possible:








I need a professional tool to showcase designs for my clients

Try Revit and Autodesk Live! Leverage the power of Revit for your professional designs, while using Autodesk Live to create interactive experiences for your clients.

Here is what this means for the Autodesk® Homestyler community:

Timing

The web-based applications accessed via Autodesk® Homestyler.com and the Autodesk® Homestyler mobile applications will no longer be available after April 30th.

Prepare

Take a moment to review the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to learn more about your next steps.

Questions

We are here to support you with any questions that you may have over the next few weeks. Please visit the Autodesk® Homestlyer retirement FAQ page! Or contact us via customer support by submitting a ticket.

Thank you for the opportunity to help you design,



The Autodesk® Homestyler Team

[d000hg]

Slightly related to the other thread, but the place we're moving to in the country has about 1/2 acre attached. It has the potential to be incredible but right now is overgrown to the extent I can't easily get a mental picture of how it fits together especially with elevation changes... what I could see from the living room if there wasn't a thicket outside, etc.

Also, I want to figure out the exact positioning of the house in 3D in relation to the land. The house is on a slope and has a cellar in one corner but I can't work out where the ground level is from inside, which is an issue as I'd like to put a drain in.

What I'd really like is a 3D model of the grounds and house. Which presents two problems... 1)what to put the data into 2)how to get the data. Ideally I'd like to map the elevation of the garden at resolution of about 1 foot into a heightmap or something.

It's partly a fun geeky project as well as being useful, so all sorts of ways to approach this are welcome. For instance I have no idea if GPS is accurate at this scale, or I should use a theodolite+wellies or a drone with laser range-finder or...