How to Measure Boat Decks without Physical Templates
Do you want to improve your difficult measuring and templating tasks for boat deck replacement? PhotoModeler can help!
The concept
Replace physical templating with digital templating by using your camera.
- Place targets > Take photos > Load photos into the PhotoModeler software >
- Solve project > Outline panels > Export to CAD/CAM
If you measure boat decks / floors (e.g. replacing non-skid areas with decking and flooring products such as EVA foam, carpet, or teak), then you probably know it is a difficult process. Using paper or plastic templates is cumbersome and wasteful. Here we describe how you can do it with a camera and no templates!
Special targets are temporarily placed on the deck (will not damage the boat), and then photos are taken. These photos are loaded into PhotoModeler. PhotoModeler calculates where the targets and hence the deck surfaces are in 3D space. The targets can be purchased or even printed from your own printer!
In PhotoModeler you then use a tracing method to outline regions of the deck (such as the edge of non-skid areas). The output is an accurate 2D drawing with all the deck areas in a cohesive CAD file.
The CAD file is exported from PhotoModeler and imported into your CAD or CAM software for additional cleanup, and tool path planning for each deck section. The deck material is cut and installed.
The technology behind this magic is called photogrammetry (measuring from photos!), sometimes called photoG or photo-g for short!
Photographing a deck area.
Learn How to Measure Boat Decks without Templates
We assume that you are familiar with measuring boat decks using traditional templating methods and are already using, or will soon use CAD and CNC cutting. View this to see how it is done: YouTube Video: Modeling Flat Panels – Replacing Physical Templates with Photos.
To learn how to use PhotoModeler and try your own project visit:
Learning Boat Deck Measurement.
