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Per Swenson
02-07-2007, 7:57 PM
Folks,


I think the implications for us are enormous.

Check this out.

http://jkontherun.blogs.com/jkontherun/2007/02/how_to_measure_.html

Per

Doug Shepard
02-07-2007, 8:21 PM
Just great. I no sooner get the old saying memorized and it's time to learn a new one.

Point-and-shoot-twice, cut once.
Point-and-shoot-twice, cut once.
Point-and-shoot-twice, cut once.
...
It'll take me a while.

Mitchell Andrus
02-07-2007, 11:53 PM
Well, maybe not enormous. I can't think of any contractor who will write a binding estimate based on a scaled photo. I wouldn't accept one from anyone if I didn't first see him with a tape measure and clip board in his hand. Nor would he order building components based on this kind of info.

Do garage doors really come in 7'3" sizes? That would make each of the five panels 17.4" high. Not likely. Fun tool, but not for me, and certainly not at $99.00.

Chris Friesen
02-08-2007, 12:40 AM
It's overrated. It is theoretically impossible to determine from a regular digital camera photo all the dimensions shown, for the simple reason that it is not possible to get any information about distance from the camera.

Using simple trig one could figure out the dimensions of anything *in the plane of the target*, but anything else is unknown without either multiple pictures at different calibrated focal lengths, multiple pictures from different angles, or placing multiple targets on a bunch of different surfaces in the picture.

The reason for this is that it is possible to construct multiple objects in such a way that they are totally different but look the same from a given vantage point. This is a practical example of "forced perspective". For some examples, see the following:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ames_room
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Impossible_cube

Tom Majewski
02-08-2007, 8:10 AM
Good for rough estimates, I used something like that to order wood, but I wouldn't start cutting trim from that.

When I built a deck, stairs, and a ramp on my house, before I started I took some pictures of the house and with photoshop I "installed" the deck. Used colors, textures, removed the trees, put back the shadows, ect. I went to the zoning office and said this is what I wanted to do. They thought I already did the work and was showing them before and after pics.

They wanted to know how much I would charge to do that, I said foretaboutit.

But........
I once built a laser cut HO scale model of a house from photos. The customer was really pleased, couldn't tell the measurements were fudged due to the off center perspective of the pics.

Per Swenson
02-10-2007, 1:57 AM
Maybe its me.

But I don't think you fellas are seeing this the way I do.

4 years ago, I knew what a computer was.

Even had one. Never sat in front of it.

5 years ago, I still loaded my Cameras with tri-x and kodacolor.

Photoshop? Photo retouching with a airbrush.

Cad? Carvewright? Sketchup?

Never in a million years would I have considered it 5 years ago.

Matter of fact, would of thrown you right out of the shop as a kook,

if you suggested them.

But today, I am looking at a shop bot.

The only constant, is change fellas.

Per

Cliff Rohrabacher
02-10-2007, 11:28 AM
Well, maybe not enormous. I can't think of any contractor who will write a binding estimate based on a scaled photo.

Ditto.
I think the Real estate industry will make the most use of it.
No one expects very much of a real estate agent.

Ken Fitzgerald
02-10-2007, 11:37 AM
Per.....I have done a similar thing and have used that to size some turnings from photos.....Example....You want to turn a pedestal table. You can find a photo on the internet. If you know that most pedestal tables are say 29" high.....I download the photo.....change it's format to something that's compatible to import into my simple cad program...Import the photo into cad program and change the scale until the table top measures 29" from the bottom of the legs. Then I can measure directily from the drawing. Works surpisingly well even with a very simple cad program.

David Epperson
02-10-2007, 12:26 PM
Measuring from digital images is really not that new. The company I work for has been doing it for years, almost decades. But of course to automate this the object being measured IS all in one plane. But then again we are measuring dimensions in the range of +/-0.0005" give or take a bit (and no there are not too many zeros in that figure) at about 20 to 50 measurements per minute, 24/7.
But with the target squares as a reference, as in the ad, I can see one target on the forward most edge, one at the rearmost edge, and maybe another in the middle, that one could get some quite accurate measurements. At least accurate enough to draw plans from.

Joe Pelonio
02-10-2007, 1:56 PM
In the sign industry we have been doing something this for a long time too. What I do for lettering trucks and vans is measure the overall height and length of the vehicle. Then I open the photo in my vinyl design/cutting
program and enlarge it to the actual size. Then I enter the lettering/logos
right on top of the actual size photo and it comes out the right size. The
added advantage of being able to avoid door edges, severe bends and moldings as they are clearly visible in the photo as I lay it out.

Per Swenson
02-11-2007, 8:33 AM
Ken, David, Joe,

Thank you.

Thats is what I am talking about.

I am just writing out loud here, we find it much easier

to make a original carving in clay, then scan it, to enter in a carving program.

A measured photo would save hours.

(money, I actually pay my old geezer to sit in front of this box))



Right now I am stuck to size limitations of the machine itself.

But say soon a 4x8 shop bot appears.

I know this may sound silly. Thats a reflection on my technical

writing skills and my current grasp of the digital world.

Long ramble short, I eat because we come up with ways

to do the real fancy at a profitable margin.

Thanks for bearing with me.

Per

Tim Morton
02-11-2007, 9:22 AM
I use Photoshop in that way to quote some jobs. Say I have a clent who needs a group of graphics laid out and printed to go in a particular space. And its a couple hours drive from me. I have her shoot me a digital pic of the space with a sheet of paper taped to the wall in question. From there i can resize the pic and do a complete layout and fire her back a pic with all her grapics in place...no more making a picture that is larger or smaller than the client was expecing.:D

Bill Simmeth
02-11-2007, 10:18 AM
Long ramble short, I eat because we come up with ways
to do the real fancy at a profitable margin.
Thanks for bearing with me.

Keep at it Per! There are lots of guys who think the Domino has limited potential, too.

Per Swenson
02-12-2007, 6:43 AM
Thanks Bill,

I don't think I can hijack my own thread......

My domino is a Cash Cow.

The saving grace is that Tom, Dick, and Larry over at

Wonder construction, haven't upgraded their operation

since '72.

Being a skeptical stuck in yer ways fella, thats the way daddy did it

and its good enough for me, runs rampant in this business.

Thank God for that.

Per

Craig Coney
02-12-2007, 8:50 PM
Per,
Cool program, I wonder if it works on skewed photos.

for a while I've been using the cheap version, taking a picture of the tape measure with my camera phone & downloading it to my laptop.

Frank Chaffee
02-12-2007, 9:25 PM
Ride that wave Per.
I’ll bet my bottom dollar (oops, 43 cents), that as we speak those people are working on software that will correct for perspective (parallax) and circular aberration of any lens. Soon we will see cameras for the semi-pro market that incorporate distance measuring techniques as well.

And you’re right on the other count too; those who don’t fall for Dominos will fall like dominos.

Ken Fitzgerald
02-12-2007, 10:01 PM
And you’re right on the other count too; those who don’t fall for Dominos will fall like dominos.

You are right Frank.........but....keep in mind....those who bought Edsels and Studebakers........well.............

the trick in buying technology is correct time in buying.........Buy too soon ....you don't have all the kinks out and don't have all the options....buy too late and the competition has passed you by and you can't catch up....