Volume in models is one of the most crucial aspects that needs to be taken into consideration. The volume or scale of the maquette varies depending on the goal set by the client and is of great importance for businesses in terms of the legitimacy of the maquette created by the model maker in the industry.
There are various volumes in different scales that are officially established according to specific construction and conformity laws. Volumetrics and metrics, as architectural sciences, deal with this issue to facilitate the size calculation of a maquette seamlessly.
Apart from the maquette, there are other types of modeling where a volume study is required: 3D perspectives, sales plans, mass models, building and city plans, and even 360-degree VR.
How is the volume of a maquette calculated?
Before the use of digital tools to generate volume, there were more traditional techniques like the grid method, where a grid is laid over the model and the ground to enable the square-by-square tracing of the representation.
Nowadays, modeling is done through 3D software and printers play a central role in the model construction industry. With some virtual configurations, it's possible to achieve volumes in HO scales (Half-Zero) or volumes that conform to building regulations according to "Permis de Construire" within the framework of urban planning permits.
Purposes of Volume
Predetermined scales like HO create a universal unit of measurement for model construction in the railway sector. In such cases, the volume of all objects depends on a railway track, and therefore, the parts are scaled down based on this standard to facilitate the presentation of any given project.
