I need to template a number of irregular surfaces that connect to cross vaults etc. Wanted to see if anyone has tips on clever ways to do this without a laser scanner.
It looks like there's a roundel at the top, is that the part you're going to plank? Check if it's correct to find the exact center on the bottom edge and measure how far to the ceiling. If it looks the same, you can take a string and attach a nail and a pencil on the other end to get the radius. But try a bit to see how you should attach the pencil; the string should be as close to the object as possible and not wobble.
We have a laser scanner at work and I don't know if we are unusually cheap, but it was very cheap when I saw our prices. It felt so cheap that it might not be worth the hassle, so maybe it's something to consider and check what price you can get.
In the past, when measuring old and irregular buildings, a coordinate system was built in space using stretched strings. Extremely time-consuming but reliable. One could also imagine large-scale profile templates, built with flower sticks instead of wire.
Well, I used paper on a roll which I first roughly cut, then climbed up a ladder and attached with gaffa tape/hot glue and pressed the paper into the ceiling-wall junction around the arch. Then I drew on the paper.
Since they were large areas, I had to tape several larger pieces together.
Once everything was drawn up, we took it down and trimmed the edges. Then we laid the entire section on a large floor and traced it onto kraft paper which then became the template. It worked well.
