Measure the real structure in feet, enter the scale denominator, and the width, depth and height it will occupy on the diorama come back in inches. Add a base margin and you also get the size to cut the groundwork board. One building or one vehicle works the same way.
Length is divided once by the scale denominator, footprint area shrinks by the square of it, and volume by the cube. Scale conversion is not a standard set by any body; it is the definition of a proportion, so it is applied straight. The length, area and volume ratios used are printed under the results so you can check the math by hand. Current as of October 2026.
Footprint and volume assume a rectangular box. A pitched roof or a hollow shell holds less than the figure shown. Working backwards from model dimensions to real ones, material pricing and build cost, and judging whether two differently scaled kits mix are not covered. Treat the figures as a reference and measure once more before you cut.
Frequently Asked Questions
Area is length multiplied twice and volume is length multiplied three times. At 1/35 the length is one thirty-fifth, but the area is one 1,225th and the volume is one 42,875th. Scaling material by the length ratio alone throws the volume far off.
Just the bottom number: 35 for 1/35, 72 for 1/72. Entering 1 means full size, so the dimensions come back exactly as typed.
The margin you enter is added twice to the width and twice to the depth. If you want a deeper margin front to back, enter the narrower one and add the rest yourself.