An old Army trick.

Put down one 2 x 2 meter floor tile. Position yourself just outside one edge of it. Press "C" to change to a walk. Cross the floor tile to just outside the opposite edge of the floor tile, counting the number of steps required. Remember that number.

To mark out an 80 x 80 meter area, walk in a straight line the number of steps it would take you to cross 40 2 x 2 meter tiles, turn 90 degrees, and walk the same number of steps in that direction. Voila, a rough 80 x 80 meter square.

This is only going to work with relatively flat areas where one can walk without having to chop down trees or pickaxe boulders. It should get you started, however.

Note: No, the Army doesn't use 2 x 2 meter floor tiles. The length of a standard Army marching stride is 30 inches; that is what a GI would use. The number of steps required to cross a 2 x 2 meter floor tile will give one the length a viking stadard walking stride.

Originally posted by warrenchmobile:

An old Army trick.

Put down one 2 x 2 meter floor tile. Position yourself just outside one edge of it. Press "C" to change to a walk. Cross the floor tile to just outside the opposite edge of the floor tile, counting the number of steps required. Remember that number.

To mark out an 80 x 80 meter area, walk in a straight line the number of steps it would take you to cross 40 2 x 2 meter tiles, turn 90 degrees, and walk the same number of steps in that direction. Voila, a rough 80 x 80 meter square.

This is only going to work with relatively flat areas where one can walk without having to chop down trees or pickaxe boulders. It should get you started, however.

Note: No, the Army doesn't use 2 x 2 meter floor tiles. The length of a standard Army marching stride is 30 inches; that is what a GI would use. The number of steps required to cross a 2 x 2 meter floor tile will give one the length a viking stadard walking stride.

outstanding. super star

Yeah what Wayne said, some of the lumber is marked with length I think it’s 2 meter and 4 meter.

I use floor tiles and sample my layout....by using floor tiles, you give yourself a base on which to level the land in your compound. I generally pick up the ones that don't underlie a structure later. Yep, that could be a lot of wood :-)

Arach

PS I also try to match my grid to the world grid as well....makes for easier moating and fencing.

long poles is the easiest, those take up 4 or something floor tile lengths.
If going large or tall, consider some raised columns of earth to anchor as ground up high.

Use core wood and make a frame.

Start with a corner post at a high point and work around from there.

Unless you mean judging distances on the map?

In that case I would probably lay out lines of floor tiles or beams of different lengths like 10, 25, 50 and 100 pieces and learn to judge it on the map that way. Same way you can learn to judge 1/10 of a mile from highway markers.

I tend to lay out my bases more organically and flow with the terrain. Build as needed type thing, so take what I say with a grain of salt. It's just how I would do things ha ha.

Originally posted by GunsForBucks:

Use core wood and make a frame.

Start with a corner post at a high point and work around from there.

Basically this is the same as laying down the floor tiles. Uses less wood, but of a harder kind to get. Still not really what I'm looking for.

I'm looking to lay out an area about 80m x 80m in size.

Originally posted by GeoForce:

Originally posted by GunsForBucks:

Use core wood and make a frame.

Start with a corner post at a high point and work around from there.

Basically this is the same as laying down the floor tiles. Uses less wood, but of a harder kind to get. Still not really what I'm looking for.

I'm looking to lay out an area about 80m x 80m in size.

So if I understand right you have a plan you can roughly judge in meters but need a conversion rate for meters to floor tiles?

Or is it more about scouting an area and being able to visualize it on the map?

either way youre going to want a frame to help with stability and makes building easier as the project progresses

I kind of know what your aiming to do, but honestly I think the easiest would be do put down a 1m upright and put 40x2m horizontals, you'll have to put another 1m upright every 4 horizontals though.