Estimating building height accurately

If you don’t know the height of an existing building that you’re trying to model, here are some techniques you can use to make an educated guess:

  • Count repeated units.
  • Take a picture with an object of known height
  • Use trigonometry.

When you’re ready to extrude a building’s footprint to the correct height, make sure you’re in ISO view by choosing Camera > Standard Views > Iso. Then use the Push/Pull tool () to extrude your building into 3D and enter your building's exact height.

Method 1: Count repeated units

Often, buildings are constructed with bricks, blocks or other modular construction materials. Measure the height of a single unit, count the total number of units on the facade, and multiply to get an approximate overall height.

This method also works for entire building levels. If you can measure a single level on the facade of your building, you can multiply by the total number of levels to arrive at an approximate overall measurement.

Method 2: Take a picture with an object of known height

When you’re taking a picture of the building you plan to model, include something (or someone) in the photo whose height you know.

Tip: Here are a few tips for estimating building height with this method:
  • A meter stick or a person works well.
  • Position your “known quantity” as close to the building as possible for accuracy.
  • Take the photo from as far away as possible to minimize vertical distortion.

You can use a photo-editing program to estimate the height of your building based on the object (or person) you included in the photograph.

Method 3: Use some simple trigonometry

With a few simple measurements, it’s possible to estimate heights with some accuracy. Take a look at the figure below. All you need to know is:

  1. Your distance from the building
  2. Your eye height
  3. The angle between the ground and the top of the building

Use this formula to calculate the height of the building:

Height = ( tan(angle) x distance ) + eye height

For example, given a building distance of 25 meters, an angle of 37 degrees, and an eye height of 1.75 meters, the formula would be:

Height = tan(37) x 25m + 1.75m 

= 0.75355 x 25m + 1.75m 

= 20.6m 

Was this article helpful?