SD/SD13 scale?

[Bobster]

I am working on some accessories for my girls. I want to size the props properly. I know they are 60cm to 62cm in height. How is that related to scale in the real world?

Bobby

PS (I did some quick searches here and at DoA but did not find much. I might not have used the correct terms.)

[Kurosakura]

SD13 is considered 1:3 scale. MSD is 1:4 scale.

[Bobster]

SD13 is considered 1:3 scale. MSD is 1:4 scale.

Thank you.

Bobby

[Chiaki]

There is a lot of confusion about scales, even shops make the mistake. Generally, all BJD follow the 1:3 scale. MSD are also 1:3. Maybe dolls like unoa are 1:4 or dolls that try to represent adults but in 40 cm. 1:6 dolls are like dollfies/barbies in proportions. Yo-SD are still 1:3 scale.

Basically, to find out the scale, you have to consider the relation of the real size of the object ( person, building...etc ) that you want to represent with your "representation" ( doll, figure, miniature...). For example, someone 180 cm high is 180/3 cm (60 cm, so scale: 1:3, a reduction of the real size three times) in the doll world. MSD usually represent children ( don't think of unoa or even SDC now ) a child in the real world being 120 cm high is 120/3 cm as a doll, so it's 40 cm also 1:3 scale. You can make the same calculations for Yo-SD, and will be the same mechanism.

I wrote an article about it some time ago but it's in Spanish. If you are interested I could try translating it.

[Bobster]

Basically, to find out the scale, you have to consider the relation of the real size of the object ( person, building...etc ) that you want to represent with your "representation" ( doll, figure, miniature...). For example, someone 180 cm high is 180/3 cm (60 cm, so scale: 1:3, a reduction of the real size three times) in the doll world. MSD usually represent children ( don't think of unoa or even SDC now ) a child in the real world being 120 cm high is 120/3 cm as a doll, so it's 40 cm also 1:3 scale. You can make the same calculations for Yo-SD, and will be the same mechanism.

I wrote an article about it some time ago but it's in Spanish. If you are interested I could try translating it.

Great details. I had been thinking about scale for a few days before posting. I had thought about the size relationship to people. Since the original sculptors are using Japanese people for the comparisons, it seems like we need to be using statistical data on the Japanese for Volks and potential other people groups for the other manufacturers. Another thing would be that if the SD and SD13s are truly modeled on kids then some things would need to be over size to be correctly sized for them. i.e. IPOD or cell phone should be bigger than one might think to be “correct”. I would be interested in your article. This might be a good topic for a wiki here. Thanks a million for the great detail.

Bobby

[Wotan]

Great details. I had been thinking about scale for a few days before posting. I had thought about the size relationship to people. Since the original sculptors are using Japanese people for the comparisons, it seems like we need to be using statistical data on the Japanese for Volks and potential other people groups for the other manufacturers. Another thing would be that if the SD and SD13s are truly modeled on kids then some things would need to be over size to be correctly sized for them. i.e. IPOD or cell phone should be bigger than one might think to be “correct”. I would be interested in your article. This might be a good topic for a wiki here. Thanks a million for the great detail.

Bobby
As an extension of this, I think you've got to consider the number of dolls out there in the 70 cm range. If you consider them to be in the same SD/SD13 "scale", then they skew things a bit beyond the 1:3 range; either that, or there are a LOT of 7-foot people out there in dollydom.

The safe, easy bet is to go with a 1:3 scale as the basis for SD props. They'll be close enough to the right size so as not to appear off.

[Taco]

SD13 = 1:3 and MSD = 1:4 will probably be the simplist. It's not just the age the company may have intended a doll to be, but what ages the dolls' owners decide that they are that is important. Many owners don't seem to consider their SD's to be children (though I'm sure that there are some that do), and many non-Volks dolls were never intended to be quite that young. Same goes for MSD sized dolls too (and not just Mini Fee and Unoa types). Many dolls are kind of in a grey area age wise--they can easily made to look younger or older depending on the look their owners give them, and of course the size of props and furniture can contribute to that as well.