How is a scale ratio applied?

A scale of 1:N means the model is N times smaller than the real object. The tool divides your real-world dimension by N. So a 1800 mm door at 1:87 (HO) becomes about 20.7 mm tall.

What scale is 28mm heroic wargaming?

28mm refers to the figure height (foot to eye) of a human miniature, which corresponds to roughly 1:56 to 1:60. This tool uses 1:56 as the working ratio for 28mm heroic, the common Warhammer-style standard.

What are HO and N scale?

HO scale is 1:87 and N scale is 1:160, both standard model-railroad scales. HO is the most popular worldwide. N is roughly half the linear size of HO, useful for fitting more track in a small space.

Can I work backwards from a model size?

Yes. Switch the direction toggle to scale-up and the tool multiplies your model dimension by the ratio to give the equivalent real-world size, useful for figuring out what a miniature represents.

Does the scale affect volume and weight?

Linear dimensions divide by N, but volume and mass scale by N cubed. A 1:56 figure has roughly 1/175000 the volume of the real object, which is why resin miniatures use so little material.

What is the Miniature Scale Converter?

Enter a real-world measurement and pick a target scale (1:1 to 1:700) to get the scaled size in mm and inches. For miniature painters, terrain builders, model railroaders, and wargamers. It runs free in your browser on Gera Tools, with nothing uploaded.

Miniature Scale Converter

Name: Miniature Scale Converter
Creator: Gera Tools
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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Whether you paint 28mm wargaming figures, build HO model-railroad terrain, or 3D-print scenery, you constantly need to translate a real-world measurement into its scaled equivalent. This converter does that instantly across every common modelling scale, plus any custom ratio you enter.

How it works

A model scale of 1:N means the miniature is N times smaller than the real thing in every linear dimension. Converting is a single division:

model size = real-world size / N

To go the other way (figure out what a miniature represents at full size) you multiply instead:

real-world size = model size × N

Named scales map to ratios: HO is 1:87, OO is 1:76, N is 1:160, O is 1:48, 1/72 is a classic plastic-kit scale, and “28mm heroic” wargaming corresponds to about 1:56. Pick one or type your own denominator for anything unusual.

Scale reference table

Scale name	Ratio	Typical use
28mm heroic	1:56	Warhammer 40K, Age of Sigmar, Infinity
15mm wargaming	1:100	Flames of War, historical wargames
6mm	1:285 – 1:300	Micro-armor, strategic-level wargames
1/72	1:72	Classic plastic kits (Airfix, Revell)
1/35	1:35	Large-scale military vehicle kits
O scale	1:48	Model railways (North America); 1:43.5 in UK
OO scale	1:76	UK model railways (Hornby, Bachmann)
HO scale	1:87	Most popular railway scale worldwide
TT scale	1:120	Popular in Germany and Eastern Europe
N scale	1:160	Space-saving layout scale
Z scale	1:220	Smallest common railway scale

Worked examples

Door height for HO terrain: A standard door is 2,032 mm (6 ft 8 in) tall. At 1:87 → 2,032 ÷ 87 = 23.4 mm

Road vehicle for 28mm wargaming: A typical car is 4,500 mm long. At 1:56 → 4,500 ÷ 56 = 80.4 mm

Figure height check (reverse calculation): A miniature figure is 32 mm to top of head. At 1:56 → 32 × 56 = 1,792 mm, about 5 ft 11 in — reasonable for a human.

Mixing ranges from different manufacturers

“28mm” is a marketing label, not a precise specification. One company’s 28mm figure may stand 30 mm to the eyes; another’s may be 26 mm. Before ordering scatter terrain or vehicles to match your figures, confirm the actual ratio:

Measure a known real-world object that appears in the range (a standard door, a car, a 6-foot human).
Divide the real-world size in mm by the model size.
Use that ratio — not the label — when converting dimensions.

Volume and mass scale by the cube of N. A 1:56 figure occupies about 175,000 times less volume than a real person, which is why a detailed resin miniature uses only a few grams of material.