(Maya) How do get 3D Models the perfect size of a reference image?

Irraka

Am I doing things wrong?  How do Environmental artists take references art of a scene or concept and create a 3D scene of it and it's nearly identical? I know pracitce and skill are huge parts to this but is there some kind of technique that they use to set up the scene with the right angle? 

Andreicus

When i first started out i used to put a reference image of the prop that i wanted to model, load it into Maya and trace the overall shape on top of it.
Nowadays i don't do this anymore, i simply use PureRef to store all my reference images, i place it on the side of the screen and i model while looking at the image, it is way better because you will improve in a lot of different aspect like making proportions right while eye balling them, modeling in general etc.
Tracing is good at the beginning to memorize the proportions and overall shape of an object but that's it.

Regarding finding reference images ( not concept, i mean real reference of real objects and cities ) i usually look for them in Google images or i buy some reference pack from Gumroad, Cubebrush, ArtStation etc.

Regarding making an entire 3D scene...well, it depends if you have a concept or not.

If i have a concept i usually look in the internet for reference images of the props that are in the concept to model the details and to be precise proportion wise.
If it is impossible to have a reference of it because maybe it is some strange fantasy stuff i usually model while looking at the concept and use my imagination while mantaining to the overall style of the scene.

If you don't have a concept that means that you want to create a scene from your imagination, in this case i will browse the net for some cool concept to give me some inspiration and when i decided what to do i will find again other reference images and star creating.

The trick to create a full fledge environment is to setup you camera straight away and do an early blockout.
Regarding the blockout if i need to create some buildings i tend to work in meters in Maya and i always import the UE4 manequin ( yeah the default guy ) that is tall 1.92 meters, then i proceed to create the various building.
After i finished the blockout i set the scale back to centimeters and scale everything down because some tools work bad in meters ( ex. MASH ) and if you keep meters you must change some camera parameters to model the smallest props etc. ( ex. clipping plane distance ). 

Andreicus

When i say to position the camera and do a block out at the beginning that's what i mean:

I'm currently working on a big scene that will be rendered with Arnold, so i did a very rough block out to know there the various buildings will be and i positioned the camera where i want it to be to take the final rendering ( in the first image the camera is there but i forgot to make it visible ):



And this is the final blockout:



Of course there will be a lot of tweaking along the road but with a blockout you will have an idea of how the scene should be.