Your building references?

When you want to build a certain something, do you guys use anything for reference? If you do, it's usually a photo. But I'm just wondering if you guys use different kinds of reference. I use a 3D reference, a friend showed me this where he found a 3d model opened it up and used it as a reference to re-build it in SL.

I use my memory with various photographs off the web for detail references.

However, I found the process of building in SL is about striking a fine balance between the look and the behaviour of the camera as well as one or two other points such as teleport considerations: a moderately tall av of 190cm will have trouble landing in a room with a ceiling under 3.5 metres.

I actually wanted a pokey little country cottage when I first started building my house but I found the dimensions just weren't working so I went the other way and built the shell of a big mansion because it was the most practical solution to SL limitations. These days I work on reducing room size and finding space for other features through trial and error and usage.

I suppose the short answer is that only the most spacious RL builds and models will translate easily to SL. Anything of more 'intimate' proportions will be difficult to negotiate.

I mostly work from photographs. Though if available, I can also work from architectural blueprints.