Back when my friend and I retrofitted auto consoles into cars not born with 'em, we did just that--started at the stamped area for the pivot shaft. We were kids and figured, "How hard could it be?!!"
We cut out the pivot-shaft area using the bezel as a guide, then installed the bracket on the trans for the pivot shaft. Next, we connected the linkage to the transmission, followed by the linkage to the shifter. With the shifter bolted to its bracketry and everything in "park", we then screwed the bracket to the floor where it fit best and adjusted the linkage and/or bracket positioning before final welding. The rear console bracket's contact area with the tunnel got slathered in paint while bolted to the console, then carefully set in place around the shifter while the paint was still wet. That left paint spots on the tunnel so we knew where the bracket needed to be welded.
We never had a template nor measured a damned thing, but got stellar results each time. Back when nobody looked at numbers, installing a floor shift and console added real value come sale time.