simple problem,
basically i am trying to build a truck. I hope to use three photographic reference panels (side view, top and bottom).

My photoshop files are all 16:9. The planes I produce to link the photographs to are all 16:9. However, when I link the photographs to the pnales, they do not fit properly. The top is missing from my side panel??

Attached Thumbnails

Have you done image planes before? They can be a bummer sometimes mate.

I would suggest going back to PS....put them on the same panel in PS but on different layers. Edit with 'Transform" or "Free Transform' after you put some rule lines on at least the side view. Make sure they all line up nicely together on their respective layers.

Then save each layer but take note again of the image size. If they are all seperate photos you will have to copy and get them (in 1 project) and do as in the first part above. Sometimes the images are slightly diff in size etc etc.

I think there is a tut in SM somewhere for image plane setup?? some one else may know where...or just try and have a look. Probably in the archive


hope this helps

cheers bullet

Edit: by the looks you have done it quickly..there are ways to get a nice neat pic of every layer...unless you couldnt be bothered (assuming you are fresh at PS..no offence meant).

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bullet1968

"A Darkness at Sethanon", a book I aspire to model some of the charcters and scenes

Just do a planar projection on your plane. Just make sure the planar project is projecting along the correct axis.

Edit: Are you using planes and then assigning the photo to it? Or are you using the view panels menu bar to import an image? If you are using the later, then planar projection won't work.

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looks like maybe the UVs aren't where they should be (assuming you just made a plane and assigned the material to it) so what perfecto suggested will fix the problem as he said

if you make a plane, assign the material with the texture to it and then in the channel box on the right change the width and height to what the picture is, scale everything until you get your desaired size then freeze transforms it should all work out

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thank you for your replies.

I linked the photograph to a lambert panel using the hypershade.

I'm not familiar with maya language. Certainly never heard of planar projection . However, the UV's do seem to be out. I just found something called UV texture editor. I moved the yellow line upwards and it now seems to fit.

However, unsure of accuracy? Its only a rough guide for this model. That is why the photoshop editting is very rough. But for future reference would love to know.

Never found the size problem before though.

Two ways of doing this. Using image planes (cameras) or texture mapped geometry. I like the second method as it's not as heavy on system requirements, but it takes a little longer to set up.

The first way:
1) Go to your side camera.
2) Under environment, click on image plane.
3) Choose the file you want to have as your image plane.
4) Switch the image plane to be "Visible in this camera only"
5) Adjust the depth so that it isn't in the way of your objects.

Repeat for each camera.

The second way:
1) Create a poly plane. Set it's divisions in x and y to 0.
2) Scale this plane into a 16:9 aspect ratio. Ex 16, 9; 32, 18; etc.
3) Assign a lambert material to the object. Set the color to black. Map the file you wish to use under incandescence. Go back to the material, and under hardware texturing, choose incandescence. This will make sure no lighting information is present on that material.
4) Repeat for each view.
5) Position each plane into the correct location.

Hope this helps.

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Imagination is more important than knowledge.