Modeling using reference images
 

I am new to Maya, but not a total newbie to modeling. I normally use 3D Studio Max, but I like Maya because it is not as demanding on the RAM. Here is my question. Is there a way, in 4 View mode, to get the reference images in the Top, Side, and Front views without the reference plains showing up in the Perspective view port. :banghead:

Thank You

Tnorris.. i think I know the answer to your question, but not so that they dont appear in one certain viewport. This will work most likely though. Take your refrence images and put them into a new layer (Channelbox/layer editor.. then go new layer, and then select the plains and right click the lair and assign to layer.) Now select the front refrence, and with the move tool.. drag it waaaaay back. Then with the side refrence, drag waaaay to one of the sides, then with the last top refrence, drag it waaay down. Now when you look at your image in perspective, those plains arent really in sight.. but when you go into the top, side, and front viewports.. the image will be dead on with your model. Side, front and top viewports act different in this way :). Hope this helped. Oh, BTW... other than the ram.. do you prefer the tools in Maya more, and which do you think is more powerful? Cya.

Oh, btw.. then you can click the box beside the V in the channel editor/layer ediotor.. and you can put the images to R for refrence.. then you cant select them.

)V(.... Thank you for the help. I will give that a try and see how it works for me.

As for the tools in Maya.... Yes I think I like them better. Everything is right in front of you so the tools you need are so much easier to find. I think that Maya is every bit as good IF NOT BETTER than 3DSMAX.

Thanks again for the help with the reference images.

Instead of using image planes for reference pictures, how about creating a plane with your reference picture as a texture.......

Here's what I do:

If I am modelling in NURBS, I make a polygon plane (and vice versa if modelling in polygons) for each view and assign my reference picture to it as a texture.

If I don't want the reference planes showing in a particular view I can use the SHOW menu for that view and select what is shown and what is not.

I usually set the reference planes up in a separate layer as well, with the layer selected as a reference layer. This allows the reference picture planes to be shown but not accidentally selected.

Hope this helps

Steve

baldgeek, What you just described IS an image plane

:)

I use image planes but I create a new layer and slap them in there. That way if I need to see something without the image plane I just hide that layer for a second.

Z1mmnd14 :

I was trying to explain a method I use instead of using the VIEW / IMAGE PLANE...... menu found in each separate view.

Maybe my terminology was confusing?

There's a free video tut here at SM that explains how to set up reference image planes. Here's the quick link:

http://www.simplymaya.com/vip.shtml?tut=24

An even easier way would be to use K-man's refplanes mel script which can be found here:

http://forum.simplymaya.com/showthre...&threadid=2032.

YES IT WAS YOUR FIRED!... lol, nah.. i think i got what you were saying :D.

just quickly.If you only want to see them in the top, side and front viewports then go to front viewport then go to view>select camera>ctrl+a(attribute editor)>select your reference image tab and then click on the looking through camera button in the image plane attributes list.There ya go. (this is assuming you used the create image plane from the environment list in select camera!) :)

Thanks for all the help. You all have been great. I think I finally got it to work the way I want it too.