Reference Images in the viewport (Old Background images)
Blender2.8 has lost the background images tool, although it is still very much in demand by many users as it is much more useful than the current image empty tool (even if it were to implement improvements) in many circumstances. Since the developers are trying to avoid duplication, I would like to propose the return of the improved Background images to perform a different function, adding with very few changes an immense improvement for the user.
Currently if we go through the subject of workspaces request for blender2.8 we can see a constant in many workspaces.... Users need references to work. But as there is currently no way to reference them all, they end up adding two or three extra areas to their workspaces so that they can view reference images.
So my proposal is: Why not leave the functionality renaming it to "Reference Images" but also adding that you can leave images in the viewport, in any view, including perspective? and let the user place the images in screen space. This would allow users to put references into the viewport for when modeling or sculpting. References that do not depend on whether you are in perspective or orthogonal view and work similarly to the current camera mode.
Also the new tool would bring several improvements over its predecessor. To begin with I would bring a new view in the menu called "Viewport" which would be the default mode for adding references.
Also for the orthogonal views it would bring a new option "Mirror image", which can be seen in the mockup. This option would simply duplicate the image in the opposite orthogonal view, flipping it so that the same image (e.g. from the side of a car) would serve both the left and right view.
Finally, the new system would be located in the workspace tab, in the properties area, depending on the workspace, not the viewer (if possible). And it would be activated or deactivated in each viewer of the workspace by means of an option within overlays.
With these "small" changes two things could be achieved.
- Save the background image functionality that so many people want to preserve by avoiding duplication of functionality.
- Add a new referral system that all users would really appreciate.
16 Comments
There is an addon called EasyRef. You can find it on Blenderartists forum for addons. Does exactly what you are looking for.
Agreed
In Blender 2.79 Background Images Options in ' N ' Panel looks so much confusing to setup. I hope this will change in Blender 2.8.
"Blender2.8 has lost the background images tool"
nice proposal!!!. one like more.
Why not suggest ways to add these features to Image Empties? At least those are real objects that can be selected and moved around easily.
@Jason van Gumster:
Because they are different functionalities. Empty images creates a physical image in the scene. Background images only paint an image inside the viewport in the respective screen coordinates given by the user without any interaction with the user and without the need to know how to configure anything.
In addition, that currently blender keeps this code inside, but it has been left only for cameras, which doesn't make much sense if the functionality inside blender is still limited and can easily solve the lack of ways to see references constantly while modeling and sculpting.
For people who do animation, it allows to have storyboard, camera angles etc .. without cluttering the scene. In addition, emptys are unable to hang on camera, or always be in front of objects!
Nothing prevents you from adding control points in the 3D view for this feature.
I'm not sure how the scene is any less cluttered with any images in the 3D View, whether they be background or image empties.
And as for this:
Then let's suggest adding these features to Empties and get the feature fixed there. That way we get other benefits. For instance, it might be nice for rigs if Empties used as controllers could hang on the viewport camera or always be in front.
I'm just saying that perhaps we should suggest improving the system that's there, without introducing redundancies, to get the functionality we want.
@Jason van Gumster: I don't see any new redundance because blender keep this functionality, only that we don't have some options.
Image empty are image objects inside the scene. References are images in viewport.
For me, it's not redundancy. If you talk about the fact that there are pictures. So an image empty is already a redundancy of a textured plane! So remove the images empty !
@valentinwn: Actually, that's not as crazy as it sounds. There is a lot of redundancy there (except for the fact that image empties always show their image, regardless of shading view and textured planes don't). But if we improve the behavior of image empties, then there would be fewer redundancies with textured planes.
@ alberto.984 : The background images feature was removed because it was redundant. That's the whole reason we're having this conversation.
@Jason van Gumster: Backgrounds images could be redundant with image empty (and it is false), this proposal no because have a different functionality.
Also that empty images make exactly the same that a plane with texture.
For me, just the possibility of having abstract (non-physical) objects is enough to be a different feature.
@Craig Jones: Blender still supporting old method, So I don't see the PITA for developers if they will keep all functionality.
And no, you cannot set the rules for everything that is needed here.