Maya Help: Importing Images

[Tasoth]

Currently, my deadlock with maya is that I can't import image files into it to use as templates. The book I have for it doesn't even say how to do this and the tutorial that came with it is ugly and something I do not want to use. So, any one know how I can import something like jpg/gif/png into Maya?

[Master of Cards]

Currently, my deadlock with maya is that I can't import image files into it to use as templates. The book I have for it doesn't even say how to do this and the tutorial that came with it is ugly and something I do not want to use. So, any one know how I can import something like jpg/gif/png into Maya?

For?
Mapping?
side views?
Lighting?

[Tasoth]

Template actually. So I have some form of reference to actually model. I haven't even made it as far as rigging yet.

[Master of Cards]

Template actually. So I have some form of reference to actually model. I haven't even made it as far as rigging yet.

Rigging? I never mentioned it. Just put a plane on there to the porpitions of the image, and put the image on that plain.

[Dooey Jo]

You can set the view(s) you use to use your image as a background. It's under the Environment menu on the view's attribute editor.

[Covenant]

I usually just create a material, change the 'color' to a file, and choose my file. Then I can set up the backgrounds so that they're always the correct size, even if I zoom in and out. An image plane is fine, but I prefer to out it on actual geometry.

You'd do that through hypershade.

[Covenant]

If anyone reads this thread again, I've got a question. I'm using a PNG to create a transparent object so I can use an image instead of geometry for the fronds of a palm tree. But the fucking program doesn't seem to give a shit, and even with raytracing leaves a slight, lightly shaded box in the shape of the polygon I'm using. What's the deal? Is there some way for me to make sure that it actually makes it as transparent as the preview window say it is?

Switching to depth-map shadows just makes it worse. I really don't know what to do. Took me a while to draw this, I really don't want to go back and make palm fronds out of geometry!