No Image Shows up in UI

[Mr Wonderful]

Hi there, I watched a few tutorials where I need to have an image inserted as a background picture in blender. I am using version 2.78c. No image is showing up in my view and I have followed the tutorials to the tea. Any idea why my images don't show up please?

[The Renderer]

Hard to tell without further information.
In order to view the image, you have to be in one of the defined views (top/bottom/front/back/left/right) and orthographic perspective has to be turned on. Also make sure the image isn't set only to a particular view that you are not using. The checkmark has to be set, of course. Also the opacity should obviously not be set to 0.

If none of these help post a screenshot of your viewport including the side bar where you set the image options, maybe we can figure it out.

[still__alive]

You very well might've solved this already, but I figured I'm going to post a screenshot anyway, just in case. Tip: you might want to click the screenshot twice to get a pop out window so you can follow along with my marked up screenshot easier.

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1279580159

There are two ways of setting up reference images (that I know of and have used). The background image feature, or an empty object set to an image plane.


If your tutorial is using the background image feature (most likely) then:

1. This box must be checked.

2. The setting in this axis box determines in which views you will be able to see the image. Only from the dead on views though, if you rotate the camera around your model the image will disappear. Use numpad 1, 3, 7, 9, or any of those plus ctrl (for opposite side) to go to front view, or right view, etc. In my example, I have it set to only show the image in front view. Notice how you cannot see it in the other side of my split view. You can ONLY see it in orthographic (toggle with numpad 5) view, while looking straight down one of the axes.

3. Opacity slider. If that is at zero you won't see your background image.

4. Scale of the background image. If at zero, or low enough, your image will be too small to see.

If your tutorial is using the empty method:

A. My empty object in the scene. (Shift+a -> Add Empty -> Image)

B. This method is an actual object in your scene so you can see it in ortho or perspective, and rotate freely around it.

C. The setting tab to adjust the empty's image properties. You will only see this (I think) with the empty (image) object selected. It changes (I think) when you deselect the empty object.

D. Transparency. If at zero (or too low) you won't see the image.

E. Scale/size. If at zero (or too low) you won't see the image.

[Mr Wonderful]

Thank you guys, I had to change to Ortho and not perspective view. Soon as I was in Ortho view it showed up.

[The Renderer]

Small additional hint: In the user preferences under "Interface", you can turn on "Auto Perspective", which will make it so that whenever you are in one of the views mentioned above it automatically switches to ortho and then switches back to perspective as soon as you move the view to something else. Try it out, I found it to be extremely helpful.