Select Background Image Dialog

Views menu > Viewport Background > Background Source group > Files > Select Background Image dialog

UFO model rendered against a background

The Select Background Image dialog allows you to choose a file or sequence of files for a viewport background.

You can also convert a set of sequentially numbered files to an Image File List (IFL). This is the same process used by the IFL Manager Utility.

Procedures

To select a background image for a viewport:

1. Activate the viewport where you want the image.
2. Choose Views menu > Viewport Background.
3. Under Background Source in the dialog that displays, click Files.
4. In the Look In field, navigate to the directory containing the file you want to use for the background.

Note : The Select Background Image File dialog uses the last location where a bitmap was chosen, rather than the default bitmap path defined on the Configure User Paths dialog.

1. Highlight the file name in the file list window.
2. Click Open to select the image and close the dialog.
3. Click OK to close the Viewport Background dialog and display the background image.

To select a set of still images as a viewport background:

1. Activate the viewport where you want the image.
2. Choose Views menu > Viewport Background.
3. Under Background Source, click Files.
4. In the Look In field, navigate to the directory containing the sequence of files. The files must be sequentially numbered (for example, image01.bmp, image02.bmp, image03.bmp).

Tip : If necessary, change Files Of Type to match the file extension of the sequence, or choose All Formats.

1. Turn on Sequence, and choose the name of the first sequential file (for example, image01.bmp).

Tip : Click the Setup button to display the Image File List Control dialog.

1. In the Image File List Control dialog, use the Browse button to set the Target Path to a directory on your hard disk. Do not set this path to a CD-ROM drive, because you cannot save the file there.
2. Choose the options you want, and then click OK. The Image File List (IFL) file is saved to the target directory.

Interface

History

Displays a list of the directories most recently searched.

Look In

Opens a navigation window to move to other directories or drives.

Up One Level

Move up a level in the directory structure.

Create New Folder

Lets you create a new folder while in this dialog.

List

Displays the contents of a directory by file name.

Details

Displays the contents of a directory including all the file details.

List Window

When Details is on, the contents of the directory are displayed with Name, Size, Type, Date Modified, and Attributes. You can sort the files by clicking the label of each parameter.

File Name

Displays the name of the file selected in the list.

Files of Type

Displays all the file types that can be displayed. This serves as a filter for the list.

Open

Selects the highlighted file and closes the dialog.

Cancel

Cancels the selection and closes the dialog.

Devices

Lets you select a background image from a digital device. (No device is supported by the default 3ds Max installation.)

Setup

Displays the Image File List Control dialog to create an IFL file. Available only when Sequence is on and there are sequentially numbered files in the displayed directory.

Info

Displays expanded information about the file, such as frame rate, compression quality, file size, and resolution. The information here is dependent on the type of information that is saved with the file type.

View

Displays the file at its actual resolution. If the file is a movie, the Media Player is opened to play the file.

Gamma group

Selects the type of gamma to be used for the selected file. Available only when Enable Gamma Selection is turned on in the Gamma panel.

Use Image’s Own Gamma

Uses the gamma of the incoming bitmap.

Use System Default Gamma

Ignores the image’s own gamma and uses the system default gamma instead, as set in the Gamma panel.

Override

Defines a new gamma for the bitmap that is neither the image’s own, nor the system default.

Sequence

Creates an "Image File List" to your specifications. Each selected image is checked to see if a valid IFL sequence can be created. If the selected image doesn’t yield a list, this option is still available, but doesn’t do anything.

Preview

Displays the image as a thumbnail in the Image Window.

Image Window

Displays a thumbnail of the selected file if Preview is on.

Statistics

Displays the resolution, color depth, file type and number of frames of the selected file.

Location

Displays the full path for the file. With this information at the bottom of the dialog, you always know exactly where you are.

source : 3ds Max Help