How to insert a background image?

[Eron]

How to insert a background image ?

Hello Everyone,

I am pretty new to FluidRay and during my first trial steps I did not yet find a way to insert a background image to my scenery.
Being familiar with Cinema4D I was trying to find some kind of similar approach by:

• creating a background object (being predefined by c4d)
• apply a material
• import a picture to this this material - in the color channel

that’s all - in KeyShot e.g. this is named ‘backplate’.

Any input on this topic and how to do it is highly appreciated,
many thanks in advance !

[Diego]

Hi Eron,

If you need to insert the image for lighting (an HDRI image to light the scene), you can replace the default Environment node connected to the Scene node, with an HDRI node. Just select and delete (press Del) the Environment node, and right-click over the environment connector on top of the Scene node, and select Add-Connect to a new-HDRI Environment.

Then right-click over the dark grey background and Add-Textures-Image texture from file, import the image you want, and connect its node to the Map connector (not sure if that is its proper name) node. The image will be added and will be lighting the scene. You can then tweak its parameters on the upper panel.

Here is a screenshot showing how it looks with the new nodes:

Hope that helps!

Diego

[Eron]

Diego, first of all very many thanks for your thorough explanation as far as the lighting topic via HDRI is concerned.

But my question implied as well the second part: how can I create some kind of backplane onto which I can apply e.g. a skyline photo/image from Manhattan ? or building site or any arbitrary scenery.
In architectural vizualisations this approach has to be used in order to convince potential clients and /or investors.

I would be very grateful if you could shed some light on this issue: how to create a ‘background image’ independent from the lighting setup.

Again, very many thanks !

[nicola]

To have a background image, add a texture from file as Diego explained, then connect the texture node to the “Background Image” plug of the Renderer node.

Here is the step by step instructions:

1. In the GraphView empty space right-click Add -> Textures -> Image Texture From File
2. Select the image to use as background
3. Connect the Image texture node just created to the “Background Image” plug of the Renderer node

[Eron]

Thank you nicola,

I will try along these lines hoping to grasp the logic behind these explanations,

regards
Eron

[nicola]

Along the same lines, here is a tip on how to set a solid color as background:

1. Go to the Graph View, then right-click on the empty space, the Add->Misc->RGB Color
2. Connect the RGB Color node to the Renderer node.
3. You can now select the RGB Color node and change the color in the Attribute Editor