background images - V1.48.182

[skysurfer]

Probably it's already covered but I can't get how to put an image as background for a rendering.
I know that the bitmap has to be in the Env-Back channel, but what if I didn't wont to unwrap it like a Spherical/mirrorball and I want to use it as as "backplate".

Thanks

[ledisnomad]

If you aren't going to wrap it, why not just create a material and apply it to a plane? That way you can see it's position before you render it.

[skysurfer]

You are right, and it's exactly like I did, but in this way it's very hard to match different background planes due to the lighting and it's difficult to match the material color and the starting image.

[ledisnomad]

Well, you could always try the angular or cubic mapping in the environment, but I think those are tricky to set up. If you just want a background image, what about saving out the alpha channel and Photoshopping in the background?

[schultzeworks]

I highly recommend the prior suggestion. As long as you have no geometry in the background, just save your render as a PNG so that the background will be masked out via the alpha-channel. Then, place your render over any background image in PhotoShop. You will have FAR more control with the resulting image as two separate layers.

This technique is faster and better.

[skysurfer]

Thanks David,
but how to manage the Shadows?

Could I use the Channels? But which one?

-R-