Tip: Addon – Import Images as Planes

by Jonathan Williamson

In this quick Blender 2.5 video tutorial we showcase another addon that is bundled with Blender 2.55. The Import Images as Planes addon allows us to import images into Blender and automatically assign them to the UV channel of mesh planes with the correct aspect ratio.

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Discussion

28 Responses to “Tip: Addon – Import Images as Planes”
  1. ssimpossible
    Posts: 42

    Great! Thanks for this tip :)

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    1
     Dec 20, 2010 at 4:31 pm
    Reply
  2. jernej
    Posts: 7

    Yea, great tip :D

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    2
     Dec 20, 2010 at 4:41 pm
    Reply
  3. Moolah
    Posts: 59

    I use it often for right references’ placing – it’s very handy and a lot better than dealing with background images as references. Moving objects with graphics you can easily place ‘em as you want.
    Tip: use alpha Calculate if you have a good blueprint reference (it must be grey-toned).
    It’s the one of top addons for pro’s and advanced.

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    3
     Dec 20, 2010 at 5:21 pm
    Reply
  4. T-Mac137
    Posts: 13

    hey jonathan

    could you do a tutorial on a candle flame, and make it flicker please. it would be great, thanks.

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    4
     Dec 20, 2010 at 7:26 pm
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    • Nixon
      Posts: 61

      tho this might be the totally wrong place to hint u on this, but there was a candle tutorial on (psst) cgtuts+ in the blender section just recently (it’S the newest on the list even i think)…

      I feel very sorry for bumping to another blender related site, hope no harm done ..i remind jonathan had a tutorial there too. And u guys here at blendercookie have the best blender tut site anyway:)

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      4.1
       Dec 21, 2010 at 5:04 am
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      • jonathanwilliamson
        Posts: 1761

        No harm done at all :) I was just about to link that same tutorial. A little friendly competition is always good!

        -Jonathan

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        4.1.1
         Dec 21, 2010 at 10:50 am
      • T-Mac137
        Posts: 13

        thanks alot, also jonathan, i was wondering if you could do a tut on how to texture a shirt with a blood splatter on it, it would really help me, thanks

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        4.1.2
         Dec 21, 2010 at 8:20 pm
      • jonathanwilliamson
        Posts: 1761

        That’s actually a great idea. I’ve added it to the list!

        -Jonathan

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         Dec 21, 2010 at 8:27 pm
      • Fábio
        Posts: 1

        Hi Jonathan,

        Is there any way to make opposite? I mean, to export a plane as a image. Maybe use the displace modifier, apply materials and than export as an image.

        Thanks,
        ftcbr

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         Jan 12, 2011 at 6:30 pm
  5. wysiwyg125
    Posts: 6

    Is there a version of this script for 2.4x?

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    5
     Dec 20, 2010 at 8:11 pm
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    • jonathanwilliamson
      Posts: 1761

      I believe it is included with 2.49 but I’m not positive on that. Try checking the scripts windows.

      -Jonathan

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      5.1
       Dec 20, 2010 at 8:55 pm
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      • stvndysn
        Posts: 16

        i have a contribution build of 2.49b, the script is in scripts/image/image/image to mesh

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        5.1.1
         Dec 21, 2010 at 9:43 am
    • wysiwyg125
      Posts: 6

      stvndysn: can you post a link to it? I don’t seem to have it..Thanks

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      5.2
       Dec 21, 2010 at 8:22 pm
      Reply
  6. Wehrdo
    Posts: 18

    Great tip, but I have a question.

    I see that when you import an image as a plane, it adds something in each layer. What is in all those layers?

    Thanks!

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    6
     Dec 20, 2010 at 10:00 pm
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    • stvndysn
      Posts: 16

      actually no it doesnt add anything to the other layers..

      thats most likely jonathan with other examples on the layers or something.

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      6.1
       Dec 21, 2010 at 9:47 am
      Reply
  7. bo7amny
    Posts: 8

    that is really great thank you
    is there a way to set the material to be automatically shadeless ?

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    7
     Dec 20, 2010 at 11:15 pm
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  8. Nixon
    Posts: 61

    cool:) great to see that this feature came into 2.5x now too..i think i remind it from 2.49b or so aswell,
    Nice shortcut:) thanks for the tip!

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    8
     Dec 21, 2010 at 3:50 am
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  9. axa3d
    Posts: 4

    I can’t see the video… No link! (also in the Citizen Area) :(

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    9
     Dec 21, 2010 at 2:15 pm
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  10. axa3d
    Posts: 4

    Thanks! Now it is ok :)

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    10
     Dec 21, 2010 at 5:05 pm
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  11. Moolah
    Posts: 59

    Hey, Jonathan!
    Do we have a chance to see how to use LightWave’s scene files import to Blender (as one .obj)? Collada still doesn’t works and I don’t know any mean how to join objects in LW Layout (from .lws to .obj or .lwo) to one mesh.
    I think it will be a great tip (if you know how to do this) because LightWave is “Blender friendly” program… as I think.

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    11
     Dec 21, 2010 at 5:13 pm
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  12. Andy
    Posts: 6

    Is it possible to then freeze the plane without the texture dissapearing so we can model with it without accidentally selecting it? Great tut, thanks.

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    12
     Dec 21, 2010 at 5:33 pm
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    • Simon Kinane
      Posts: 4

      In an outliner panel, there’s an arrow icon you can click beside each object to “restrict selection in the viewport”.

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      12.1
       Jan 19, 2011 at 10:36 pm
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  13. David
    Posts: 6

    I hope that some day we can set the scale of an image at 1:1.

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    13
     Dec 23, 2010 at 5:04 pm
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  14. biswajyoti
    Posts: 2

    great,
    I am always enjoy you tutorials, so nice of you all Opensource peoples.
    Tanks & hats-of to you.
    is there 2D Cutout .png import script in Blender 2.5
    - Biswajyoti

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    14
     Jan 9, 2011 at 12:17 pm
    Reply
  15. Maddie Montgomery
    Posts: 1

    You are a lifesaver! I needed to have that “images as planes” option for my class assessment and I wasn’t there. I was freaking out, your like my white knight! Thanks again for saving me

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    15
     Nov 24, 2011 at 1:05 am
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  16. Sklep Internetowy Gorzow
    Posts: 1

    Hello.This post was really interesting, especially since I was browsing for thoughts on this matter last couple of days.

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    16
     Jan 27, 2012 at 6:46 pm
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  17. trimondi
    Posts: 4

    interesting and useful tutorial

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    17
     Feb 29, 2012 at 4:11 pm
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  18. renzowolf
    Posts: 2

    When I try this with pixel art, such as a 9×9 psd file, it blurs the image a ton, how can I fix this problem?

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    18
     Apr 10, 2012 at 12:18 am
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