Viewport reference picture

[OtZman]

Is there ANY way to make a reference picture appear in any of the 2D viewports in hammer? For example, if I make a map based on a blueprint, is there any way to put it in the background of the Top (x/y) viewport so that I clearly can see how well I'm following it?

I'm following this blueprint:


And this is what I've created:


Is there any way to put the blueprint picture as a reference in the hammer viewport? Something like this:



When 3D modelling a reference picture is often used like this. It would be easier to follow the blueprint if this could be done in hammer.

Thanks in advance.

[slayera]

Yes, you can, but you may not like it. You will need to import as a texture and apply to a brush. Then work off the top of it. It would be like character modeling but instead of 2 side plates you would a single bottom plate.

[OtZman]

Thanks for your answer.

Is there any way to make textures appear in one of the 2D views? If so, I would be able to put the blueprint texture on a brush and then see it in the top view. If not, I suppose putting the texture on a brush and see how well I place walls ect in the 3D view is the only option.

[zombie@computer]

theres another way to hack your way in this thing

simply create a huge model (the size of your blueprint) with the blueprint as texture on top. Textures of models are visible in teh 2d windows

[Flufd]

Going to have to judge that well as you cant resize the models right?

[zombie@computer]

you can scale them during their compiling

[Flufd]

Valve should really implement this into Hammer, would by useful to someone who wanted to map something they had drawn or what not.

[OtZman]

Valve should really implement this into Hammer, would by useful to someone who wanted to map something they had drawn or what not.

I agree. It would've been a useful function.

And thanks zombie@computer for your model trick.

If someone else has another way/idea how it could be done, feel free to post it.

[marnamai]

Valve should really implement this into Hammer, would by useful to someone who wanted to map something they had drawn or what not.

I agree. It would've been a useful function.

And thanks zombie@computer for your model trick.

If someone else has another way/idea how it could be done, feel free to post it.

the primitive (and dumb way):" take a knive and carve it in your screen"

wouldn't know how to do that, but the model and texture seem to be most easy to do