Full Version: How to align 4 photo references

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I have 4 photo references of a car. Front view, Rear view, Top and Side View.

In Moi I selected the Front screen and then Imported the Front View reference image. I select Ortho view. Next I selected the Rear screen and imported the Rear View ref image.
Then I went through the same procedure for the Top View and Side View references images using the Top screen and Right screen.

With the images in place when I select the Front View screen, I see both the Front and Rear reference images overlapped. The same happens when I select the rear View screen.

I was expecting something more like Blender, When I select the Front View in Blender, I only see the Front View. Same for rear view.

I know in Moi I can hide the rear view image when I am using the Front Screen and vice versa for the Rear Screen. But doing this each time I move between screens is quite annoying.

I also belong to a scale model car forum, you know those plastic kits you buy at hobby stores and Walmart. With the advent of 3D printing many scale model hobbyists are embracing modeling their own custom kit model car parts. Some are even creating complete models of cars not available in model kit form from AMT, Revel, Monogram and other kit manufacturers.

Because of the need of accurate precision they are using apps like Form Fusion 360, Rhino and NOT polygonal modeling apps like 3DMax, Lightwave, Blender, Silo3D.

I would like to use Moi and NOT Blender because of the accuracy issues.

I know how to place the images, However I want the Front ref image be visible only in the Front scree, Rear ref image only visible in Rear screen, etc...

Thanks kindly.

Ken

Image Attachments:
FV.png  RV.png  SV.png  TOP.png 

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Hi Ken, can you please post the .3dm model file with your images set up so I can make sure I understand what you are describing?

Thanks, - Michael

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Sure can. Here is the Moi3D file.

Also I would like to move the Front ref image from the middle of the work area to the front of the work area. And move the Back ref image to the rear of the work area from the TOP down view.

I find the align allows me to move the reference images from side to side but not from middle to the front or rear when in the TOP view.

Attachments:
32Coupe.3dm

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Hi Ken, thanks for posting the file.

> I find the align allows me to move the reference images from side to side but not from
> middle to the front or rear when in the TOP view.

Align is meant to work by picking 2 points in the image and then mapping those to 2 points in the model space.

It won't work well in a view where you're viewing the image edge-on because you can't pick 2 points inside the image in such a view.

But while you are in the View > Image command you can drag on an image inside the viewport to relocate it and you can do that to an image that is being viewed edge-on.

If you move the images so they are not at the exact same depth level in the Front view does that then solve your display problem? Because if they are not right on top of each other you should end up with the Front image showing on top in the Front view and the RV.png showing on top when you switch to Back view.

If that is still a problem I could cook up a script for you that you could put on a shortcut key to hide or show the images based on the current view, let me know if that would be useful.

Thanks, - Michael

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Thanks Michael, I did as you suggested and it worked great. Many thanks...

[quote]
But while you are in the View > Image command you can drag on an image inside the viewport to relocate it and you can do that to an image that is being viewed edge-on.
[/quote]

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I am having a difficult time having all images at the same scale in MOI.

In Photoshop I have all 4 images loaded as layers in a single PSD file. And I arrange them so they line up and are the same scale. The PSD is 1552x960.

I then export each layer as a separate png.

The Top and Side reference images have a dimension of 1552X960

The Front and rear are 858X960.

in Blender I import all 4 png files as "Image Planes" (not as reference or background images) at the intersection of the X Y Z axis.

Since they all have same height of 960, they maintain scale. All I need to do is rotate them into position.

in MOI there is no option to import the reference images at the X Y Z axis. And I have to manually scale them by guess, which I find very tedious and difficult.

I was hoping in the Images properties button it would have allowed the entering of the actual images dimensions. That way all would have same height and no need to scale.

However under the properties button I see the file path to the reference images.

Is there a way to import reference images into MOI so they maintain their scale?

Image Attachments:
BlenderImagePlanes.JPG 

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Hi Ken,

re:
> I was hoping in the Images properties button it would have allowed the entering
> of the actual images dimensions. That way all would have same height and no
> need to scale.

This is available in the v5 beta, it has new options in image properties allowing setting specific width and height for images, you can get it at https://moi3d.com/beta.htm.

In v5 image properties looks like this:



- Michael

Image Attachments:
v5_image_width_height.jpg 

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Thanks Michael. That's seems to resolve my issue.

Many thanks...

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The properties tab certainly helps. However I am having no luck being able to place the middle of the images at the zero co-ordinates for the X, Y, Z axis, like I can do in blender.

Too bad those were not also included in the properties tab.

Is there a simple way of placing the center of each image at those co-ordinates? It would make it much easier to align?

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Also IMHO it would be better to select the center of the image, place it and then stretch it out, rather then selecting the ends of the image.

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Something you can do
Say your image is 677 pix x 491pix
So draw a Rectangle by Center 67,7 x 49,1 unity (Center on the Origin)
Add Image snaping the existing rectangle
You will obtain an image centered on the origine by its middles! :)
Free to you to resize it by "Center" for any reason...
Kill or Hide the rectangle for any reason

You can do that for any image in any view!

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Thanks. That helps but getting the images all properly aligned is very difficult. And finding good video tutorials on car modeling is even more frustrating. However it is not an issue for Rhino, Fusion 360, Sketchup, Plasticity or other similar apps. Even polygonal apps like Blender have tons of car modeling tutorials

Some recommend using photogrammetry and photo scan a car model and import the mesh into the 3D app as a reference. I have 3DF Zephyr and several DSL camera. but the models are too dense to be imported into MOI

The guys who model cars and car parts for 3D printing for 1/24 and 1/25 scale plastic models recommend apps like Rhino, Fusion, Sketchup. Yet none use MOI3D. Now I think I know why...

I always found MOI3D very easy to use however this car modeling and aligning reference images has me stumped. Never had this alignment issue in Blender. But apparently polygonal apps lack precision for accurate scale model cars.

I am very disappointed.

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Hi Ken,

re:
> Is there a simple way of placing the center of each image at those co-ordinates?
> It would make it much easier to align?

Yes there is a simple way to do that. When you are in the View > Image command you can drag on images to reposition them and if you grab near the center you'll see a "Cen" label that indicates that you grabbed that.

It looks like this while inside the View > Image command:



I can also cook up a script for you that will center all images when you push a shortcut key.

- Michael

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Hi Ken,

re:
> I am very disappointed

I'm sorry you're disappointed in MOI. Car modeling is a quite difficult type of model to create, it isn't really a focus area for MoI.

You may have better luck using one of the other programs you mention if you need more assistance with tutorials to follow.

- Michael

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Your video is maybe a little more easy that my little trick above! :)

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Hi Ken, here is a script that you can put in the "command" field of a shortcut key (Options > Shortcut keys) that will place the center of all background images at 0,0,0 .

script: /* Center background images */ var images = moi.view.getBackgroundImages(); for ( var i = 0; i < images.length; ++i ) { var img = images.item(i); var frame = img.frame; frame.origin.set(0,0,0); frame.origin = frame.evaluate(-img.width/2, -img.height/2); img.frame = frame; }

- Michael

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> I'm sorry you're disappointed in MOI. Car modeling is a quite difficult type of model to create, it isn't really a focus area for MoI.

>You may have better luck using one of the other programs you mention if you need more assistance with tutorials to follow.

>- Michael

I was under the impression that any modeling app that was similar to Rhino, Plasticity or Fusion 360, etc with similar toolsets was capable of car modeling. However not many in that hobby are aware of MOI3D.

So are you saying MOI3D is not capable? Or few users of MOI3D model cars? You comment has me quite confused.



Cheers

Ken

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Hi Ken, I'm saying that car modeling is a difficult area of modeling in any program.

- Michael

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And if you require resources like tutorials specifically for car modeling and you are not finding them for MoI but you do have them for other programs then it sounds like the other programs are a better fit for what you're trying to do than MoI is currently.

Car modeling is definitely possible in MoI, you can find many examples in the gallery: http://moi3d.com/gallery/ but it's an advanced area of modeling.

It is kind of on the border between organic shaping and mechanical shaping.

Overall if you don't have a lot of experience it is probably easier to do with poly modeling.

- Michael

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I 've modeled some cars in Hexagon, Silo and Blender. But I've been told for accuracy to use a NURBS modeling app. Apparently NURBS models work best with 3D printers, lathes, etc.
I do not have a 3D printer, but I would like to purchase one to fabricate custom car parts for 1/24 & 1/25 car model kits as well as bodies for cars not available in kits. These would be for my use only.

I've watched youtube tutorials on NURBS / Curve modeling. Most are using Fusion 360, Rhino and Plasticity. I am trying to use some of the techniques in MOI3D.

Blender also hasNURBS & Curves but not the rich toolset of MOI3D.

Kuechmeister Swagger has youtube tutorials modeling cars in MOI3D and Plasticity. He is a very gifted modeler, BUT I find his videos too difficult to follow without audio narration. Not sure why someone would produce a tutorial with no narration. Ed Ferguson has a great tutorial on modeling a customized 1950s truck however it is a bit short on some of detail on the modeling techniques.

I marvel at some of the awesome car models some artists create in Sketchup. IMHO if it can be done in Sketchup or Plasticity, then it should be doable in MOI3D. Not sure why more are not.

I love MOI3D. just annoyed at how difficult it is to align blueprints/reference images and the lack of car modeling tutorials. Sorry, but I really see no good excuse for either.

Cheers

Ken

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