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    Conversion of background images from Blender 2.79 for use in Blender 2.8?

    Ingmar Franz(duerer)
    posted to: Background Images in the Viewport

    How do I best bring files with background images from Blender 2.79 into Blender 2.8? Is there a tool, an addon or a functionality that automatically converts the old background images into something that Blender 2.8 can handle?

    Reply
    • Jonathan Lampel replied

      It will automatically convert if you happened to use image empties in 2.79, but not background images. However, the image will still be in the .blend file so you can quickly add a new Image -> Background and then choose the same image and align it similarly. 

    • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

      Can I use the same values from the old "Properties Panel" background images  or do I have to find new values that fit?

    • Jonathan Lampel replied

      I believe the X and Y locations and scale should be the same, so you'll just need to rotate them to match. Frankly I don't have 2.7 on my PC at the moment though so I haven't tested it yet. 

    • spikeyxxx replied

      duerer the Scale is half of what it used to be in 2.79, when using a Background Image.

      The Position where the Image gets added depends on your 3D Cursor. It doesn't take the old Background Image's Location into account.

    • Ingmar Franz(duerer) replied

      If my testings are right, then the Blender 2.79 background image size refers to the image extension along the X-axis in Blender Units. The default size  for background images in Blender 2.79 is 10 Blender Units , whereas  the empties in Blender 2.8 with display set to "Image"  set the default size to 1 Blender Unit. The image position in both cases is the location of the image center. I you add an Image Empty with  ADD => IMAGE => BACKGROUND/REFERENCE the default size is 5 Blender Units. As spikeyxxx mentioned it above, its half the default size of Blender 2.79 Viewport Properties Panel's background images.

      No matter whether you add in Image Empty with ADD => EMPTY or ADD => IMAGE (BACKGROUND or REFERENCE), you can later convert one into the other by changing the settings in the empty's "Object Data" tab.

      I also had issues  with Blender 2.79 background images in terms of blurryness and of image shifting relative to curve objects (used for contour map tracing)  in front of the image  when zooming in or out (See my post here).