When I've imported a background image into Poser (5), and I have to do multiple renders - I find that the background image becomes pixelated. Even if the background image is 600 dpi - Is there a way to prevent this?
Thanks

Try this
create a wall prop using a cube make the x and y large (1200x900) or whatever fit your scene.
goto the material room and import your back ground image as a texture for that wall prop

Message edited on: 06/26/2005 19:01

I follow the same line of thinking as JVRenderer. I use the one sided square, then apply my image to that. If you make it large enough on the X and Y axis, then it should fill the scene behind the poser model. One thing to keep in mind using this method is the depth of field. If you enable the depth of field, make sure you position the focus so that the backdrop is in front of the crosshairs. If DOF was the problem in the first place, go to Display-->Guides-->Focus Distance Guide. Then you can play with the camera parameter dials. You will need to adjust Focus_Distance, fstop, hither, and yon. Hope this helps!

If your picture is e.g 724x422 then make the x size of the background prop 724 and make the y size 422 and the picture will fit perfectly on the background with no distortion, then scale the background to size using the scale button with no x,y or z in it. Switch off cast shadows for the prop. For some scenes you might want some ambient light, or maybe even make the prop a colour depending on the effect you want to achieve (to darken a sky, etc).

When you import a picture into Poser, it resamples it to the size of your document window (and doesn't do it very well). So that only works in the special case where the size of the picture, the size of your document window and the size of your final render are all the same - not very useful.

In addition to the square prop suggested by the good folks above me, you can also render without a background and save to PSD, PNG or TIF. These formats include an alpha channel which can be used as a mask in Photoshop / Paint Shop Pro, so you can composite the render and the original background pic post-render. - Edit - Further to what xantor said, if you use the background prop; set its material colour to black, and ambient to white. This prevents scene elements from casting a shadow on the prop.

Message edited on: 06/27/2005 05:08

Surely if you set the prop colour to black, then it will render black?

Not if you set ambient to pure white - it overrides the material colour altogether. Try it and see.