backdrop?
 

If I want to use a photo as a template for creating splines, how (can) i import a picture into layer 1 so I can trace around it

HI Mike, I think the easiest way would be, when you open up modeler press "d" short cut to the display properties, go to back drop decide which window you want the picture in (top\tl, back\bL\side\bR) then where it says image just click it then brows to your picture.... I think that should do it......other wise you can build a simple square poly in layer one make sure it has the same dimentions as the image and then add the image as a surface to the poly...but the image wont show up if you switch layers so the backdrop is your best solution....at least that's what I would do... check out the free McLaren tutorial http://www.simplylightwave.com/vip.shtml?tut=503 for more details...

Goodluck

Thanks for that. It was just what I needed

No prob!
seeya!

I downloaded the Mclaren Tutorial, and using the exact same steps as in the video, it doesn't work. When i click load image, no images can be seen, even though there are images in the folder i am browsing. I click 'all files' as apposed to 'images' and the pictures show up, but when i go to load them, they don't show up.

anyway to fix this?

You unzipped them, I assume. They should show up as images. They are Jpegs so if it doesnt show as an image there is something sreiously wrong. And, make sure you are loading an image for a window and not a preset.

Hope that helps.

use differnt file type, it should be jpg i think

I had the same problem - no jpeg showed up until I installed the I/O jpg plugin.

Also, what version of LW are you using? I seem to recall that some (pre 7.5c) versions (can't remember which exactly) suffered some problems when dealing with JPEG files.

If you're not running 7.5c I'd seriously think about upgrading since the upgrade is free.

.png files seem to work better than jpegs because they are smaller in size...

Doesn't matter. Once the image is in RAM, the format is independent - a jpeg will take up just as much space as the same bitmap saved as an uncompressed tiff since the data is stored as an expanded bitmap.