Importing 2d images into your scene?

[cdaroza]

Okay Ive been Learning Maya for about 2 months now and it kicks ass. Im am trying to import front and side views of sketches from a character i want to build in maya. I read the help file on importing but the imported illustrator (.ai) file does not show up, I can select it but its not showing up. Then i read somehwere on a tutorial i need to create outlines in illustrator on the sketches first. but when i open up the image and goto type>create outlines, its greyed out! do i need to tweak the image? it is a black and white sketch.

Or can i just import the whole image somehow so it shows up as a flat plane on whatever axis? also the image was not created in illustrator, but rather scanned. that shouldnt matter though right?

[perseus2]

Maya will import vector art from Illustrator as curves; for example, if you create text or logos you can import those curves as 3D objects in Maya.

For image planes, I'd suggest using bitmap images like JPG, TGA, TIFF or something like that. I can't say that I've ever tried an *.ai file for image planes, but I know the others work fine.

In reply to:
Okay Ive been Learning Maya for about 2 months now and it kicks ass. Im am trying to import front and side views of sketches from a character i want to build in maya. I read the help file on importing but the imported illustrator (.ai) file does not show up, I can select it but its not showing up. Then i read somehwere on a tutorial i need to create outlines in illustrator on the sketches first. but when i open up the image and goto type>create outlines, its greyed out! do i need to tweak the image? it is a black and white sketch.

Or can i just import the whole image somehow so it shows up as a flat plane on whatever axis? also the image was not created in illustrator, but rather scanned. that shouldnt matter though right?