Using JPEG Backgrounds?
Daz 3D is part of 
Connect
DAZ Productions, Inc.
7533 S Center View Ct #4664
West Jordan, UT 84084
Licensing Agreement | Terms of Service | Privacy Policy | EULA
© 2025 Daz Productions Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Comments
I put mine in first. Got to the main menu under Window/Panes/Environment when the pane opens click on the Type drop down and choose Backdrop when that opens click on the arrow beside the colour and choose your image.
After that I look at the Exif for the image, if available, and set the camera to the camera settings for the image, ISO/Speed/F-number/Focal Length, then I click on the camera box and choose Front and make a camera using that setting. Then set the Render/Environment to Sun and Sky, Dome Rotation to zero, Lat/Long, Day, Time of day as set in the Exif and then turn the camera to point in the direction the image was taken until the shadows match. The camera will be facing South so if the picture was taken facing South East then turn it to the left, if North turn it 180, etc. Lock everything and then only use the zoom on the camera and/or move anything you add to the scene to get it to fit and look right. You might also have to set Ground to Manual and change the Shadow Intensity to match the shadows in the original picture.
Takes longer to write than do :)
It depends on what effect you are aiming for. If you use the Environment-Option Fishtales described, the image you use will be fit to your camera aspect, even if you just want a certain part of it to show. So, sometimes it is easier to just render transparent (by switching dome visibility to "off") and add the image in postwork.
I think it depends on which version of Daz Studio you are using. I have the most current version and when I click Window/Panes/Environment, a pane does not open. The only thing that changes is the window in the upper right corner which shows what my main window shows.
It's working now. I had to restart the program to get it to add the background. So, how do you merge and save the complete image?
You just place the figure and render, the BG-image will automatically be part of your new image... If that was what you were asking about?
While I sometimes load the background into the Environment tab to compose the scene, I've found I prefer to render with a transparent background and then composite them together in postwork (I use GIMP). This allows me greater control over the position of the background, changing the exposure or color balance to match my rendered scene, etc.
This is the method I used for my "Walking a New Path" image.
The images in the posts from this one to the bottom of the page uses my own pictures as backdrops.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/2538376/#Comment_2538376
Another series.
https://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/comment/2637826/#Comment_2637826
Sir Fishtales,
Thank you for your instructions. They got me further than I have been before. But sorry, I made it as far as "Go to the main menu under Window/Panes/Environment when the pane opens click on the Type drop down and choose Backdrop." I do not understand the rest, specifically: "...when that opens click on the arrow beside the colour and choose your image." What arrow beside what colour? Also what do you mean by "Choose your image?" By image I think you mean the JPEG file, but how do I choose it? I did not see any way to introduce the file into DAZ Studio. Sorry to be so dense but, I guess that goes with being a newbie. By the way, I looked at the images with photo backgrounds that you posted here, and they look really great!
It's the small triangle next to the row of numbers in the "Background" slot. The triangles are important for pretty much everything in DAZ, because yiou use it to select images/maps.
A word of warning, the Environtment pane often opens in a very mini sizie so you have to increase the window's size by dragging the borders.
In the Environment pane, change the mode from "none" to Background. To do that, you needf the little triangle at the left side, as marked in the image.
When the mode i switched, you often have the lower section covered with the info section. You can close that by clicking on the smal nub in the center.
You can use that same nub to open the info section again.
Finally, you'll see the slot labelled "Background". The default colour is white. If you want a single color background, simply leftclick on the numbers and a colour wheel opens from which you can select a color. Richtclick on one of the numbers lets it edit you for a specific value. For images, you usually use the default while colour.
For an image, see the small triangle to the left that I circled? Click on that. From the dropdown menu, select "Browse". You can then go to your image's location. Select it (if you need instructions for that, you will have to wait until tonight).
The BG Image now shows in your preview screen and as a small miniature in the slot where the triangle used to be. Whenever you see such a miniature image, you can click on that and a menu will pop up that lets you make changes (Browse, LIE, deleselct...)
Bee,
First, I want to thank you. Unfortunately, I'm stil doing something wrong. Yesterday I got to the point where, after going to the main menu and clicking on Window/Panes/Environment , the Environment box appeared. However, tonight, after following the same sequence many times --- selecting Window/Panes/ then the drop down list for Environment , the Environment panel NEVER APPEARS! The only thing that happens is the small, auxillary panet in the upper right changes. Since there is no Environmental selection panel, there is no backdrop option. Obviously, I'm missing something.
That sounds like your Environment pane is already opened and somehow crammed into the upper right corner on top of the auxilliary view window.
You can try two things: make a screenshot of the upper right area of your screen and post it here, so we can check and doodle on the image.
or you can try going to what you identified as "Aux screen" and drag it to the view screen, and increase the size of the pane by dragging the edges, so you can check if it was the Environemt screen or the aux screen, after all.
It is also possible you have minimised the panel and dragging the edges of the small panel should enlarge it.
Thank You. With your help I was able to load a jpeg file into DAZ Studio as a background. HURRAY! But here’s the interesting part: This only works when I am using the “Hollywood Blvd” workspace layout. Clicking on the Window/Panes/Environment tabs does not present the Environmental drop-down panel in either the “City Limits Light” or” City Limits” workspace. I believe this has something to do with the presence of the Auxiliary Panel located in the upper right of the workspace since this panel is not part of the basic Hollywood Blvd layout. However, I don’t have a clue as to how to correct this.
Also, when I do get the Environment Panel, there are choices I do not understand. Namely: “Adjust Aspect Ratio to Backdrop,” “Adjust Dimensions to Backdrop,” “255 255 255,” “Undoc Pane,” and “Undoc Pane Group.”
One last question: Is there an UNDO button or UNDO Keyboard sequence in DAZ Studio like there is in Photoshop? Sometimes I could really use one.
Thanks again.
More information that may be helpful. Here is a picture of my desktop using the "City Limits Light" workspace. You'll notice the Environmental window in both the center and aux panels. Question: How do I change the size of the box inside the viewport panel. As you can see the size is the same in both the center and aux panels, namely: 1.72197:1 --- whatever that number means!!
By the way, has anyone ever written a book about DAZ Studio that is designed for beginners! I think it would be a big hit. I'd sure buy it. :-)
Here is the picture of my desktop attached as a jpeg file.
Aspect Ratio: Go to render settings. Under "General" you'll find "Dimension Preset (Global)". You can there change the aspect ration to whatever you like, either by aspect, by dropdown (premade), or by size. If you leave "Constrain Property (Global)" Set to "On", the size of the pixels will change depending on the aspect ration. The size you have in your screenshot is the aspect ration of your screen. without any constrains.
And the Environment tab works in all layouts. But the Environment tab might be sized really, really small on load. It is sized very small in Self Serf and easily can look like it is one of the other panels.
Namely: “Adjust Aspect Ratio to Backdrop,” “Adjust Dimensions to Backdrop,” will adjust the size/aspect ration of your render settings to whatever Backdrop you selected. If you have an image, it will use that size/aspect ratio. Just try it, you can't break anything (we all learned most by simply experimenting, you know).
“255 255 255,” That's the colour in RGB numbers. If you have Photoshop, I'm sure you have selected a colour, and that has a RGB (Red, Green, Blue) value. The number is always presented as RGB in the colour slots, except for Iray colour slots, where it's some value between 0 and 1.
“Undoc Pane,” and “Undoc Pane Group.” As the name said. You can remove the Enviroment Pane from its docked state, or even undock the entire group you assigned it to, and then have everything moveable to wherevr on the screen you want it, ot asign it to a different group of panes. Used in custimzation.
Undo/Redo: Ctrl+Z, Redo Ctrl+Y, ou go to the "Edit" dropdown. Not all actions are Undoable, though.
Books, yes, I'm sure someone wrote something. Google them or find them on Amazon.
Oh, and the Environment tab cannot open saparately in the layout you chose, because it is already open.
in the upper right corner where the aux viewport is, notice two more folders at the right side of the aux tab? One is the very important scene tab, the other is the environment. That is the reason why your aux tab seems to 'bling' when you select environment.
Bee,
Thanks so much for your support. I especially liked your advice about learning by just trying things out. That's what I've been attempting to do, but, as you know, it can get frustrating at times. It's helpful to hear others have gone through similar experiences. So now I'll just keep at it! Thanks again.
Yes, we all have learned things slowly, by experiment, trial and error. It helps to understand things properly... but you know, even after the cople of years I'm doing this, I still consider myself very much a beginner.
By theway, a good source of information and learning the ropes of the program is the new user contests. I can only strongly recommend them, and the WIP threads for every month. https://www.daz3d.com/forums/categories/new-user-contests-and-events