Had a few messages regarding this, so expanded it and added an example.
How do I add a background?
There are different methods of doing it. What I do is use the "add image plane" in Blender. From there, I port over the scene FBX and load up the image as an asset
.
Again, there are multiple ways to do it, and if you don't know, it's a 5 minute job, ask a creator.
Information
https://docs.blender.org/manual/en/latest/addons/import_export/images_as_planes.html
---
What software do I need?
All you need here is a line tool. Hold down shift to make it perfect for the horizon line.
Don't need Gimp, PS, Krita or any of that, anything with a line-tool will do. Nothing fancy.
The way i'm doing it, is to run VAM in window mode and keep a tab open in Krita. Alternating between the way while adjusting the image. Using the vertical (up) line as a simple market point for each character and aligning the camera for the shot.
The camera itself should remain static unless you choose to move it. But it's easy enough to put back into position.
---
Perspective
The main thing is to find something to latch onto on the image to converge to a single point. The obvious example of perspective is a train track-line, think of it like that.
Where those two tracks meet, that's the horizon line. This is the exactly same thing in 2 point perspective.
1, Use an object to find the horizon line. Something with two parallel lines. Anything box shaped will typically do. A building. A car. etc...
2. From that use the example < - Last page reverse it outward creating a point. It's best to use another person to scale, but you can use
anything if you eyeball it.
Once you've done it once, you can duplicate it over and over almost endlessly, using the original projection. Again, no need to be exact roughly should do fine.
---
Things to take account
1. Perspective warp
The more you compress or widen something, the more distorted it will be. Eventually you'll reach a point where perceptive will break, but that's only really if you go craw with it.
2. The ground itself will not be a flat plane
The horizon itself is a perfectly straight line. The surface your character is on, changes at an angle and your character follows that axis. Think of the ground as a super subtle hill. You can eyeball the tilt of your character using objects from the image as a going. But always match the basic height.
3. Baking light
You'll have to eye-ball color, but you can actually find the direction of light.
There is a more complicated way.
But to keep it simple.
- Look at the light in the image, is the shadow sharp or diffuse? If the image has sharp outline circles, match that with the lighting of your model. If soft, copy that.
- Which side is light hitting, how many light sources?
In the image above, the light is hitting from the left. So the shadow will be on the right Set up your light to match it.
Doing it inside VAM
Try to keep the image flat (head on). Don't actually have to move the characters around in and out, you can use the scaling to give the appearance of distance without actually moving the model. (as above). It makes it appear at a further distance, but really, it's just a smaller model.
The downside is that it can make light less consistent. In fact the light on the far left (image top) is actually wrong, but no biggie. Doesn't need to be perfect.
Limitations
At the end of the day you'll get simulated not real 3D. Have proper scenes for that. It has limitations, an obvious one in the image above being cast-shadows. You could try to replicate it by creating your own surface on top but it's something you'll notice.
Another is overlap, see the lady next to Obi-One, his Saber should be overlapping her. He's 2D, she's 3D, these characters are always on top of the flat surface. So watch out for that.
Hopefully this was abit more informative and not just rambling gobbledygook. If need help or it's still confusing PM or post in the discussion forum. ^^
