Handbook

Version: 2.1 beta

Images

The most important part of PureRef. Explore all the ways to interact with and organize them.


Adding images

#insert #import

It should be easy to add images. That's why you can do it any way you want.

Tip!

When saving a PureRef scene, the images you add will be embedded in the PureRef file by default, but you can switch to keep them as links to locations outside PureRef in Settings.

Paste image

Paste

CtrlV/V

Paste an image from the clipboard.

Paste or drag/drop URL

Paste

CtrlV/V

You can paste a URL straight into the canvas and PureRef will open every image it can find on that page. Dragging and dropping a URL works too.

Dragging & dropping

Drag and drop images from your computer or web browser.

Import images from your computer

Open > Open images

CtrlI/I

Browse to import images from your computer.


Selecting images

Left mouse button/Left mouse button

Select an item by clicking it. Click and drag to create a selection rectangle.

To select items inside locked groups, double click the item to enter that group. While a locked group has a child item selected, the selection rectangle can be used to select multiple items in a group by starting the select drag on the parent groups background or using the continuous select shortcut.

Selecting multiple images

#multiselect
Left mouse button Shift/Left mouse button

Hold Shift/ and click to select multiple images.

Select all

Images > Select all

CtrlA/A

Select everything in the scene.

Continuous deselect

Remove the item under the mouse cursor or all items inside a dragged out rectangle from the current selection.

Continuous deselect doesn't have a default shortcut so it needs to be bound in the keyboard shortcuts settings to be used.


Edit item

Return/

Start editing a selected item, such as a note or drawing.


Duplicate

CtrlD/D

Duplicate the current selection.


Manage images

Images > Manage images

CtrlShiftJ/J

Batch modify image resolution, image sizes, formats and the location of image data.

Used for improving scene performance, scene file size and scene portability.

Change image resolutions

Downscale images that exceed the set maximum dimensions set, or disable any existing downscaling. Images that have a greater resolution than the one selected, will be downscaled to fit the set dimensions when the settings are applied.

Downscaling does not alter image data. To make the resolution change permanent and reduce file size, enable downscaling together with Optimize images.

Optimize images

Optimize images by changing image formats, applying downscaling, and choosing to discard cropped pixels. Optimizing alters the original image data to improve saving and loading performance, and to reduce save file size.

Format

Convert images of other formats to either JPG, PNG or BMP, or automatically select an optimal format depending on if the image has an alpha channel or not.

Discard cropped data

Permanently apply image cropping on cropped images. The cropping can't be undone or changed after this.

Downscaling together with Optimize images

When Optimizing images, any downscaling the image has will be made permanent and can't be undone. Disable downscaling first to keep the original size.

Tip!

If a scene contains a lot of high resolution images of uncompressed formats, combine Optimize images with Change image resolution to drastically reduce both file size and loading speed of the scene.

Change image locations

Change where image data is stored. Embedded images' data is stored in the save file, while linked images references separate files on disk. To change the default storage method, see the setting Embed local images in save file.

Image data location

Link stores image data at an external location and references them from the save file. Will export all previously embedded images and/ or change location of already linked images.

Embed stores image data directly within the save file. Will embed any previously linked images.

Relink already linked images

If an image is linked, selecting this option will create a new copy at the chosen location and update the link accordingly.

Link to existing sources

If an embedded images' source exists on a local disk, link to that instead of exporting the embedded image to the save location.

Replace existing images

Choose whether to overwrite existing images at the destination or assign a unique name when exporting.

Naming

Specify a template to use for naming the exported images or create your own by using the following substitutions:

%0 - Original name
%1 - Sequence number
%2 - Sequence number with leading zeroes
%3 - Scene name

An empty template will result in the original name.

Tip!

Some of these optimizations can be automatically applied when adding images to a scene by using the Auto optimize imported images setting.

Preview

The preview will display images in the scene that will be affected by the selected settings. Images that doesn't match the set conditions (or are not selected in the viewport if there's a selection) will not be shown in the preview, and will thus not receive any changes when applying them. For example, if Change image resolutions is set to downscale to 2000x2000px, an image which is 500x500px won't be downscaled, and won't show up in the preview.

Images with the symbol in the preview will have their original data altered when applying the current settings. Altering the image data cannot be undone. Optimizing images (changing file type) will always have this effect.

Rotate

Left mouse button Ctrl/Left mouse button

Grab outside the corners of the transform gizmo, or hold Ctrl/, click left mouse button and drag on the image to rotate it.

Snapped rotate

Left mouse button CtrlShift/Left mouse button

Rotate and snap to the nearest 45 degrees. Just hold Shift/ while using the gizmo.

Tip!

You can reset the size and rotation of images with Reset transform CtrlShiftT/T

Tip!

Rotate multiple images around their individual center point by holding ShiftAlt/ while using the transform gizmo.


Scale

#resize
Left mouse button CtrlAlt/Left mouse button

Use the gizmo or keyboard shortcut to resize an image or note, non-destructively. Pull the image left or right while holding down the shortcut buttons.

Scale from the center of the image with the transform gizmo by holding Alt/

Tip!

You can reset the size and rotation of images with Reset transform CtrlShiftT/T

Tip!

Scale multiple images from their individual center point by holding ShiftAlt/ while using the transform gizmo.


Crop

Images > Selection > Crop image

#cut
CtrlAltShiftC/C

Enable to use the gizmo to crop the selected image. Hold Shift to lock the current aspect ratio, or Shift + Alt to lock it to a square.

Crop selection

#cut
Left mouse button C/Left mouse button C

Hold the shortcut buttons and drag out a rectangle with the cursor to crop inside the selection. The cropping is non-destructive.

Pan cropping

Left mouse button V/Left mouse button V

Move the image around inside the cropping area by holding down the shortcut buttons and then dragging the image around.

Zoom cropping

Left mouse button ShiftV/Left mouse button V

Zoom in and out inside the cropped area. Pull the image left or right while holding down the shortcut buttons.

Reset cropping

Images > Selection > Reset cropping

CtrlShiftC/C

Reset the cropping and restore the image to its original shape and size.


Flip images

#mirror
Left mouse button AltShift/Left mouse button

Flip images manually by holding the shortcut buttons and dragging the cursor in the direction you want to flip them.

Flip horizontally

Images > Selection > Flip image horizontally

AltShiftH/H

Flip selection horizontally.

Flip vertically

Images > Selection > Flip image vertically

AltShiftV/V

Flip selection vertically.


Axis snapped move item

Left mouse button Shift/Left mouse button

Constrain images to move in straight lines.

Neighbor snapped move item

Left mouse button ShiftSpace/Left mouse button Space

Snap move images to the closest edges of other items.


Adjust image opacity

#transparency #transparent #seethrough
Left mouse button CtrlAltShift/Left mouse button

Adjust the opacity of the selected image. Hold the shortcut buttons and drag the cursor left or right to decrease or increase opacity.


Focus

Space/Space

Press space or double click to zoom in on selected images. Press space or double click again to go back to the previous view. Use the arrow keys to step to the next and previous images, in order of addition to the scene.

Focus next

Right/

Step to the next image in the order of the hierarchy.

Focus previous

Left/

Step to the previous image in the order of the hierarchy.

Tip!

Control the order to focus images in by ordering them in the Hierarchy.

Tip!

Want to focus the whole canvas instead? CtrlSpace/Space


Slideshow

Images > Selection > Slideshow

#presentation
AltS/S

Focus on an image in the selection for 10s (by default, can be changed in settings) before automatically moving to the next in line.


Toggle grayscale

Images > Selection > Toggle grayscale

#greyscale #monochrome #desaturate #black & white
AltG/G

Make the selected images grayscale.

The grayscale formula used is (r*11+g*16+b*5)/32

Tip!

Turn everything grayscale instead with Grayscale canvas!


Toggle bilinear sampling

Images > Selection > Toggle bilinear sampling

#pixelart
AltT/T

Switch pixel interpolation of selected images between nearest neighbor and bilinear filtering. Useful for displaying pixel art.

Tip!

Great for pixel art! A happy pixel art shiba inu dog.


Open source

Images > Selection > Open source

#show #computer #disk #finder #explorer #origin
CtrlShiftO/O

Open the original location of an image, either locally on the computer or in the web browser.


Replace image

Images > Replace image

Replace a single image with another one selected from disk.

Images > Relink missing images

#reimport #recover
CtrlAltShiftR/R

If Embed local images is disabled and images cannot be found on disk, a question mark will be displayed instead of the images. If images are moved or renamed, they can be relinked. Use this shortcut or double-click on an image to choose the new sources.

Only local images on disk are able to be linked. Images pasted from the clipboard or added from the internet will be embedded.


Delete

Images > Selection > Delete

#remove #discard
Del/

Delete selected images from the scene.


Comment

Images > Selection > Comment

#note
AltC/C

Read or edit a comment on the selected item.

Comments use the same rich text editing as notes.


Toggle locked

Images > Selection > Toggle locked

AltL/L

Lock or unlock the selected items. Locked items can't be selected for manipulation in the view but can be selected through the hierarchy.

Unlock a locked item by clicking it to make an unlock button appear in the items lower right corner.

Tip!

Lock one big image to set it as a background in your scene.


Something looking strange or missing? Let us know! Send feedback