Getting Started

1. Install the add-on (Edit > Preferences > Add-ons > Install), then enable it.
2. A new Reference tab appears automatically at the top of the screen, next to Layout/Shading. If it doesn't, open the add-on's Preferences entry and click "Create 'Reference' Tab".
3. In the sidebar (press N if it's hidden), use Add Images or Add Folder to bring in your reference pictures.

Organizing the Board

• Click a tile's header (top strip) to select it — clicking a slider or field inside the tile does not select it. Press B to box-select several at once.
• With tiles selected, use the Size (S/M/L/XL) and Tag (color) buttons in the sidebar to organize visually.
• Group tiles visually with Blender's native Ctrl+G (Frame). Delete with X, duplicate with Shift+D — all native Node Editor shortcuts.
• Press T to open the tool shelf and use Blender's built-in Annotate tool to sketch notes directly on the board.

Sending References Into Your 3D Scene

1. Select one or more tiles (e.g. front/side/back views of a character).
2. Click Send to 3D Viewport... A dialog lets you:
   • Group as One Rig — parents all created references under one Empty so they move/scale/hide together.
   • Match Size to Selected Mesh — if a mesh is also selected in the scene, references are auto-scaled to match it.
   • Guess Orientation From Filename — auto-rotates each image if its filename contains front/back/left/right/top/bottom.
3. Open the 3D Viewport's sidebar > "Reference Rig" tab to show/hide, isolate, adjust opacity, select, or delete any rig — without touching the Outliner.

Viewing Without Blur

Board tiles are lightweight thumbnails meant for fast organizing (like any file browser icon). For pixel-perfect viewing at any size:

• Click View Full Resolution on any tile to open it in a real, independently resizable Image Editor window.
• Select several tiles and click Open Selected, Full Resolution in the sidebar to open them all at once, each in its own window.
• Or simply send them to the 3D Viewport — Image Empties are always rendered at full quality.

Updating References for a Resized Model

If your model's proportions change later: select the model plus its reference rig together, then click Match Size to Selected Mesh in the 3D Viewport's "Reference Rig" panel. Everything rescales instantly.

Compatibility Notes

• Blender 3.6 LTS and newer (tested through 4.5 LTS). Works on Windows, macOS, and Linux.
• Native OS drag-and-drop of image files onto the board requires Blender 4.0+.
• "Lock" on a tile excludes it from Grid Arrange and tints it, but Blender's API does not allow fully preventing manual dragging.

=====================================================================FAQ FIELD(the Superhive form adds these one row at a time, each with its own"Question *" and "Answer *" box — copy one Q/A pair per row)=====================================================================--- Q&A #1 ---Question:Does this replace PureRef?Answer:No — think of it as a companion, not a replacement. If you love PureRef for pure moodboarding, keep using it. Reference Board's job is getting those images correctly into your Blender scene, which PureRef can't do at all.--- Q&A #2 ---Question:Will the board thumbnails look blurry if I make them bigger?Answer:At very large sizes, yes — that's a limit of Blender's built-in preview system, not a bug. For pixel-perfect viewing, use the one-click "View Full Resolution" button, or send images straight to the 3D Viewport, where they're always rendered at full quality.--- Q&A #3 ---Question:Do I need an internet connection or extra Python packages to use this?Answer:No. Everything runs locally using Blender's own built-in Python API — no external dependencies, no downloads at runtime.--- Q&A #4 ---Question:Can I organize references for more than one project?Answer:Yes. Each .blend file keeps its own Reference board and its own reference rigs, so different projects stay completely separate automatically.--- Q&A #5 ---Question:What happens if I resize my model after I've already set up my references?Answer:Select your model and its reference rig together in the 3D Viewport, then click "Match Size to Selected Mesh" in the Reference Rig panel — every reference in the rig rescales instantly to match.--- Q&A #6 ---Question:Does drag-and-drop from my file explorer work?Answer:Yes, on Blender 4.0 and newer. On older Blender versions, use the one-click "Add Images" or "Add Folder" buttons instead — they do the same thing.--- Q&A #7 ---Question:Can I draw or write notes directly on the reference board?Answer:Yes — Blender's built-in Annotate tool (press T for the toolbar, then pick the pencil icon) already works on the board with no extra setup. You get freehand lines, straight lines, polygons, and an eraser.--- Q&A #8 ---Question:Which Blender versions are supported?Answer:Blender 3.6 LTS and newer, tested through 4.5 LTS, on Windows, macOS, and Linux.