Reference Image Overlay

Reference Image Overlay

Module: Design · Category: LevelDesign · Tool ID: ReferenceImageOverlay

A Hub-launcher tool for an EdMode that displays reference images directly in the viewport. Activate the mode, drop in concept art / floor plans / mood boards, and frame them in 3D space alongside your level so you can build to spec.

---

When to use it

• Whitebox / blockout work — building to a concept-art reference
• Floor-plan-driven level design — overlaying architectural drawings
• Cross-checking proportions against mood boards
• Reviewing a design alongside a reference without leaving the viewport

When not to use it

• Don’t use this for texture-overlay work — it’s a viewport reference display, not a paint tool
• Don’t expect 3D-tracked image overlay — images are anchored in world space, but they’re flat

---

Opening the tool

1. Open the EQLabs Hub and search for Reference or Overlay (or browse to Design → LevelDesign)
2. Click the tool card to open the launcher panel
3. Click Activate to enable the EdMode
4. The viewport panel for managing reference images appears

---

Interface tour

Hub launcher panel

Minimal launcher:

Action	What it does
Activate	Enables the Reference Image Overlay EdMode
Deactivate	Disables the EdMode
Status	Green ACTIVE / Gray Inactive

Viewport panel (when active)

When the EdMode is active, a viewport panel exposes per-overlay controls:

• Add / Remove reference images
• Position, rotation, scale per image (XYZ)
• Opacity per image
• Front / Back ordering
• Lock / unlock manipulation

---

Workflow

1. Click the Hub tool card, then Activate
2. In the viewport panel, click Add Image, pick a texture / image file
3. Position the image in world space (drag in viewport or use the panel’s transform fields)
4. Tune opacity / ordering
5. Build your level using the reference as a guide
6. Click Deactivate when done

---

Settings reference

Reference image collections persist via the EdMode’s own state. Hub launcher has no persisted settings.

---

Output

• In-viewport reference images — visible during play / editing while EdMode is active
• No level edits — reference images are EdMode state, not level actors

---

Tips & gotchas

• Reference images are flat — they’re textured planes in world space. Position them on a wall or floor for natural composition
• Multiple references can stack — useful for layered floor plans (foundation, first floor, roof)
• Press Escape to exit the EdMode — fastest way out without going back to the Hub

---

Related tools

• Measurement & Annotation Tool — for measurement during reference-driven design
• Blockout Generator — quickly spawn primitives matching reference proportions
• Blockout Lab — full custom-asset-editor blockout workflow

---