Recommended test
Calibrate and reposition an image without moving the sketch drawn over it.
- Choose Sketch mode, select a plane and use Reference to upload an image with a known dimension.
- Choose Calibrate, pick two points and enter their real-world distance.
- Lower opacity, draw a simple profile, then use Reference to drag the image.
- Undo the move, hide the image and check a second known dimension.
- Save and reopen the project to compare the image position, opacity and sketch.
Load a reference on the right plane
Choose Sketch mode, pick a plane and select Reference in the left rail. Upload a PNG, JPEG or WebP image. The current limit is 10 MB and about 40 million pixels. Each sketch plane can retain its own reference image.
Use a clear elevation or scan with minimal perspective distortion. A photograph taken at an angle can remain distorted after calibration.
Calibrate a known distance
Choose Calibrate, click two visible points and enter their known real-world separation. A longer reliable dimension usually makes picking error less significant.
Calibration changes the image scale; it does not prove every part of the picture is dimensionally correct. Check a second known dimension before trusting the trace.
Move the image
Keep Reference selected and drag inside the visible image. The hand cursor shows where it can be grabbed. It follows the pointer without grid snapping and without moving the sketch.
Release to retain its position. Escape during a drag cancels the move; Undo and Redo can restore image changes. If dragging appears unavailable, check that Reference is active and the image is visible. Select and drawing tools act on sketch geometry instead.
Adjust opacity and visibility
Use the opacity slider in the Reference image panel to fade the picture immediately. The eye hides or shows it; Delete removes the image while keeping the drawn geometry.
Choose Select or a drawing tool to trace. Hide the image occasionally to check the actual outline, rather than following blurry pixels or image shadows.
Save and check the traced part
The image, calibrated size, position, opacity and visibility are retained with the sketch in .strek. Save and reopen to check the setup before a long tracing session.
Finish the sketch and use Push/Pull on a recognized closed region. Keep the project as your editable source; a later 3MF export includes the bodies, not the image.