Using an image as a background with cycles render engine

I am trying to use a simple JPEG as a background image using cycles render engine. I have tried several tutorials without success. I did get it to work using one of the tutorials but I couldn’t adjust the size of the jpeg to match my scene. Another tutorial tells me to create it using nodes but when I add a plane to layer the jpeg over, the Materials- Surface-USE NODES option is not available . It appears on some of my objects but not on others. I would appreciate any advice or links to a good tutorial.

you have to set it for composite nodes instead of material nodes, which are the default setting. there are three kinds of nodes: material nodes, composite nodes, and texture nodes. in your node editor click the button for compositing, which is the second button to the right. use shift a and add an input of type: image.

Two methods which do not fail on 99.7%:

  • Import images as planes addon or,
    use Empty with Image option.
    If Images as planes - after you choose image in file manager look at the options on Toolshelf bottom - you’ll be able to choose useful things there depending on chosen before renderer.

you can also use a simple UV map plane and in texture mode see it in the viewport
but may have to play with mapping for X Y scale

add on for plane might be the easiest way I guess

happy bl

what are the best kind of image to use for a background?