Where is the best source for reference images?

Hello my name is Hooligan. I’ve been building on Roblox quite some time now, However I don’t really have much imagination especially when it comes to building. I normally use background images and pretty much just remake them in studio. However these images are often low-poly images and lack detail, Which is what I want to start moving from and making more detailed builds. However now I don’t know what reference images to use anymore and when I look at images that I want to remake in studio, The images look like something really challenging to accomplish on Roblox Studio. So I’d just like to ask people where do you find images/inspiration for your builds?

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Just use Google, search something and go to the images tab lol

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usually when I build something based off of something else, I just use whatever image I can find, if I can only find low quality images I just use them

or you can use google reverse image search I just realized that

literally google. Google has everything, you should have been amble to figure this out lol.

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If you use a Google reference, people can see your build and easily find the image which you used. What I like doing is taking pictures so your reference is somewhat original. If no photos are available, then yes, use Google.

Google should have everything you need ranging from low poly to realistic but make sure you make your builds original, photos are just for inspiration.

Take pictures of unique buildings and structures next time you go on a vacation (that’s what I did when I went to Florida lol).

Sometimes my builds are purely from the imagination which is, in my opinion, the best way to build. This way your build is 100% by you.

Well, usually I start off by thinking about what I want to build. This often doesn’t come to mind instantly, but you yourself probably have had a moment of inspiration on what you want to build. I usually write my ideas down, since I tend to forget them.

Say I found an image of some building, but I don’t know what it is, where it is, who made it and most importantly, I don’t have a high-resolution image of that building.


(This image is already high quality but I deleted the first image I found, but it was the same angle with a lower quality so this is the best I can do)

After finding this image, I find the actual term for what that something is unless it is obvious. In my case, that would be “Art Nouveau Building”.

Finding more higher quality images of your object usually is not hard, and google AI does that for you. Just put your image in google and let it find anything similar to it. If you want a higher resolution image, you can go to Tools > Size > Large.

Sometimes finding a higher quality image is harder than just asking Google to do it for you. You may need to do some snooping around on Wikipedia or some site dedicated to storing high-quality images.

In my case, I had to find some sketchy site, that sold high-quality images of this and other buildings.


But in the end, I did find what I needed and I’m still building the building in studio.

I wouldn’t recommend going on any sketchy sites just to download images from them though. Stick to Google, Wikipedia and other trusted sites to get your reference images.

Also, don’t get scared away by complexity of something you want to make. Just go slow, and make sure you pay attention to the details. When you finish your building, the attention you put into the small details really pays off.

So basically just find a good image of what you want to make, open studio, and start working. Put some music you like in the background and just get to building.

Good luck. :slight_smile:

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Be careful when using Google to find reference images. If you’re going to import the image to Roblox Studio (To use as a blueprint, for example) the image may have very small and almost unnoticeable links on it. This has happened to me more than once and is not worth the moderation infraction.

Just be sure to look very, very careful at images before you import them to Studio. If it has a link, just crop it or black it out.

If you’re not going to import the image to Studio, you’re fine. I’m assuming you aren’t going to because it seems you’re more interested in building from the image not on it, but I thought it’d be helpful to point out.

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Don’t upload reference images directly to Roblox anyways, they may have copyright. Use the Local File Importer or something similar if you’re just using the image as a reference.

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You can search on google, and if you really have a hard time finding reference images, then use Pinterest.

What I do when making a game based on real life things, I use google maps, and images to get the exterior look for buildings. Then for the interior just search up something like store interior and boom, you can recreate that.