Axis detected on drop
Name your images front, side or top: each one lands on the right plane automatically.
v2.1Maya 2022+ (incl. 2025+)Windows & macOS
Ultimate Ref Tool
Imports and sets up reference image planes with automatic camera axis detection and locked display layers.
9 downloads · Updated Oct 10, 2026
Free, no account needed. Support development on Ko-fi
What it does
Locked, see-through layer
References sit on a locked display layer at 0.5 alpha, so they never get selected by accident.
Manual override
Odd file name? Send it to front, side or top with one button.
Toggle or purge
Show or hide every reference at once, or remove them all from the scene.
Maya 2022 to 2026
Adapts to PySide2 or PySide6 depending on your Maya version.
Any image format
PNG, JPG, TGA, TIFF and BMP, with no extra dependency.
Requirements
- Autodesk Maya 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025+
- Adaptive PySide2 (Maya ≤2024) and PySide6 (Maya ≥2025) compatibility
- Supported formats: .png, .jpg, .jpeg, .tga, .tif, .tiff, .bmp
- No external dependencies required
Installed in three steps
No installer, no restart. It works in under a minute.
01
Download
Download the plug-in: a single Python file.
02
Drop into Maya
Drag the .py file into any Maya viewport and release it.
03
Ready on your shelf
A Ultimate Ref Tool button appears on your active shelf. Click it to open the tool.
What's newOct 10, 2026
Initial Release