In case you are in need of help, have a suggestion to make or found a bug in PureRef you have come to the right place! https://www.pureref.com/forum/index.php Sun, 20 Sep 2026 16:51:58 +0200 Phorum 5.2.23 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5984,5984#msg-5984 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5984,5984#msg-5984 user7845298 Suggestions Thu, 17 Sep 2026 22:42:06 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5979,5979#msg-5979 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5979,5979#msg-5979
Due to the software I mostly work with (Unreal Engine) I'd like to set drag to Right Mouse Button, so both platformsbehave the same. It's quite annoying to jump from one software to the other only to drag out the window out of place (RMB in PureRef). I've tried setting Drag to RMB, but to no avail... Is it possible at all? Or is it just me?

Thanks anyway, amazing piece of software btw..!!]]> Ike Help Fri, 18 Sep 2026 10:09:00 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5977,5977#msg-5977 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5977,5977#msg-5977 Dragging using the mouse wheel feels awkward.
Could you add this action to the list of customizable hotkeys so it can be remapped from the wheel to the right mouse button (RMB)?]]> ariloum Suggestions Mon, 14 Sep 2026 12:20:24 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5976,5976#msg-5976 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5976,5976#msg-5976 
My reference files contain a huge number of images and all kinds of content, and they're all necessary. Splitting them into separate files just isn't as fast as having everything in one file. So my main reference file is about to hit 1GB, and it currently takes around 20 seconds to start up. During that time, the images load in a completely random order and blurry.

So I'd like to suggest a feature: add an option to set a priority loading area. For example, you could drag a selection box and right-click to set it as a preload area. That way, every time the file loads, it would prioritize loading the reference images in that area first, so the most frequently used images appear first — instead of being held up by secondary images.

To use it, you'd just create an area and drag your reference images into it, or select your main working area and create an area there directly. And the area should be resizable!

I don't know much about how software is built, but the effect would be similar to how a browser remembers the tabs you had open last time — on the next launch, it only loads the currently open page first, while the others stay dormant. Of course, the secondary images would continue loading after the priority area finishes! (Though an on/off switch for this in the settings would be a nice touch too.)]]> Siren Suggestions Mon, 14 Sep 2026 08:17:58 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5973,5973#msg-5973 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5973,5973#msg-5973
There is this MIT-license Python package that is open-source in GitHub
https://github.com/FyorDev/PureRef-format

I have used the above package to built an external tool (.exe) and am hoping to share with the community for free.
Some simple functions like import PDF pages into PureRef directly.

I am an Archviz Artist with zero coding background, so this have been done with the help of AI.
As I have read in the FAQ that PureRef is not an Open Source, is it legal to upload and share the tool with the public?

Can you please kindly review and get back to me?

Thanks and hope to hear from you soon!]]> wyeejun Suggestions Mon, 07 Sep 2026 02:32:20 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5970,5970#msg-5970 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5970,5970#msg-5970 I often use PureRef to take notes, and it’s a really great tool.
However, one of my files has been corrupted recently.
I couldn’t find the backup, and the forced recovery attempt also failed.

It says: Recover failed.
Failed to recover data from E:/01_현재작업/레퍼런스/스터디_05_260630_인디자인.pur.
Couldn't find anything to recover.

If you can recover only the text,
it’s okay if you can’t recover the images. Because it contains important thoughts (it's Korean).
please do that; I really hope to get your help

Here is the link to my file:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1j1T-Ez0Kkh1Fixfewb2eGo4qsKavqYQ8/view?usp=sharing

Thank you so much.]]> dndjd1105@gmail.com Help Thu, 17 Sep 2026 14:42:39 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5969,5969#msg-5969 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5969,5969#msg-5969 setelary Bug reports Sun, 30 Aug 2026 18:39:39 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5949,5949#msg-5949 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5949,5949#msg-5949 I am with the settings of "Open files in" as "Current Window"
Testing steps:
1. Use powershell to execute: &"C:\Program Files\PureRef\PureRef.exe" "{old_filepath}"-c "load; {old_filepath}" -c "save; {new_filepath}" -c "exit" "{new_filepath}" it doesn't save the filepath which does not exists.
2. Even if I use the existing path, execute the command shown in 1), it doesn't save the files with the unsaved changes unless I hit save file manually and execute the command.

It would be awesome if I can get some insights in terms of command or maybe some enhancements in the command to allow filepath can be saved when it does not exists and with any unsaved changes.

Expected Behavior
if we execute &"C:\Program Files\PureRef\PureRef.exe" "{old_filepath}" "-save;{expected_filepath}" we would save the expected filepath

Thanks,
Kayla]]> kayla_man Bug reports Fri, 21 Aug 2026 13:51:02 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5947,5947#msg-5947 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5947,5947#msg-5947 klownie Suggestions Mon, 17 Aug 2026 16:18:16 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5939,5939#msg-5939 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5939,5939#msg-5939
I've been thinking of something that I feel like could be a helpful feature for those of us with massive PureRef files/boards

When I have a large board of images when I'm designing the concept art for something, I often find myself having to scroll and move to the specific image_1 I have in one area and then to image_2 in another.

I wish there was a button combo I could hit when I select both images from a full zoom out and then they get focused into their own microverse type of canvas that I can close without having to completely make a new file for those 2/multiple images.

For those of us that make piles of image refs and like sorting/mixing multiple images when focusing on specific design elements, this would help us greatly. Like recently I was making beetle & fur armor for someone's DnD OC and I was working on gauntlets and I took a good amount of time selecting all of the horn beetle refs I have and then multiple gauntlet designs and just pasted them into a new PureRef file. (Took me about 4-5 minutes to do).

I wish in that scenario I could just hit a key combo that would focus those images and then sorted them by the order they were selected, and then I auto align them with ctrl + arrow keys.]]> Eldrin Suggestions Tue, 25 Aug 2026 20:35:18 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5936,5936#msg-5936 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5936,5936#msg-5936 andde11 Suggestions Fri, 14 Aug 2026 13:52:28 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5934,5934#msg-5934 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5934,5934#msg-5934 Sometimes when I'm using them as a reference I make a note which frame I used for what part of my own animation. For this cases it would be really useful, if I could display the current frame number under the image (or as an overlay), especially if the movements are tiny.
I could imagine you don't want to dive deeper into this whole "animated reference" hole, since it seems quite deep and your main focus is still images (still still images?)

However thank you a ton for making such an amazing app, which somehow get's better with every update (I use it for absolutely everything)]]> schwarzgrau Suggestions Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:11:14 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5932,5932#msg-5932 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5932,5932#msg-5932
just starting out but so far loving the program. thanks for making it available

i would love some tips for managing file size in hope of maintaining responsiveness as my canvas grows exponentially :)

for example, i recently used manage images > change image resolution > downscale to reduce dozens of large image files down to max. 1200px. however, when I subsequently saved the file, the file size did not reduce at all. am I missing something?

thanks for any help and/or tips]]> phased Help Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:36:03 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5929,5929#msg-5929 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5929,5929#msg-5929 basplay Suggestions Thu, 13 Aug 2026 12:14:15 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5926,5926#msg-5926 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5926,5926#msg-5926 tpmer Bug reports Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:26:20 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5924,5924#msg-5924 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5924,5924#msg-5924
The actual content (images, text, etc.) is placed correctly, but the selection outline appears offset from the selected item, making it difficult to resize or manipulate.

This issue occurs while using Overlay Mode (the transparent window mode).

Interestingly, boards created with previous versions of PureRef do not exhibit this issue. The problem only occurs on newly created boards.

Changing the Windows display scaling while PureRef is already running temporarily fixes the issue, regardless of the scaling value selected.
However, after closing and reopening PureRef, the selection bounding box becomes offset again, even if the display scaling remains at 100%.

Windows compatibility settings were tested:
Override high DPI scaling → Application: no change.
System: no change.
System (Enhanced): makes rendering significantly worse.

PureRef: 2.1.3
OS: Windows 11
Monitor: 3840×2160 (4K)
Windows display scaling: 125%
Single monitor setup]]> k3vnbuzz Bug reports Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:17:19 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,5921,5921#msg-5921 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,5921,5921#msg-5921 You can export a transparent PNG and add it right on top of PureRef so you don't have to keep remeasuring.]]> SmallKiwi General Sun, 26 Jul 2026 01:39:51 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5920,5920#msg-5920 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5920,5920#msg-5920 SmallKiwi Bug reports Sun, 16 Aug 2026 05:25:38 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5919,5919#msg-5919 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5919,5919#msg-5919 _NN_ Suggestions Sat, 25 Jul 2026 06:14:18 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5917,5917#msg-5917 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5917,5917#msg-5917
Thanks.]]> Glep Suggestions Thu, 27 Aug 2026 16:41:55 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5916,5916#msg-5916 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5916,5916#msg-5916
First of all, thank you for such an amazing tool! As an environment artist, PureRef is an absolute must-have in my daily workflow.

I would like to suggest a new feature: Layered Images (or Image Parenting).

The Concept:
The idea is to allow attaching or "pinning" a smaller, high-resolution detail image directly onto a specific spot of a larger base image (like a sprawling landscape, concept art, or a city map).

How it would work in practice:

Coordinate Locking: The detail image becomes a "child" of the base image. When you move or scale the parent image, the child follows.

Strict Z-Order: The child image always stays on top of its parent, regardless of other sorting.

Nesting: The hierarchy can go deeper. You could attach an even more detailed crop to the first child image (e.g., Main Landscape -> Building close-up -> Brick texture).

Why this is useful:
When working on large-scale environments, I often need to reference both the macro layout and the micro details. Placing them side-by-side works, but you lose the spatial context of where that detail belongs.

With this feature, I could place high-res snippets exactly where they belong on the main canvas. To examine a detail, I would simply zoom into that specific area of the main image, essentially creating an infinite-zoom canvas with localized high-res textures.

Thank you for considering this idea and for your continuous work on PureRef!

Best regards

Example: https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/55413084739_0f02b72556_b.jpg]]> Hardway Suggestions Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:25:01 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5905,5905#msg-5905 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5905,5905#msg-5905
With that out of the way, I absolutely love this program, and its so sleek and easy to use. I used to enjoy things like Pinterest a lot, and often you could find boards that had fun inspiration, or a collection of images for a specific character. But of course we all likely know what Pinterest is (and the AI nightmare that plagues it).

My idea is less Pinterest and more like Clip Studio's Assets 'Store' where you can create and upload your own assets for others to use as a tool! Perhaps even a small, one-time fee (say maybe 0.99 or something in that range) for access to the library could also stimulate a good stream of suppourt while also providing searchable, tagged, and indexed reference boards, of anything the users could think of! Sort of way to reward those who want to back your work with their wallets. Of course people who have already donated or paid would be grandfathered in.

This is just my idea and I hope it doesn't come off a pushy or preachy I just think it would be really cool to have. By no means do I want to imply the Pure ref team Has to or Needs to do this, but if its something they're open to, maybe exploring!]]> EmGhostlyScholar Suggestions Sat, 04 Jul 2026 16:32:10 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5904,5904#msg-5904 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5904,5904#msg-5904 aruman Suggestions Fri, 03 Jul 2026 20:09:12 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5903,5903#msg-5903 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5903,5903#msg-5903
Could not open file for save.
Source file C:/Users/user/AppData/Local/Temp/PureRef/ce5d5a63e0df4faea402de1e8f1f21d3_AutoSave.pur can not be copied to D:/Art/pureref/strawberry.32336.pur: Cannot create D:/Art/pureref/strawberry.32336.pur for output. (D:/Art/pureref/strawberry.32336.pur)]]> fei Help Sat, 15 Aug 2026 16:28:45 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5898,5898#msg-5898 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5898,5898#msg-5898
OR

within the arrange by path, each row of images, or each image block, would be representative of the parent folder they came from, so that they can quickly be organized as well as have some visual separation between which is in what folder.]]> jogrnaut Suggestions Fri, 26 Jun 2026 17:33:27 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5896,5896#msg-5896 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5896,5896#msg-5896 My file is 591MB]]> d896848643 Help Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:16:26 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5895,5895#msg-5895 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?5,5895,5895#msg-5895
I've been using the pureref very usefully.
but now I have a problem with opening the file.
the warning said "The file you are trying to open might be corrupt (incorrect signature).

I just clicked Try to recover button, but it seems not working perfectly.. some of the images are lost.
What should I do? Can I get some help?

2.0.3 is my version

and I share the link to my file
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TMt_yemu_IsDeC1kAFvi-EDAfH_XH0Jr/view?usp=sharing]]> roalfhs Help Tue, 30 Jun 2026 17:13:29 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5892,5892#msg-5892 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5892,5892#msg-5892 vinhshiro Suggestions Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:24:23 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5891,5891#msg-5891 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?3,5891,5891#msg-5891
If that's not possible, then how about being able to double-click the title bar to shrink the window down to zero height, with just the title bar visible until it is double-clicked again. This would be similar to how palettes in Clip Studio Paint shrink down to a title bar when double-clicked, and then expand when double-clicked again.]]> MarkSweeney Suggestions Tue, 25 Aug 2026 17:23:52 +0200 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5888,5888#msg-5888 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?4,5888,5888#msg-5888 redstars8 Bug reports Sun, 23 Aug 2026 00:34:15 +0200