trees

[LFShade]

Depends on the look and level of complexity you're going for.

For the absolute most realistic 3D trees in Max, you'd probably want to check out Tree Storm (http://www.onyxtree.com/stormx.html). Its output is fairly high-poly (40-300k faces), so it's not the best for densely forested scenes.

For somewhat less realism, but still 3D trees, you could look at Druid (http://www.sisyphus.com/nav/Druid/druid.html) by Sisyphus Software.

If you don't want to spend the polygons on fully 3D trees, you could try the RPC Plugin (http://www.rpcnet.com/default_front.cfm) by ArchVision. The plugin can be used for much more than trees, and is a little hard to explain, so visit the site and check it out.

Then there's the venerable Do-It-Yourself method of mapping masked trees onto planes with look at controllers to always face the camera. The results ain't fabulous, but it is a fabulous workaround for the tight-budgeted artist:)

[Russo]

you can make it with Animatek World Builder and export,
Tree Factory is good also


bye

[Mahlon]

One thing I've done is to make the trees in Vue D'Esprit (excellent trees, by the way/but way to high poly, so......), export them to Max and since they have a super high poly count, put a multi-rez modifier on it, bring it down to the level where it still looks the same, and then collapse to make the lower poly tree. That multi-rez modifier is great. It does a fantastic job of reducing poly count and maintaining shape.

You could do this with any of the 'tree' plug-ins if theire poly count is too high when importing into Max.

Mahlon

[jason-slab]

thx :)

[pluMmet]

try http://www.scriptspot.com/

look for treemaker 2.5


and if you have shag:fur or shag:hair you can really spruce(lol) up the trunk and branches of treemaker with awsome hand created leaves...although treemaker can do simple low detail leaves.


g/l


'sTiLl tRyinG to pluMmet to ThE COre.'

[Mahlon]

Here's a scrubby bush/holly thingy that I've been building from scratch using the scatter compound object with polygon leaves. But this kind of takes a long time until you get a good technique I think.

Also, most trees we see from a distance, and the individual leaf shape itself is not a big factor in determining what kind of tree we think it is. The most determing factor is the a) tree/branching shape/size and b) the way the leaves clump and grow from those branches. Although leaf shape does still have relevance.

Anway, have just been thinking about this a lot recently while trying to come up with some home-brew original foilage. Good luck.

Mahlon
p.s.
I haven't learned anything about particles and space warps yet, but does anyone know if I could animate these somehow, or should I have made them with Pcloud or PArray rather than Scatter compound object.

http://personal.mem.bellsouth.net/mem/m/a/mahlonb/images/Holly.jpg

[pluMmet]

here's something i did in about 15 min...
i used treemaker2.5 and shag:hair
just imagine what you could do in an hour!


http://plummet.freeservers.com/images/orlieanstree1.jpg

[Mahlon]

Yesterday, I downloaded and tried Treemaker. Boy, what a great script! That's going to save me heaps of time getting the initial shape of the tree and branches. I'll probably still put my own leaves on with scatter or pcloud, but wow, what a great timesaver. Results look excellent after you've smoothed them.

Thanks for the tip.

Mahlon

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