Fractal Tree Maker for SketchUp - Free add-on

solo

Al

For regular SU output it's fine, but when you render in Podium the render is blank (no tree) however when you explode and reform a group/component it does cast a rectangular shadow in normal SU output but in Render the shadow is correct.

Al Hart

@linea said:

Al I really need something like this, so your timing couldn't have been better. I'll definitely post what I make at 3DW, do you require any other feedback?

We would appreciate it if you would use the word RpTreeMaker in any 3D Warehouse posting. Then we can search for them and add them to the RpTreeMaker collection. (It has one tree in it so far)

We would like feedback on the resolutions, (currently 300, 600, 900 and 1200 pixels)
When you first make trees it is tempting to make them all "Best" resolution - but these can easily make 1.5MB .PNG files - which will also clog up your SketchUp drawing. You should make the tree about the same resolution as it will be in your final rendering.

We would, of course, like feedback on how to make the product better.

And we would love to see some of the trees people make here on the SCF Forum.

Al Hart

@solo said:

Heads up for the Podium users, when you create your tree you must explode it then regroup/compnent for it to be recognised in render.

Did you have to explode the image into a face (hopefully not - because then it would cast a rectangular shadow). If it is a simple fix in the component structure, we can probably make the component that way in the first place.

So let me know precisely what you did to make the tree work.

Stu

Hey Al, this is just great!! Thanks heaps!
I can see an explosion of vegetation in SU models!
And it will cast a shadow in Podium [after I exploded and grouped the tree]

RP Tree.jpg

Chris Fullmer

Simply amazing Al! Thanks for this,

Chris

remus

I look forward to giving this a go, looks like tis really good.

at3D

I have loaded the link but once back in SketchUp 6(Pro) and selecting the plugin nothing is happening...any suggestions?

at3D

Stu, I have installed and located within SU but when pressed to, what I hope will activate, nothing happens in SU.

My machine is running Vista, could this be an issue?

Burkhard

Thanks Al, very useful. And continue your great work at Renderplus.

Stu

@at3d said:

Stu, I have installed and located within SU but when pressed to, what I hope will activate, nothing happens in SU.

My machine is running Vista, could this be an issue?

Nup, Im running it with Vista and XP

Alan Fraser

Excellent Plugin Al. It's good to hear that it's technically possible to load new bark textures also. Regarding resolution, I've found in manually doing this stuff for FF that a resolution of about 800 pixels high for an average tree was a reasonable compromise between detail and file size, so the 900 setting ought to be about right for most uses. Pngs can get pretty big above that, as you say. On the other hand I've never found the graphics processing to be much of a problem with a decent card....not as much of a bottleneck as the geometry, anyway.

Who knows? It might be possible to combine different resolutions in a DC, giving differing LOD at various distances.

Is there any way to adjust the angle of view in a future release? I'm sure Stu and others would find it very useful to produce maybe 45 degree down versions as well as plan views for layouts.

Gaieus

Hi Al,

This looks fantastic! A long time needed and superb tool for those with inferior talents/expertise in PS work and such (not to speak about time needed even for experts to create something like this).

And all this for free!

@alan fraser said:

Who knows? It might be possible to combine different resolutions in a DC, giving differing LOD at various distances.

That was my first thought as well. And instancing these trees with Component spray tool makes really easy to create various background treelines of lower resolution samples.

If I may... I will immediately share this topic with my home mates down in the FL forums!

Stu

at3D.....it should be in your plugin folder...?

And some autumn shades

EDIT:

Apart from anything else this is a lot of fun and the range of shapes is pretty limitless. I dont think smaller shrubs will be too much of a problem.
And about a 20 minute learning curve

Autumn Leaves.jpg

Gaieus

Okay, my little "contribution"; a hazelnut like tree (at least that's what I indended to create):
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=439c4d6359efd9e3ffe3705437c1b39c

@unknownuser said:

...this is a "medium quality" (600 pixel) output of the tree maker. I wanted to create something that is similar to a hazelnut tree/bush and well... this is the first trial. It has roots as well so I placed the origin a bit higher so that the roots merge into the ground a bit but this way some of the branches do so. ...

And a screenshot:

This is a great tool, Al!

thomthom

Very interesting plugin.

Gaieus

Nice one, Alan; I haven't cared for the shadows this time (yet). Though it increases file size as well, if you mean to use it in native SU,it is necessary.

Another one of mine; a "Silver birch" (like) tree:
http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=3df72c0a4f7104a3ffe3705437c1b39c

And the screenshot:

This time I think with a bit more crooked branches than in reality (BTW is this silver birch?)