Tree from SU

Starling75

Hi, this could be interesting for you:

a) I created simple tree object in frecle tree[d] - http://www.frecle.net/index.php?show=treed.about
b) Exported it via obj format
c) Opened obj file in marvelous program called Meshlab - http://meshlab.sourceforge.net/
d) Saved as 3ds
e) Imported into SU and did some quick rendering test ...

Meshlab can save and open .dae files as well, but SU imports them without textures ..

tree render

obj_to_skp_tree

cadmunkey

Thanks for sharing your workflow Starling

cadmunkey

I tried that frecle tree program but I get an error message "unable to create 3d scene" when it starts and immediately crashes out. Any ideas why? Looked on their forum and noone else seems to have suffered the error.

Starling75

@cadmunkey said:

I tried that frecle tree program but I get an error message "unable to create 3d scene" when it starts and immediately crashes out. Any ideas why? Looked on their forum and noone else seems to have suffered the error.

http://www.frecle.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=433
Not directly about treed but try look at it ..

cadmunkey

Yes thats the 1 post I did read, but its from 2007 I think and I dont have a dual monitor setup OR an old graphics card. Its a standard Nvidia 280GT. Ive made a post on the tree[d] forum about it, hopefully it will get some response. Thanks for trying to help anyway.

Starling75

@cadmunkey said:

Yes thats the 1 post I did read, but its from 2007 I think and I dont have a dual monitor setup OR an old graphics card. Its a standard Nvidia 280GT. Ive made a post on the tree[d] forum about it, hopefully it will get some response. Thanks for trying to help anyway.

Try to fiddle with your graphics card driver configuration - DirectX 3D hardware acceleration etc ...

Rob D

Low poly and it renders great without any editing in Kerkythea

How long did it take to do?

Tree render Kerkythea by RobD.jpg

Starling75

@rob d said:

Low poly and it renders great without any editing in Kerkythea

How long did it take to do?

[attachment=0:2533a4jr]Tree render Kerkythea by RobD.jpg[/attachment:2533a4jr]

You can create highpoly tree as well

tree design time - depends on you

export/import/export/import time cca 5min

pibuz

Hi Starling!
Your workflow is much easier than mine! happy to hear this! And the result is less heavy too.
I guess I'm going to change mine with yours
I'm downloading meshlab now: importing as obj and exporting as 3ds, you say.
Gonna give it a go, definitely!
Thank you so much for such an important information!

I hope many SU users will start doing good trees and share them in the warehouse.

Starling75

@pibuz said:

Hi Starling!
Your workflow is much easier than mine! happy to hear this! And the result is less heavy too.
I guess I'm going to change mine with yours
I'm downloading meshlab now: importing as obj and exporting as 3ds, you say.
Gonna give it a go, definitely!
Thank you so much for such an important information!

I hope many SU users will start doing good trees and share them in the warehouse.

Thanks.
Actually I tried it yesterday after reading your post and it was my first attempt to "make" tree ..
Treed obj exporter created obj + mtl files but didn't add the texture files. I had to copy them manually from treed texture folder...

Meshlab is still beta, there could be some issues too.
The 3ds exporter seems to be limited up to cca 65000 vertices ...)

Leave message how it works for you.

pibuz

That is exactly what i was about to report. But it doesn't seem to be a software bug, but a 3ds format limitation. I usually export 3dsMax models to sketchy and I remember that sometimes I couldn't, due to geometry weight (number of polys).
This single drawback is something making your workflow faulty: you cannot export ALL the trees you make.
If one wants just a simple tree, then your workflow is good.

Starling75

@pibuz said:

That is exactly what i was about to report. But it doesn't seem to be a software bug, but a 3ds format limitation. I usually export 3dsMax models to sketchy and I remember that sometimes I couldn't, due to geometry weight (number of polys).
This single drawback is something making your workflow faulty: you cannot export ALL the trees you make.
If one wants just a simple tree, then your workflow is good.

I can export ALL the trees I make using collada format. There is only one small problem now, SU imports plain geometry without textures..

Don't know whether it's Meshlab, Sketchup or somewhere between them issue ...

%(#FF0040)[Well BS Contact trial shows tree exported from Meshlab via collada format perfectly. Conclusion is - SU should do better ]

pibuz

There must be some kind of hidden option or something
Let's find it out: the first one who does, gives the other a call.

Starling75

@pibuz said:

There must be some kind of hidden option or something
Let's find it out: the first one who does, gives the other a call.

I have reported it here:
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=24511&start=15#p261450

pibuz

Thanks.
Let's wait for an answer.

cadmunkey

I figured out why treed wasnt running on my system. You cant run it at 2560x1600 resolution, so I will let the developers know.

mvo

I always use a very simple skethcup tree. Found it in a model a few years ago.
It keeps your model small. I've tried it with complex trees but my computer crashes all the time.
Rendering in kerkythea with clip mapping of bitmap with leaves gives good results for me.
But i'm still searching for improvements. It still is not very realistic. Haven't tried to replace my tree with the tree of this topic yet.

tree in sketchup

kkt rendering

kkt rendering group of trees

kkt rendering groupt of trees 2

Starling75

@pibuz said:

Thanks.
Let's wait for an answer.

OK I probably found possible way around ...

Make your highpoly tree in treed and export it via obj format.
Import the obj file using this TIGs script - http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=323&t=20584
Be patient

Et voilá

zipped highpoly tree

cadmunkey

Hmm mine always imports into sketchup without textures. Workflow is:
Make tree in treed
export to OBJ format
import using TIGS script.

Doing anything wrong? Unless treed is not exporting the textures?

edit seems that you have to export the obj to same location as the texture maps. But half the leaves import as solid faces and half are pngs. Weird.

Starling75

@cadmunkey said:

Hmm mine always imports into sketchup without textures. Workflow is:
Make tree in treed
export to OBJ format
import using TIGS script.

Doing anything wrong? Unless treed is not exporting the textures?

edit seems that you have to export the obj to same location as the texture maps. But half the leaves import as solid faces and half are pngs. Weird.

Yes - 1 face textured/1 face solid but render is ok ..