Low Poly Trees - Tree Factory 2
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Thought I'd have a play with creating some new low poly trees!
I ditched my old tree factory and developed a fairly complex to follow yet quick and rigorous massing of trunk and branches in polys / components then the smaller branches, twigs and leaves in geo and alpha maps components added to the simple order of branch components!
Though this could be Tree Factory 2 it's a task many would not wish to undertake! Though that said I've worked a few ways to really ease improve tree modelling!
The quick skeleton and leaf tests!
The skeleton isn't mapped yet - no mean feet in SU! But should be quite correctly mapped in the end! No bump yet on the leaves but a quick test with crap normal map proved to create a lot of additional variation in the leaves. The rendered ones need to be broken like the foreground imitation. This is a Gum Tree so the leaves will look pretty beaten and eaten!
I haven't arranged branches, twigs or leaves to the boughs though amasing thousands of leafs per tree and copied 20x I could still navigate in SU though graphics would resort to bounding box on nav - though I can put up with that to have some very smart trees!
Brings to mind - does anyone have ideas to what other tree this type of branch shape may suit? Oh and does anyone know of a taper follow me script?
Oh, And the geo is cleverly setup to cast near correct shadows in SU!
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Here is the TaperMaker:
http://www.drawmetal.com/tapermakerIt's for iron fences but I guess you can use it for trees as well
It looks great so far!
I'm not a tre expert so unfortunately won't be able to advise on the additional types, sorry.
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Thanks for the hint on the script mate, that will make life a lot easier!
Just thought of anther process too to simplify life! Brain in overload to make this process of trees easier!
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Aahhhh..... so real Richard, I can smell the eucalyptus!!!
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Looks great Richard, It would be good to have some aussie natives.
I think the branch shape would probably suit most younger european type trees.
baz -
@baz said:
Looks great Richard, It would be good to have some aussie natives.
I think the branch shape would probably suit most younger european type trees.
bazI'll have to find out what's popular and what works well with arch rendering! Gum trees are great as they are so lightly foliaged.
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you bet, R. and have a nice 'lazy' form too.....
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@utiler said:
you bet, R. and have a nice 'lazy' form too.....
Look out the window mate! Have I got the larger branches about right?
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all i can see is a badly pruned fig tree in a concrete street tub....
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BTW the tree on the right is an SU image with my favoured black fog!
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Richard, do you still have this file anywhere, or didn't you get around to uploading it?
I'm logged in but don't see any attachments...
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Hi Richard
It looks similar to a "Silver Birch". Suggest you check it out at Google - Images. -
@bigstick said:
Richard, do you still have this file anywhere, or didn't you get around to uploading it?
I'm logged in but don't see any attachments...
No mate, one of those projects on the backburner for now!
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Okay, no problem
I have taken your original Tree Factory file and added a larger range of branch sizes and types to it.The idea is to try to expand on it to duplicate even more types of trees with a greater degree of individuality and flexibility.
If you look at branches (I've been doing a lot of this - it's winter in the UK right now and, most of the trees are bare) you'll see that some are straight, some are curved, and some are somewhat twisted.
I'm building a series of branch types that people can use to simulate these. I also tend to use single texture-mapped rectangles, or texture-mapped folded planes (for leaflets) instead of leaf-shaped geometry. This reduces poly count.
Essentially it is the same as your (old) approach, which I think is very logical and simplifies creation.
I'll do a little more work before I upload it, but I'm quite happy to send you what I have beforehand. If you have some useful observations based on what you have already done, I could implement them.
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Your right when you say OLD mate, I'd only just started using SU then - computers in fact! Hence why the leaves are poly - I didn't quite understand textures and possibilities.
I look forward to seeing what you've added!!! To be honest the original tree factory when I look back is just a broken down shite tree.
I've come up with some simple solutions to positioning and orientating all the elements that will really make it a simple process. Where I stopped was with the mapping of the trunks and branches, I played with TomTom's tools and made some observations that would solve this issue, just haven't got back to it!
Naked trees and here dead ones are great opportunities for studying branch forms!!
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How about this example from Krisidious a few years back?
http://forums.sketchucation.com/viewtopic.php?f=179&t=25435&p=218427&hilit=jagungal+gum#p218427 -
@ mitcorb - what have you been smoking? Can I have some please?
Richard, I don't really bother too much with mapping. As long as you get the trunk right (I use Whaat's UV plugin for this and use cylindrical mapping - but only if I need it) you don't really notice the mapping on the branches by the time you add the foliage.
This is all based on the principle of building trees to for 3d entourage to decorate scenes, not to render in their own right. In this instance, you would need to texture map the branches properly.
I hope to add leaf options for conifers as well as deciduous trees. I don't think I'm even 50% done yet. Even with deciduous trees there are compound and single leaves, and clusters. Each will need their own approach. Even the way leaves hang varies. Some droop, some are held erect, some simply project. Some are grouped symmetrically, others alternate. So far I have increased the number and variety of branches, next I'm going to work on leaf options.
I'll post something when I have done more on leaves.
I'm conscious of my ignorance about the subject, so I'm learning as I go. I have actually bought 3 books to help me with this!
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Bigstick:
Don't blame that on me, Krisidious posted it. -
Designing complex trees in SU is possible. The gum tree would present some problems, but is not impossible. I did make this mature Live Oak a few years ago...complete with Spanish Moss. The leafy version is just under 5000 faces, the bare branch version is only half that.
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Wow - that's stunning Alan
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