Low Poly Trees - Tree Factory 2

mitcorb · 1 Feb 2012, 01:21

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

bigstick · 1 Feb 2012, 08:22

@ 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!

mitcorb · 1 Feb 2012, 13:16

Bigstick:
Don't blame that on me, Krisidious posted it.

Alan Fraser · 2 Feb 2012, 07:41

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.

Richard · 2 Feb 2012, 12:53

Wow - that's stunning Alan

bigstick · 3 Feb 2012, 22:12

Hmm, a larger version image would be good... I'm not sure if there are some weird things going on, or it's just an optical illusion.

Alan Fraser · 3 Feb 2012, 23:16

Big enough?

Blue Gum

Detail

bigstick · 5 Feb 2012, 09:55

Oh yes - very nice work Alan! I was expecting it to be good because I've seen and bought some of your form fonts stuff in the past.
Don't know what was going on with the previous image, looked a little odd to me.

I have attached some images of the first two trees I have built using a modified version of Richard's TreeFactory.

Needs a little more work (I want to make it so that I have enough components and variations to build all types of trees) but it seems to be coming along nicely.

Render time in Podium (on my MacBook Pro) is quite good.