Trees please

[Seekerfinder]

Hello all,

We're trying to streamline our office workflow and would appreciate some pointers, thoughts, ponderings, suggestions etc. re trees specifically.

Current workflow is either Sketchup>Octane or Revit>Sketchup>Octane. So Sketchup is currently always there using Tig's excellent exporter plugin (that is until Tig writes an equally excellent Revit plugin!)

However, I have not much success with trees generally. Google's 3D warehouse don't seem to be great (perhaps I just don't map cortrectly(?)). I tried exporting Revit trees, but they're large squares of mesh that map terribly in Octane. Mesh trees are obviously not a great idea.

I have spent some time on the forums trying to find solutions but have not come accross any clear and simple answers (are there any?). One of the solutions is to buy some trees from Onyx, which I am willing to consider if I know they work well with Octane.

1. Are the maps easy to apply/scale etc?
2. Which method adds the least poly-count / tris to the project?
3. Anyone use xFrog?
4. Any other way of creating good looking low poly cheap trees (there are probably too many adjectives in there I know..)?

Any other tree or plant advice would be appreciated.

Cheers,
Seeker

[Alain]

I guess "Instancing" in Octane will solve the most vegetationproblems with large areas of trees and grass/bushes.

I used this method for grass: http://www.luxrender.net/forum/viewtopi ... =15&t=5601
It's not perfect but it looks nice sometimes, look here: http://www.refractivesoftware.com/forum ... &mode=view

If you wanna have your trees lit like in the real world you have to use 3D-plants.
There are some "middlepolycounting"-trees here: http://www.vbvisual.com/index.php?cat=c1_3D-PLANTS.html
They are not bad as well but not perfect.

Edit:
The grassmethod can be done with Sketchup as well. The VB-Visual trees are avaible in 3DS-format, I guess you can import that in Sketchup.

Kind regards
Alain

[[gk]]

autodesk released an ipad app that you finger paint trees in seconds, plently of detail, fine textures. exports to FBX and its free.
You can produce your own onyx tree like in seconds.
Its called tree sketch 2.

[[gk]]

made a quick preview.
enjoy..

[kubo]

That's really cool app [gk]! thanks for the tip

[Seekerfinder]

Thanks Alain,
Your grass is stunning! Those VBvisual trees are what I am looking for but they're really expensive. If we do get a project to justify it, how easy is it to re-map in Octane? I am not yet very familiar with this process, are the opacity maps included or do I need to create them?

Thanks also [gk],
That's a brilliant app (now I will be able to convice my wife that I really need an iPad!). I think this could be really usefull but does the FBX file retain the textures / maps? Even if it does I think it will lost in the FBX-OBJ conversion as is our limited experience in attempting to translate from Revit>Octane.

Can anyone give us some pointers on questions 1 & 3 in the original post?

Cheers!

[Alain]

Thanks Alain,
Your grass is stunning! Those VBvisual trees are what I am looking for but they're really expensive. If we do get a project to justify it, how easy is it to re-map in Octane? I am not yet very familiar with this process, are the opacity maps included or do I need to create them?

Yes, opacitymaps are includet. You "just" have to relink Material-Texturepathes in Octane.

Kind regards
Alain

[Alain]

autodesk released an ipad app that you finger paint trees in seconds, plently of detail, fine textures. exports to FBX and its free.
You can produce your own onyx tree like in seconds.
Its called tree sketch 2.

No Desktopcomputer-Version (Windows) avaible ?

Kind regards
Alain

[[gk]]

no

[Seekerfinder]

Would appreciate if someone could give us a bit of a steer on questions 1 and 3 in the original post?

1. Pitfalls / tips / do's don'ts with remapping textures.
3. Also, anyone have experience with xFrog plants? Any good in Octane?

Cheers!