Shrubbery/Tree and Leaves (3ds max)

[Poker]

Hey..

I'm modelling a scene, where I need some shrubbery and a tree. The modelling of the shrubbery and tree I can handle, but I was wondering about the distribution of the leaves.

Is there a more automated process to this, than move/rotate in places??

Or if someone has got a good tutorial on this, it would be very help full.

[Zikco]

I'm no expert, but you could try using particles to emit w/ no movement from the branches, where the particles are instances of a leaf.

Just a thought...

EDIT: Or a hair simulation w/ instanced leaves.

[Poker]

yep particle systems were the way to go, thanks Zikco for the tip.

As Im not very experienced with particles, I found a great little tutorial for this specific problem; http://www.3dtotal.com/team/Tutorial...o_death_02.asp (section 3)

Just if anyone else is struggling with the same problem:-)

[Edwiersma]

maybe you can better use scatter, i cant explain how it works but i saw some tutorials Here and some on youtube and you can always check 3smax's help-file's

Scatter just acts as some kind of hair and fur but with objects instead of hairs/fur

Ill explain some tomorow when i have time.....

[Poker]

I got some pretty nice result from the particle method. And I got more control with that method. Here a quick preview of the shrubbery:-

But I would love to hear an alternative method to this:-)

[L3XICON]

hey Poker tree's and shrubs are a royal pain. I did this quick tutorial a few months back and although its more specificaly for creating low polygon tree's, it may help you out with a few ideas for your problems.

it's two different systems for creating low polygon tree's. one is a instance facing system similiar to speedtree (oblivion). the other is a more traditional method of foliage planes or clumps.

I ll give you a quick run down of how I produce the tree's (this is max btw)

firstly for the tree that has the foliage face the camera.

1: model you tree trunk and branches using as many or as little polygons as you wish. once complete select and clone the outer branch areas of the tree. then using the push modifier increase their width. I then adjust this mesh a little upwards to give the foliage that will be attatched to it some height.



2: open up the particle view window (6 on keyboard or under graph editors).

- edit >> new >> particle system >> empty flow

- from the options at the bottom of the window click and drag into the field a new birth event.

- drag the link selector underneath the flow event into the circle of the birth event to link the two together.

- drag into event 1 the following: position object, shape facing, material static and position object.

- adjust the following settings (marked with a red dot) for each. you will certainly want to adjust these settings to fit your object especially scale settings etc.

- in the position object you want to select the 'pushed' outer branches. (object02 in my scene :P)

- in the material static section you want to drag from your material window the material for your foliage.



- play around with seed settings, scale, orientation and offsets until you have a tree you are happy with.

- in the shape facing, select the camera you will render from for the foliage to face it.

- remember to hide the 'pushed' branches, else they will make it look ugly :P

you should end up with something like this



..

ok, and now the second method.

1: set up the tree as before, including cloning and pushing the outer branch areas.

2: create a square plane, and apply your foliage material to it. clone this plane and rotate it 90 degree's on the x access. then again on the y until you have a 'clump'. make sure that your material has 2 sided checked.

3: open up the particle view window again.

- create a empty flow, and a birth event as before.

- drag in position object and set exactly as in the previous system.

- drag in a shape instance, and a rotation and set them as below



- again play with scales, offsets and rotations until you are happy with the result.

- you should get something like this



this method i prefer as I think it looks more realistic when rendered with lighting and shadows:



both systems have pro's and con's

system 1:

pro's
- foliage always faces camera
- fewer polygons can make more dense foliage

con's
- dosn't light realisticaly
- can't cast shadows
- can't be converted into an editable mesh as the planes will no longer face camera. (max also dosnt calculate the polygons used by the partcile system in the statistics - so be careful with poly counts in competition!)

system 2:

pro's
- lights very well
- great shadows and 'depth'
- can use the mesher tool to convert from particle system to editable polygon. means that max will calculate polygon totals, and can tweak easier.

con's
- requires more polygons to create dense foliage (my example has 3 x as many due to the use of instancing the 'clump' rather than flat planes.
- you will get planes that are viewed along the surface giving away that they are flat planes.

Since doing this tutorial I have played around with using slightly curved planes rather than flat planes to hide more of the flat look you can get in both systems.

hope it is of any use to you, and good luck!

[Poker]

Very nice post, L3XICON:-) Thanks for the thurough tutorial, Im currently using the same method just with a high polycount. Ill be posting some renders later.

Id say that the particle flow method, is definately the way to go.

[L3XICON]

no probs mate looking forward to seeing your renders

[Perversonality]

I'm glad I didn't post your tutorial now as I thought about it, but decided to leave it to you as the author

[Poker]

heres the renders I promise:-

The tree is not finished it needs more branches, but Ill stop the process here because it really poly intensive, and in my scene Im not actually gunna show that much of the tree, but more the shadows of it.
But I definitely do not regret doing it, cause now Ive done my first tree!! Ill properly go with L3XICON's 2nd method, and a bit of poly modelled branches.