Process of correctly setting up forest with billboards Engine: Torque 3D 2009 Pro 1.1 Beta 2 - LOGGED

Bug Report August 11, 2010
or need more detail in documentation - Process of correctly setting up forest with billboards
Engine: Torque 3D 2009 Pro 1.1 Beta 2
My platform: Intel Core 2 Duo CPU
2.4 GHz
2.39 GHz, 1.96 GB of RAM
NVIDIA

I have successfully used the �default.DAE� tree in the forest editor. My goal is to use the forest editor with my own 3D trees and plants. I can use the forest editor with high fidelity 3D models, but cannot dynamically degrade to the low fidelity and 2D billboards. I either need a step-by-step guide (Maya or Max to final product), or I have encountered a bug.

I have created all of my assets in Maya 2010, but can import and export them with 3D Max,(not a max user).

1) How to create a new object hierarchy in Maya and or Max? (but do not really know if I have done so correctly or not, as the documentation is abstract.)

2) XML file exported by 3DMax does not produce the same structure as your example. Although, I do not think that I have used 3D Max correctly, as the resulting XML file is not the same structure as the �default.DAE file,� lacking the following:

<node id="node-bb__autobillboard25" name="bb__autobillboard25">
<extra>
<technique profile="OpenCOLLADA">
<user_properties>BB::DIM=256
BB::DL=1
BB::EQUATOR_STEPS=4
BB::POLAR_STEPS=0
BB::INCLUDE_POLES=0
BB::POLAR_ANGLE=45

Modifying my XML does not solve problem. Unless there is more I need to do.

3) I have attempted to use the Shape Editor, setting the Use Imposters check-box to true, and I get this:


I created the "bb_SugarMaple" node in the Shape Editor. Does not work (Maya or Max models).


My work-around was to create a 2D image in Photoshop to use as a replacement distant image, (it would be nice if this was correctly and automatically done in the Shape Editor).


and than used the Ground Cover function to place 2D trees in the world, combined with a second Ground Cover with my 3D tree. (It would be nice, if I could also specify a parameter in the Inspector Panel to a "less than range," so that the 2D trees would disappear as the 3D trees appeared.)


The effect is not bad, and is very fast, but it is still a hack. Can someone help to clarify a more eloquent use of Torque? (pipe-line, process, step-by-step guide?)