Tree Magic / Plant Life
by RichardoSmith · in General Discussion · 01/06/2005 (12:55 am) · 9 replies
Anyone out there using this software for their environments?
I would like to know how it works with Torque and if there are
any issues that I will have to deal with if I do buy it.
www.aliencodec.com/
I would like to know how it works with Torque and if there are
any issues that I will have to deal with if I do buy it.
www.aliencodec.com/
About the author
#2
Depending on the modelling app your using you could probably just come up with a system. For instance 3dsMAX or MAYA have, good scripting systems that used correctly could probably make a system very similiar to what is in tree magic.
The app itself is pretty nice but its just as much work or more to to get the end product into torque.
Matt
01/06/2005 (2:31 am)
The biggest deal with is you still need to open the model in a modelling app to rig it with detail levels and the bounds and that stuff.Depending on the modelling app your using you could probably just come up with a system. For instance 3dsMAX or MAYA have, good scripting systems that used correctly could probably make a system very similiar to what is in tree magic.
The app itself is pretty nice but its just as much work or more to to get the end product into torque.
Matt
#3
They tell me that they currently do not support Torque directly but,
that is slated for their next major release.
He also said that most of his present Torque users are using an unwrap
like Milkshape for conversions.
01/06/2005 (6:17 am)
I got an email from aliencodec about this.They tell me that they currently do not support Torque directly but,
that is slated for their next major release.
He also said that most of his present Torque users are using an unwrap
like Milkshape for conversions.
#4
01/06/2005 (7:00 am)
Both totally rock...
#6
Treemagick G2 it the newest tree generation program, replacing there original Treemagick program. This again is awesome. My whole level is kitted out with stuff made by these programs.
When i use G2 i export out as OBJ format. Then load this into my modeller - which works fine.
Plantlife seemed to have a slight problem with its texture coords, when i exported OBJ from it straight into my modeller - so i exported a format called B3D which is blitz basic's native format and loaded this into another app i have called GILES - which allows me to export from that as 3ds.
It is actually a very simple process and i totally recommend them to anybody. They are awesome and the guys at aliencodec are very friendly and helpful.
The only thing is with the products - and i think its more a torque problem than anything, when the model is exported, and looaded into torque, u sometimes see the edges of the transparenc textures - but a few fixes on the U V in Max can sort this problem out. I have the U V scaling coords somewhere and i will post them for anybody having this problem. It resolves it and textures show fine in torque.
I was speaking with Ronnie from aliencodec, and he says that this will be an option on the exporters in both programs soon, to make sure Torque gets the correct UV when exported.
Also plantlife as well as allowing u to make a model of a plant or foilage item, it will also allow u to take a snaposhot of the model on screen and u can then export this as a billboard image, complete with its plain 2 poly object. Perfect for LOD in max - by making the last LOD in the object a BB. I have used this system lots with my plants. Using a few levels of detail, with the last one being the BB image.
Please go to www.aliencodec.com and buy them!!!
01/06/2005 (11:57 am)
Treemagick and plantlife are awesome products. Probs the best software ever made to make any kind of foildage. Plantlife as the name suggests deals with all foilage type stuff, from mushrooms! to ferns, to lillies, flowers - just about everything.Treemagick G2 it the newest tree generation program, replacing there original Treemagick program. This again is awesome. My whole level is kitted out with stuff made by these programs.
When i use G2 i export out as OBJ format. Then load this into my modeller - which works fine.
Plantlife seemed to have a slight problem with its texture coords, when i exported OBJ from it straight into my modeller - so i exported a format called B3D which is blitz basic's native format and loaded this into another app i have called GILES - which allows me to export from that as 3ds.
It is actually a very simple process and i totally recommend them to anybody. They are awesome and the guys at aliencodec are very friendly and helpful.
The only thing is with the products - and i think its more a torque problem than anything, when the model is exported, and looaded into torque, u sometimes see the edges of the transparenc textures - but a few fixes on the U V in Max can sort this problem out. I have the U V scaling coords somewhere and i will post them for anybody having this problem. It resolves it and textures show fine in torque.
I was speaking with Ronnie from aliencodec, and he says that this will be an option on the exporters in both programs soon, to make sure Torque gets the correct UV when exported.
Also plantlife as well as allowing u to make a model of a plant or foilage item, it will also allow u to take a snaposhot of the model on screen and u can then export this as a billboard image, complete with its plain 2 poly object. Perfect for LOD in max - by making the last LOD in the object a BB. I have used this system lots with my plants. Using a few levels of detail, with the last one being the BB image.
Please go to www.aliencodec.com and buy them!!!
#7
If a model has just one LOD it takes me no longer than 2 mins to sort the model out and export it.
For a 7 LOD model, i think it took me 15 mins if that. Because of the way the trees are imported, all the bits are separate. So to make a tree with 4 LODS is simple.
for the first model , simply link all the branhes together, and link all the leaves together. So u have one leaf, branch and trunk object
Add the highest LOD figure to these.
Then clone the Trunk and Leaves only and put in the detail number u want. So as the LOD changes, the actual leaves and trunk always stay in the same place - making it more visually secretive when changing its LOD - so u can hardly tell. Then for tthe last LOD i just clone the leaves, and make a box in max, that i extend to look like a basic trunk. From a distance u cant tell.
All this take just 5mins
01/06/2005 (12:03 pm)
Mathew - as for hard work getting into torque. I totally disagree.If a model has just one LOD it takes me no longer than 2 mins to sort the model out and export it.
For a 7 LOD model, i think it took me 15 mins if that. Because of the way the trees are imported, all the bits are separate. So to make a tree with 4 LODS is simple.
for the first model , simply link all the branhes together, and link all the leaves together. So u have one leaf, branch and trunk object
Add the highest LOD figure to these.
Then clone the Trunk and Leaves only and put in the detail number u want. So as the LOD changes, the actual leaves and trunk always stay in the same place - making it more visually secretive when changing its LOD - so u can hardly tell. Then for tthe last LOD i just clone the leaves, and make a box in max, that i extend to look like a basic trunk. From a distance u cant tell.
All this take just 5mins
#8
Plant Life allows you to select double or single sided...
-J
01/06/2005 (12:11 pm)
My only complaint so far with TreeMagik is that it forces you to export double sided leaves... there needs to be an option... that's 2x the necessary leaf polygons, where you could simply disable culling...Plant Life allows you to select double or single sided...
-J
#9
I've tried out the demo and found that thay works under Windows Vista but not under XP (on the same machine) and asked to the support (the error they gave me is a "Memory access violation" at the program start, then it quit).
So the presale support of theGameCreators say me that it's a known issue of the demo version only and NOT PRESENT in the full version and that in the next future they will update the demo.
Tired of waiting for an updated demo and confident in wich they said I bought both programs just a week ago and found that also the full version has the same problem.
Opened requests about that to the support but in 1 week no reply from them.
Just found a topic on a forum where they say in some case the error is caused by having in the program folders some thumb.db file that cause the programs crashing. removed those files as suggested but not solved the problem.
Anyone has had similar problem with PlantLife and TreeMagik G3/G2 ?
Tnx, JoZ.
03/06/2007 (3:31 am)
Hi guys... i ahve to say i'm really disappointed about the support of theGameCreators about this products...I've tried out the demo and found that thay works under Windows Vista but not under XP (on the same machine) and asked to the support (the error they gave me is a "Memory access violation" at the program start, then it quit).
So the presale support of theGameCreators say me that it's a known issue of the demo version only and NOT PRESENT in the full version and that in the next future they will update the demo.
Tired of waiting for an updated demo and confident in wich they said I bought both programs just a week ago and found that also the full version has the same problem.
Opened requests about that to the support but in 1 week no reply from them.
Just found a topic on a forum where they say in some case the error is caused by having in the program folders some thumb.db file that cause the programs crashing. removed those files as suggested but not solved the problem.
Anyone has had similar problem with PlantLife and TreeMagik G3/G2 ?
Tnx, JoZ.
Torque Owner Charlie Malbaurn
Try serching the forums for Treemagik (the rightful name) and you will see a couple of discusions on that and speedtree