Trouble with Leaves on Tree.

#1 I still need help but I think I need to make a leaf shape and then put the picture on it. I'm trying to make the nodes right now.

#2 If your making a tree, for example, you usually place a leaf/alpha textures on a 2-sided plane. This keeps the poly counts under control. But if you are going for detail, use more polys to give the shape depth but, in any case you don't need to model the shape of the leaf itself with the use of an alpha/masked texture.

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#3 ... Huh?

I'm very sorry but I have almost no experience and I'm trying to learn as much as I can about art. Is there a tutorial?

#4 Ohh wait I think I understand. I make a flat mesh (plane) and then I shape it into a leaf and put the picture thingy on... right?

#5 Yep, pretty much correct. Just use a plane, you really don't need to make a complicated shape of the leaf. Maybe a couple of planes but nothing more than that in most cases. This is where the use of an alpha texture helps because only the leaf is seen the rest of the texture is invisible. Search for "alpha textures" and you'll find what I'm talking about. Hope I'm helping :)

#6 Well I'm just trying to make a basic leaf but I'm having trouble getting the texture on. I did it before but I lost my data and I forgot.

EDIT: Wait a second, wouldn't having all these planes kinda well, make the game lag?

#7 They are talking about using just a few planes for all the tree leafs. Not a plane by every leaf, but a lot of them and even branches should go to the texture of every plane. Take a look at the trees in the TGE demo, or even the ones in Wow.

#8 Ok I understand that but now whenever I try to add a texure to it, it only does half of it. I tried recalculating it inside and out. This seems to happen to all my planes but I can't fix it.

Can someone tell me what I'm doing wrong?

#9 Ok I know I should be patient but, I really need this quick.

EDIT: Ok I need a 2 sided plane but I can only find a single sided one.

#10 Tyler are you using blender?
What is it that you're trying to make - a tree?

You don't need a two sided mesh, you simply need to tell blender to render both sides of the mesh (by default it won't render the back or unseen polygons). Once it's exported you'll be fine.

I know you're only 12 but you have to understand this stuff takes time to learn and you can't rush it when you are just starting out. Start with something simple until you get the hang of it and you'll get faster as you go.

Cheers

#11 Well I have done a few tutorials and I have made this: img263.imageshack.us/my.php?image=picture2fa6.png

I just wanted to do something... a bit more challenging.

And for the first thing... well why would I put this in the Blender category if I'm not using blender?

I am really trying to find out as much as I have.

EDIT: And besides, if I don't challenge myself I won't learn a thing.

#12 Ok I understand what I have to do but I don't understand how to make Blender render both of the sides.

Where do I do this?

#13

Quote:And for the first thing... well why would I put this in the Blender category if I'm not using blender?

Good point. That'll teach me to read the forum category before posting.

With the object or plane select, look below the display window. You will see the following: Link and Materials, Mesh, Mesh Tools, Multires. In the "Mesh" panel near the bottom left you will see "Double Sided". Click it. If it's selected already... ah, don't click it.

#14 I'll try it!

#15 Ou know what... I have a better idea, canone try to tell me the steps to making it?

#16 Actually can someone give me a link to a turtorial?

#17 Well It seems that you dont understand. I have been doing basic 3d modeling for a few months. I just want to try something a bit challenging.

Lemme show you a few things I've made


img363.imageshack.us/my.php?image=walltestmo3.png

img265.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wolftestaz1.png

#18 Okay, here ya go Tyler, a quick tree tutorial:

Step 1: Make a cone with 6 sides and with say 5 sections. Make the it tall and thin. This will be the trunk.

Step 2: Make a half sphere with 6 sides and maybe 2 or 3 sections. Sort of like an umbrella. Flatten it a bit. This will be the Leaf Umbrella. (you could also use a cone shape).

Step 3: Create a UV map for the Trunk and a UV map for the Leaf Umbrella (there are tutorials online showing how this is done)

Step 4: Make a texture of bark for the Trunk. Create a texture of branches and leaves in a radial pattern (i.e. as if you were looking down on the tree) for the Leaf Umbrella.

Step 6: Make six duplicates of the Leaf Umbrella, space them up along the truck and scale them so that the bottom one is the biggest and the top one is the smallest.**** Make sure you paint the leaf and branch texture is on a transparent background **** - turn of the default background layer in photoshop so that you see the grid pattern. Paint your leaves and branches on a layer above this. Save the textures as *.png files with transparency turned on.

Step 7: Break up your polygons (quads) into triangles.

Step 8: Export to *.dts

As you go through the steps, post images and we'll give you feedback.

#19 Ok I'll try it!

(Finally someone understood what I needed).

#20 Ok I seem to be doing ok. Although It's hard to find a way to make it so that the textures all face the direction.