FxFoliageReplicator versus Forest Pack
by Tim Holt · in Torque Game Engine Advanced · 05/01/2006 (1:46 pm) · 4 replies
I've been experimenting using the fxFoliageReplicator to lay down large numbers of trees in a test map - around 69000 objects in a 2km radius area. Though the trees aren't solid and are only billboards, the effect is pretty good - and also pretty efficient as far as I can tell.
Now assuming I don't care if the trees aren't solid, and I don't care about them being billboards, is there any reason why I would WANT to use the Forest Pack instead of fxFoliageReplicator? Can the FP do more trees more efficiently for example?
One of the tougher challenges for making renders of huge forests is getting the tree canopy to look right - that is the top of the forest as viewed from above or on a hill. Here's a screen from my fxFoliageReplicator experiments. You can see how the hillsides are pretty sparse. But they really should be densely forested. I purposely had it draw some trees even at long range, but then more trees at just close range. Would the Forest Pack be able to render an effective hillside of trees?
I have contemplated using a shader to create "bumpy" terrain for distant tree covered hillsides. Here's a pic of some experiments I did in the Multiverse MMO engine. It's quick & dirty, but you get that illusion of the hillsides being covered with trees and not so smooth...
Now assuming I don't care if the trees aren't solid, and I don't care about them being billboards, is there any reason why I would WANT to use the Forest Pack instead of fxFoliageReplicator? Can the FP do more trees more efficiently for example?
One of the tougher challenges for making renders of huge forests is getting the tree canopy to look right - that is the top of the forest as viewed from above or on a hill. Here's a screen from my fxFoliageReplicator experiments. You can see how the hillsides are pretty sparse. But they really should be densely forested. I purposely had it draw some trees even at long range, but then more trees at just close range. Would the Forest Pack be able to render an effective hillside of trees?
I have contemplated using a shader to create "bumpy" terrain for distant tree covered hillsides. Here's a pic of some experiments I did in the Multiverse MMO engine. It's quick & dirty, but you get that illusion of the hillsides being covered with trees and not so smooth...
#2
05/02/2006 (11:43 am)
Not yet... but a demo should be available somewhere
#3
Essentially what you ideally want, is to render a given tree model into a texture based on some angle so that you get a dynamic billboard.
Afaik thats what Ben does with the forest pack, so basically it should work.
Phil.
05/03/2006 (12:18 pm)
I've seen some forests rendererd in Blazing Angels and Pacific Fighters/IL2 using basically layered shells of tree sections (kinda like you'd do a fur renderer.. it looks like crap from the side, but looks great top down and from a high angle (like in a flight sim for instance).Essentially what you ideally want, is to render a given tree model into a texture based on some angle so that you get a dynamic billboard.
Afaik thats what Ben does with the forest pack, so basically it should work.
Phil.
#4
05/03/2006 (12:36 pm)
Hey Tim ! Good job! 
Torque 3D Owner Ian Winter