Download Objects

Speed Tree
Let’s Make a Forest
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Introduction
• This is a third party application for
parametrically generating trees and
other foliage
• It is not part of the editor
• What is sent with the UDK is a “lite”
version
– Fewer and more restricted features
– Of course, they want the serious
developed to buy the full version
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Adding SpeedTree Actors
• The UDK comes with several
SpeedTree generated objects
– A banana plant, two banyans and tow
tobacco plants (despite this being a
tobacco free campus)
• Some of these have the default
material and others are properly
materialed
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Content Browser
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Drug onto Scene
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Sized
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Commentary
• Speed tree items usually start very
small
– They always need to be sized
• Sometimes they are properly coated
with material
– Other times not
• Next is the banana plant
• It needs a little work from the
material editor
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Banana with out material
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Theory
• Instead of generating each of these
my hand, we describe how to
generate
• Each of the parameters can then be
randomly varied so that two trees
are not quite the same
– Similar to how it is done in nature
• Algorithmic creation of static mesh
actors
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Starting
• Since it is not part of the editor is
must be started separately
• It is part of the tools portion of the kit
• There are two pieces:
– Modeler
– Compiler
• We will start with the modeler
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Modeler Started
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File/New
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Process
• We right click on the tree parts on
the lower right
• We then add items
• We change parameters
• Select the item and apply materials
– We may need to import the textures
• We then add more items to the item
we desire
• When done we save
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Right Click
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Changing Trunks Length
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•
Materials
The various parts of the tree get
their materials in different parts
• Trunks and branches get it from
Materials/Branches on the left
• Leaves get it from leaves/Geometry
and cards
– A leaf is like a card before the texture is
applied
• The standard textures are .TGA
extension
• You may need to add the texture
files – as we Copyright
see©next
2015 – Curt Hill
Finding a Texture
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More
• Once the texture is in the program
the drop down for Material/Branches
or Leafs/Geometry then shows the
possibility
• Next we add main branches (1) and
secondary branches (2)
• Finally we add leaves
– Before the texture they look like cards
– After they look better
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First Branches
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Second Branches
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Leaves as Cards
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Leaves Textures
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Level of Detail
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Level of Detail Values
• Values that are set poorly may
freeze UDK
• Values used:
–
–
–
–
Near 175
Far 300
Billboard start 301
Billboard end 400
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Now What?
• The modeler is done
• Next we move onto the Speed Tree
Compiler
• This takes things and makes it UDK
importable
• After than UDK needs to import
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Compiler Starts
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Item Selected
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Compiler Dialog
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SpeedTree
• The compilation and modeling is
now done
• Once in the process you should
make several variations
• Making many trees is not harder
than making one
– Make one in the modeler and save
– Change the parameters and save as a
new name
• Now we return to UDK
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UDK
• No using trees until we can see it in
the UDK
• Start with Content Browser
• Use the Import button at the bottom
• Direct it to the directory where the
Speed Tree Compiler left things
– Select everything in the directory
• Name the group that will contain it
• The import may take a while
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Content Browser Import
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Import Dialog
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Imported
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Problems
• If the import freezes for a length of
time go back to the level of detail
and adjust
• The first use of a tree will require the
use of the material editor
– Which you should now know about
• When you play the game you will
notice that the trees sway in the
wind
– This is the force setting in the modeler
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Attachment
• Even though this thing looks good in
SpeedTree modeler we have to
reassemble in the UDK
• We have to create materials then
attach to tree
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Material Creation
• Right click the texture
• Select Create New Material
– Then name it
• For bark just move the texture and
attach to Diffuse in the Material
Editor
• For leaves it is somewhat more
complicated
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Leaves as Material
• Attach the basic texture to Diffuse
• Attach the normal texture to Normal
• Combine Alpha of new texture with
basic texture to a Math add block
– Attach this to the Opacity
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Menu To Create Material
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Material
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Material Selected
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Material Editor
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Moved and Attached
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SpeedTree Editor
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Finally for a Tree
• Right click the speed tree block and
choose edit speed tree
• Now click materials and drop onto
the various parts of the tree
• Once this is done drop and size the
tree from the Content Browser
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill
Wind
• We can change the swaying in the
wind in a couple of places
• In the Speed Tree Modeler is the
Forces property
• In the Speed Tree Editor in UDK is
the wind property
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Conclusion
• SpeedTree is a specialized modeling
software
• This allows us to create trees and
shrubs much more easily than
conventional modeling software
• We are now able to populate our
levels with trees that are similar but
not identical
Copyright © 2015 – Curt Hill