tree storm manual

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Plugin for 3ds Max

Manual

Edition 5.1

© 1992-2009 Onyx Computing, Inc.

Introduction

TREE STORM, the plugin for 3ds Max®, is a breakthrough product, the first 4D modeler for trees ever developed. The plugin allows you to model trees in real-time directly into the Max scene without using DXF and 3DS files, and, thanks to its fourth dimension - the dimension of time, you can animate trees on the wind.

The following key features contribute the most to the functionality and effectiveness of TREE STORM:

Wind - TREE STORM allows you to set the wind parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, gusts, and more, and model trees on the wind. You can make them shimmer on the breeze and bend under stormy winds. No manual work, just set the parameters and wait while Camera and TREE STORM compile all the frames for the animation. You have to see it to believe it! Truly impressive!!!

Speed - Since TREE STORM models trees directly into the scene, the intermediary DXF or 3DS files have become unnecessary and obsolete. Thanks to the fact that no data files are generated, the modeling-in and positioning trees on the scene is practically instantaneous.

Versatility - Besides extremely fast modeling, TREE STORM allows the user to choose the detail and resolution of a tree prior to actual modeling. Once the tree is modeled in the scene, it takes a moment to go back, adjust the detail and resolution of the tree, and remodel it again. You can even change this tree by adjusting its random seed, or replace it with another tree from the library.

CPV - The default material setting for trees is color-per-vertex. This allows you to create a tree with exactly the same colors as set in OnyxGARDEN Suite modelers or TREE PAINTER. The colors you set will not only produce beautiful and highly realistic results but will save you quite a bit of rendering time. Therefore, you will not have much need to texture map trees. If you still wish to use your own textures, you can do that too.

UV - Just check the UV for any class of the tree elements and TREE STORM will deliver a tree with the UV coordinates enabling you to apply texture maps that will follow the direction of growth of each branch being mapped.

Real leaves - If you wish to texture map real leaves onto the tree, you can do that as well. Just replace the leaves with the "leaf plates" and specify the number of leaf plate-groups. TREE STORM will deliver a tree with the leaves grouped into the specified number of plate-groups. Each leaf will assume the form of a rectangular surface for easy texture mapping.

Preview modes - You can choose to preview a tree in the symbol or envelope form 2

while you are positioning it on the scene and the camera will render it in full detail. The symbol is the fastest and the most economic form of preview and the envelope gives you the mass and shape of fully detailed tree with the minimal number of polygons. You can move these symbol and envelope trees around the scene in a fraction of time it would take you to move around the fully detailed tree. Extra useful time saver!

Customer Support

If you need help, or have any comments about TREE STORM, contact Onyx Computing. You can reach us by:

• Telephone: 1-617-876-3876, 9:00 - 17:00 Monday through Friday ET

• Email: [email protected]

• Web: www.OnyxTree.com

• Mail: Onyx Computing, Inc., 10 Avon Street, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA

Technical support is provided to registered users. Be sure to supply the product name, the version, and the serial number.

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Copyright Notice Copyright © 1992-2009 Onyx Computing, Inc., All rights reserved.

Information in this manual is subject to change without notice. Onyx Computing, Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this document. The software described in this document is furnished under the license agreement or nondisclosure agreement. The software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the agreement. No part of this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, for any purpose without prior written permission of Onyx Computing, Inc.

Onyx Computing, Inc., 10 Avon Street, Cambridge, MA 02138 USA

www.onyxtree.com

Manual written by Dr. Bojana Bosanac, Pjer Zanchi. Software by Dr. Bojana Bosanac, Harald Blab, Pjer Zanchi.

TREE STORM is a trademark of Onyx Computing, Inc. All other trademarks are property of their respective holders.

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Accessing TREE STORM

You will find TREE STORM under Create command panel, Geometry category, TREE STORM subcategory.

Upon releasing the mouse, the following rollouts appear:

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Object Type rollout

Object Type rollout contains <Tree> button that activates TREE STORM. When you press <Tree> more rollouts will appear:

Name and Color rollout

The Name field shows the name of the currently selected tree. The Color field shows an arbitrary color not used by TREE STORM. So, do not be bothered with the Color field at all - just neglect it.

How To

To place a default tree onto the scene

1. Press <Tree> under Object Type rollout.

2. Bring the cursor over the scene in the Top or Perspective viewport.

3. Click the mouse. The default tree, a young maple, appears on the scene.

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Onyx Computing, Inc. Software License and Warranty Agreement

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT BEFORE OPENING THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE. THIS IS A LEGAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN YOU, THE END USER, AND ONYX COMPUTING, INC. ("ONYX"). RIGHTS IN THE SOFTWARE ARE OFFERED ONLY ON CONDITION THAT THE CUSTOMER AGREES TO ALL TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THIS SOFTWARE LICENSE AGREEMENT. BY OPENING THE SOFTWARE PACKAGE, YOU ACCEPT THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE WITH THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF THE AGREEMENT, PROMPTLY RETURN THE UNOPENED SOFTWARE PACKAGE TO THE PLACE WHERE YOU OBTAINED IT AND YOUR MONEY WILL BE FULLY REFUNDED.

License for Restricted Use

Onyx grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to use the enclosed TREE STORM (TM) program in object code form (the "Software") on a single computer, and to use the related documentation solely in support of your permitted use of the Software. You may not use the Software on more than one computer or computer terminal at the same time.

You are licensed to use the Software to generate parameters, images and 3D models solely for your own, internal business purposes, for demonstrations, presentations and planning in connection with your internal business purposes and for educational purposes. The license granted herein is limited solely to the uses specified above and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, you are NOT licensed to use the Software in connection with the sale, resale, license or other commercial reproduction or distribution of parameters, images and 3D models generated by the Software.

Copyright

This Software program and its documentation is owned by Onyx and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. You may copy the Software solely for backup purposes. You must reproduce and include the copyright and proprietary notices on a label on any backup copies. You may not provide copies of the Software or its documentation to others. You may not rent, lease, or loan the Software. You may not copy the written material that accompanies the Software.

Proprietary Right

Structure and organization of the Software are valuable trade secrets of Onyx licensed to you on a non-exclusive basis. You may not translate, disassemble, decompile, or reverse engineer the Software, in whole or in part. You may not modify, adapt, or create derivative works based upon the Software, in whole or in part.

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Term

Your license to use the Software and related documentation will automatically terminate if you fail to comply with the terms of this agreement. If this license is terminated you agree to destroy all copies of the Software and related documentation which are in your possession.

Limited Warranty

Onyx warrants to the original licensee that the diskettes on which the Software is recorded to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use for a period of ninety (90) days from the date of delivery as evidenced by a copy of your sales receipt. The liability of Onyx under this limited warranty shall be limited to replacement of the diskette at no charge to you, provided you return the faulty diskette with your sales receipt to Onyx or authorized Onyx dealer.

Disclaimer of Warranty on the Software

The limited warranty and right of replacement given above is in lieu of any and all other warranties, both express and implied. The software is licensed "as is" without warranty, including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. Onyx makes no warranties on the accompanying written material in terms of its correctness, accuracy, reliability, currentness, or otherwise. Some states do not allow the exclusion of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

Limit of Liability

In no event will Onyx be liable to you for any incidental or consequential damages, including but not limited to any loss of profits, loss of use or loss of savings, arising out of the use or inability to use the Software, or losses sustained by third parties, even if Onyx or authorized Onyx dealer has been advised of the possibility of such damages. Some states do not allow the limitation of liability for damages, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

General

This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and shall inure to the benefit of Onyx, its successors, representatives and assigns.

YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ THIS AGREEMENT, UNDERSTAND IT, AND AGREE TO BE BOUND BY ITS TERMS AND CONDITIONS; YOU FURTHER AGREE THAT IT IS THE COMPLETE AND EXCLUSIVE STATEMENT OF THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN US WHICH SUPERSEDES ANY PROPOSAL OR PRIOR AGREEMENT, ORAL OR WRITTEN, AND ANY OTHER COMMUNICATIONS BETWEEN US RELATING TO THE SUBJECT MATTER OF THIS AGREEMENT.

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TREE STORM units

TREE STORM models a tree onto the scene in such a way that its units match the units of the scene.

Example 1. If the scene units are centimeters [cm], the 2 m tall tree will appear on the scene as 200 units tall.

Example 2. If the scene units are inches [in], the 2 m tall tree will appear on the scene as 78.74 units tall.

Example 3. If the scene units are generic units, the 2 m tall tree will appear on the scene as 2 units tall.

Conversion factors:

• 1 in = 0.0254 m

• 1 m = 39.370 in • 1 ft = 0.3048 m

• 1 m = 3.281 ft • 1 yd = 0.9144 m

• 1 m = 1.094 yd

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Overview of TREE STORM rollouts

When you press <Tree> in Creation mode or have a selected tree in Modify mode, several rollouts appear. These rollouts are there so that you can:

• Choose a tree from our TREE Library or from custom libraries you may have created

• Select a preview mode

• Numerically position a tree on the scene

• Do the polygon adjustment

• Create slightly different instances of the same tree

• Activate the wind and adjust the wind parameters

• Find out about TREE STORM

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Choose rollout

<Tree…> button in Choose rollout enables you to load a tree parameter file with extension: bro, con, pal, tre, and tr5 from our TREE Library (or custom libraries you may have created) to TREE STORM.

How To

To load a tree parameter file "*.bro" to TREE STORM

1. Press <Tree…> in Choose rollout, “Load Tree Parameters…” window appears:

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2. Select a tree and press <Open>.

3. If creating a new tree object, position the cursor over the Top or Perspective viewport to a location where you whish to place this tree and click the mouse. The chosen tree appears on the scene in a selected preview mode. Notice that the Name and Color rollout field displays a name of the chosen tree. If replacing an existing tree object, the selected tree will appear on the scene instead of the existing one.

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Position rollout

Position rollout contains a common set of position fields, associated spinners labeled X, Y, and Z, and <Create> button.

The numbers you enter are coordinates of the active construction space. Plus and minus values correspond to positive and negative directions for these axes. The default values are 0, 0, 0 - the center of the active space. The numbers you enter into these fields are the coordinates where the reference point of a tree will be positioned. The reference point of a tree is located in the center, at the bottom of the tree trunk.

How To

To position a tree numerically

1. Be sure you are on the Create command panel; Position rollout is accessible from Create mode only.

2. Open Position rollout (if not already opened).

3. Enter coordinate values into the X, Y, and Z fields.

4. Press <Create>.

5. The tree appears on the scene in a selected preview mode and on the entered coordinates position.

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Preview Mode rollout

Preview Mode rollout contains three buttons: <Symbol>, <Envelope>, and <Detail> button.

<Symbol>: By pressing <Symbol>, you activate the Symbol preview mode, where a tree is represented on the scene as a simple shape with only 20 polygons. This is an ideal mode for the scene building and, camera and lights setup because the scene refresh is the fastest. The height and the spread of tree symbol correspond to those of the detailed tree. The trees previewed in either Symbol or Envelope mode render as fully detailed trees.

<Envelope>: By pressing <Envelope>, you activate the Envelope preview mode, where a tree is represented on the scene with the trunk and an envelope encompassing the tree's canopy. This representation gives you the mass and shape of fully detailed tree with the minimal number of polygons. The trees previewed in either Symbol or Envelope mode render as fully detailed trees.

<Detail>: By pressing <Detail>, you activate the Detail preview mode, where a tree is represented on the scene in the resolution and detail as specified in ”Adjust Polygons” window.

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How To

To assign the preview mode to a tree before it has been created

1. Open Preview Mode rollout (if not already opened).

2. Press the button of the preview mode you wish to assign to a newly created tree (<Symbol>, <Envelope>, or <Detail>).

3. Place a tree on the scene. The tree appears in a selected preview mode.

NOTE! We highly recommend placing trees on the scene as symbols or envelopes. The scene redraws much faster, and it opens much faster too. Therefore, always save the scene with the trees as symbols or envelopes.

To change the preview mode of a selected tree

1. Select a tree in any of the viewports.

2. Switch to Modify mode (if not already in).

3. Open Preview Mode rollout (if not already opened).

4. Press the button of the preview mode you wish the selected tree to appear in (<Symbol>, <Envelope>, or <Detail>). The tree appears on the scene in a selected preview mode.

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Polygons rollout

The purpose of Polygons rollout is to inform you about the number of polygons of the selected tree and to enable you to change the number of polygons by adjusting the resolution and detail of the selected tree.

<Count>: Activates the tree counter which returns the number of polygons for the selected tree and displays it in the count field.

<Adjust…>: Opens up ”Adjust Polygons” window which allows you to adjust the resolution and detail of the selected tree.

How To

To find out the total polygon count of a tree

1. Open Polygons rollout (if not already opened).

2. Press <Count>.

3. The display shows the total polygon count for the selected tree. If you wish to know a breakdown of the polygons on different groups of tree elements, press <Adjust…>.

To adjust the resolution and detail of a tree

1. Open Polygons rollout (if not already opened).

2. Press <Adjust...>.

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Adjust Polygons - broadleaf tree

Upon <Adjust...> in Polygons rollout, “Adjust Polygons” window appears. Depending on the tree type selected, you will get the corresponding “Adjust Polygons” window, i.e. if a broadleaf tree is selected, the broadleaf tree “Adjust Polygons” window will appear, etc.

This is one of the most important TREE STORM windows that lets you adjust the tree's resolution and detail, set the UV coordinates for texture mapping, and see a detailed account of the polygon count and its distribution across different tree element groups.

Element: The principal elements of a broadleaf tree are classified in ten groups:

• Trunk - the main stem of the tree.

• Bough - the branches that grow from the trunk.

• Branch 1 - the branches of the first generation stemming from the boughs.

• Branch 2 - the branches of the second generation.

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• Branch 3 - the branches of the third generation.

• Twig - the branches of the last generation.

• Caps - the end caps for all the branches and leaf stems.

• Envelope - the tree crown envelope.

• Leaf Stem - the stems of leaves.

• Leaf - the leaves.

C/PL: Each class of tree elements can be modeled at two different levels of detail, or it can be excluded from the model all together. For example, if you check <C> (C stands for Complex) for the trunk, the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of cylindrical segments of the chosen transversal resolution. By checking <PL> (PL stands for PolyLine), the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of one-polygon stripe segments. If both check boxes are unchecked, the trunk will not be modeled. This applies to all other elements except for the caps, the leaves and the envelope. A cap is modeled only if the corresponding element (a branch or a leaf stem) that carries it is modeled as a Complex object. The leaves and the envelope are always modeled as Complex objects.

Polygons/Fraction: When you select any of the modeling options for any class of tree elements, you get an instant feedback on the number of polygons for this particular group (Polygons column) and its fraction relative to the overall size of the model (Fraction column). Thus you see not only the size of this group in terms of absolute polygon numbers, but also its impact on the overall size of the model. And this information will help you to choose the most effective strategy in lowering the number of polygons for a particular tree. Note that, in order for the polygon and fraction numbers to show-up, the polygons have to be precounted.

<Count>: Press <Count> and TREE STORM will count the polygons for a particular tree and will display the size per tree element group in Polygons and Fraction columns and overall size of the tree in polygons at the bottom left corner of the window.

Transversal Resolution: Defines, for each cylindrical segment of a particular class of tree elements, the number of polygons it is composed of. You can adjust the transversal resolution of each class of tree elements independently. The transversal resolution may vary depending on the fidelity requirements for a particular tree model.

Curving Resolution: Sets the number of segments (longitudinal resolution) for a particular class of tree elements. Measured in degrees, it defines the maximum allowable angle between two neighboring segments. Smaller angle means higher curving resolution and will result in smoother curvatures. You can adjust the curving resolution of each class of tree elements independently.

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Foliage Reduction: Allows you to reduce the amount of leaves on the model. If the amount of leaves on a particular tree contributes substantially to the overall size of the model, or you want a tree which is sparsely populated with leaves, or a tree without the leaves, you can reduce the foliage amount by adjusting this slider. The reduction is represented as a percentage of the total original value.

UV: UV checkboxes enable you to set the UV texture mapping coordinates for different classes of tree elements. If the UV for a particular class is checked, the Color per Vertex information for this class is turned off. The UVs will make a texture map follow the direction of tree elements growth.

<Plates>: Opens up “Leaf Plates” window, which allows you to replace the leaves with "leaf plates" and set the number of leaf plate-groups.

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Leaf Plates

The proper way to texture map the leaves is to use plates. “Leaf Plates” window is invoked by pressing <Plates> in the Leaf row of the broadleaf “Adjust Polygons” window. The purpose of “Leaf Plates” window is to enable you to:

1. Utilize the leaf image carrier plates instead of leaves.

2. Select the number of leaf plate-groups.

3. Select the number of plate-groups with variable scale.

Number of p-groups: Covers the 0 - 10 range. A double slider consists of a red and a blue slider which overlap each other. The red slider enables you to set up to ten (10) leaf plate-groups (p-goups).

With variable scale: Covers the 0 - 10 range. The blue slider enables you to set the number of leaf plate-groups with variable scale.

Resolution: Covers the 0 - 5 range. The plate can be flat or curved. If you wish to have a simple flat plate, set the resolution to zero. If the resolution value is higher than zero (0) and the plate convexities are not zeros (0), the plate surface will have nice curvature which will add more polygons to your tree but will also produce more realistic results. If the resolution is set to one, the plate contains 2 by 2 polygons, if the resolution is set to two, the plate has 4 by 4 polygons, etc. The maximum value of the resolution is five, the plate is then subdivided to 10 by 10 polygons.

Offset: Covers the 0 - 50% range. This control is usually used when you wish to

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texture map a maple leaf or any other leaf whose junction with the stem is located inside leaf boundaries.

Long. Convexity: Covers the longitudinal bending range from 0 degrees to 50 degrees, upward or downward.

Trans. Convexity: Covers the transversal bending range from 0 degrees to 50 degrees, upward or downward.

Convexity noise: Covers the range from 0 degrees to 30 degrees. You would usually set it at 5 degrees or so to make the plate surface slightly non-uniform.

Randomize plates: Covers the range from 0 degrees to 5 degrees. You need to set this parameter to a value greater than zero if you wish to have slightly different plates on a tree. For example, if you set this slider to be greater than 0 and the number of leaf p-groups to five (5) then each of the five plates will be slightly different.

Rand. Seed: Plus and minus buttons set the random seed value in the range of 1 to 1000. The operation of these +/- buttons is identical to other +/- buttons in TREE STORM, i.e. if you press the plus button and release the mouse, the value will be incremented by one. If you press the plus button without releasing the mouse, the value will be incremented continuously until the mouse is released.

How To

To replace the leaves with plates

1. Set the number of leaf p-groups to the desired value. It has to be greater than zero (0).

To set a number of plate-groups

1. Position the mouse at the beginning of the dual slider, i.e. in the close neighborhood of the interior left edge of the slider, press the mouse and drag it to the right. The red bar appears.

2. Release the mouse when you reach the number of plate-groups you wish to have.

To set a number of plate-groups with variable scale

1. Set the number of p-groups by dragging the red slider.

2. Position the mouse at the beginning of the dual slider, i.e. in the close neighborhood of the interior left edge of the slider frame, press the mouse and

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drag it to the right. The blue bar appears.

3. Release the mouse when you reach the number of p-groups with variable scale you wish to have.

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Adjust Polygons - conifer tree

Upon pressing <Adjust...> in Polygons rollout, “Adjust Polygons” window appears. Depending on the tree type selected, you will get the corresponding “Adjust Polygons” window, i.e. if a conifer tree is selected, the conifer tree “Adjust Polygons” window will appear, etc.


Element: The principal elements of a conifer tree are classified in nine groups:






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• Caps - the end caps for all the branches.

• Envelope - the tree crown envelope.

• Needle - the needles.

C/PL: Each class of tree elements can be modeled at two different levels of detail, or it can be excluded from the model all together. For example, if you check <C> (C stands for Complex) for the trunk, the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of cylindrical segments of the chosen transversal resolution. By checking <PL> (PL stands for PolyLine), the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of one-polygon stripe segments. If both check boxes are unchecked, the trunk will not be modeled. This applies to all other elements except for the caps, the leaves and the envelope. A cap is modeled only if the corresponding element (a branch or a leaf stem) that carries it is modeled as a Complex object. The leaves and the envelope are always modeled as Complex objects.

Polygons/Fraction: When you select any of the modeling options for any class of tree elements, you get an instant feedback on the number of polygons for this particular group (Polygons column) and its fraction relative to the overall size of the model (Fraction column). Thus you see not only the size of this group in terms of absolute polygon numbers, but also its impact on the overall size of the model. And this information will help you to choose the most effective strategy in lowering the number of polygons for a particular tree. Note that, in order for the polygon and fraction numbers to show-up, the polygons have to be precounted.


Transversal Resolution: Defines, for each cylindrical segment of a particular class of tree elements, the number of polygons it is composed of. You can adjust the transversal resolution of each class of tree elements independently. The transversal resolution may vary depending on the fidelity requirements for a particular tree model.

Curving Resolution: Sets the number of segments (longitudinal resolution) for a particular class of tree elements. Measured in degrees, it defines the maximum allowable angle between two neighboring segments. Smaller angle means higher curving resolution and will result in smoother curvatures. You can adjust the curving resolution of each class of tree elements independently.

UV: UV checkboxes enable you to set the UV texture mapping coordinates for different classes of tree elements. If the UV for a particular class is checked, the Color per Vertex information for this class is turned off. The UVs will make a texture map

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follow the direction of tree elements growth.

Abstract Needles:

full needles - button up

abstract needles - button down

The "abstract needles" feature serves as an additional mechanism for reducing the file size dramatically. As anyone who has dealt with the conifer tree models knows, the needles are usually the largest contributor to the overall model size because each needle is modeled as a separate object. If you activate the "abstract needles", each branch segment populated with needles will be modeled as two crossed polygons acting as "needle surfaces" which will spare you a lot of polygons and will work fine for background and middleground positioning where the detail is not necessary.

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Adjust Polygons - palm

Upon pressing <Adjust...> in Polygons rollout, “Adjust Polygons” window appears. Depending on the tree type selected, you will get the corresponding “Adjust Polygons” window, i.e. if a palm tree is selected, the palm tree “Adjust Polygons” window will appear, etc.


Element: The principal elements of a palm tree are classified in five groups:

• Trunk - the main stem of the palm.

• Crownshaft - the tubular leaf bases cylinder carried by the trunk.

• Stem - the stems of the palm leaves.

• Leaflet - the leaflets of the palm leaves.

• Envelope - the palm crown envelope.

C/PL: Each class of tree elements can be modeled at two different levels of detail, or it can be excluded from the model all together. For example, if you check <C> (C stands for Complex) for the trunk, the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of cylindrical segments of the chosen transversal resolution. By checking <PL> (PL stands for PolyLine), the trunk will be modeled as a sequence of one-polygon stripe segments. If

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both check boxes are unchecked, the trunk will not be modeled. This applies to all other elements except for the leaflets and the envelope. The leaflets are always modeled as PolyLine objects and the envelope as a Complex object.

Polygons/Fraction: When you select any of the modeling options for any class of tree elements, you get an instant feedback on the number of polygons for this particular group (Polygons column) and its percentage fraction relative to the overall size of the model (Fraction column). Thus you see not only the size of this group in terms of absolute polygon numbers, but also its impact on the overall size of the model. And this information will help you to choose the most effective strategy in lowering the number of polygons for a particular tree. Note that, in order for the polygon and fraction numbers to show-up, the polygons have to be precounted.


Transversal Resolution: Transversal Resolution defines for each cylindrical segment of a particular class of a tree element the number of polygons it is composed of. You can adjust the transversal resolution of each class of a tree element independently. The transversal resolution may vary depending on the fidelity requirements for a particular tree model.

Curving Resolution: Curving Resolution sets the number of segments (longitudinal resolution) for a particular class of a tree element. Measured in degrees, it defines the maximum allowable angle between two neighboring segments. Smaller angle means higher curving resolution and will result in smoother curvatures. You can adjust the curving resolution of each class of tree elements independently.

UV: UV checkboxes enable you to set the UV texture mapping coordinates for different classes of tree elements. If the UV for a particular class is checked, the Color per Vertex information for this class is turned off. The UVs will make a texture map follow the direction of tree elements growth.

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Parameters rollout in Create mode

Parameters rollout contains <Random Variation> checkbox.

<Random Variation>: Enables you to create 1000 variations of the chosen tree. The resulting instances will be different from the original tree but the variations are such that the trees still retain a character of the original tree.

How To

To create tree variations based on the chosen original

1. Be sure you are on the Create command panel, this rollout is accessible from Create mode only.

2. Load a tree parameter file.

3. Open Parameters rollout (if not already opened).

4. Check <Random Variation>.

5. Position trees on the scene by clicking the mouse in the Top viewport at various locations. Slightly different instances of the chosen tree will be appearing on the scene. This is what you will see for, for example, three trees:

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6. And this is what you would see if you have not checked <Random Variation>:

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Parameters rollout in Modify mode

Parameters rollout contains <Random Seed> spinner.

<Random Seed>: Enables you to change the random seed of a selected tree. Once a new random seed value has been set, TREE STORM will remodel the selected tree. The resulting tree will be slightly different from the previous one but it will retain a character of the original tree.

How To

To slightly change the look of a selected tree

1. Select a tree.

2. Switch to Modify mode (if not already in).

3. Open Parameters rollout (if not already opened)

4. Increment or decrement the spinner and observe the result in viewports. After each change, TREE STORM will remodel the selected tree. The resulting tree will be slightly different from the previous one but it will retain a character of the original tree.

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Wind rollout

TREE STORM allows you to set the wind parameters such as wind speed, wind direction, gusts, and more, and model the trees on the wind. You can make them shimmer on the breeze and bend under stormy winds. No manual work, just set the parameters and wait while camera and TREE STORM compile all the frames for the animation.

<Active>: Activates wind effects on the selected tree as set in ”Wind” window.

<Presets…>: Brings up ”Load Wind Parameters…” window where you can choose and open any "*.wnd" file with custom wind parameter settings. This file also carries the information about physical properties of tree elements.

<Adjust…>: Opens up ”Wind” window which allows you to assign the wind parameters to a selected tree.

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Wind presets

You can assign the wind parameters to a selected tree manually or by opening up and loading any "*.wnd" file with the previously saved wind parameter settings.

How To

To load a wind parameter file "*.wnd" to TREE STORM

1. Open Wind rollout (if not already opened).

2. Press <Presets…>. “Load Wind Parameters…” window appears.

3. Select any of the previously saved "*.wnd" files and press <Open>. TREE STORM will load the wind parameters and apply them to the currently selected tree.

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Wind window - broadleaf tree

“Wind” window enables you to change the physical properties of a tree and the wind parameters for that tree. Also, you can save wind parameter settings for future use and load previously saved wind files. It is important to point out that each tree has its own wind behavior, therefore there are no global wind adjustments. When you assign certain wind settings to a tree, all subsequently created trees on the scene will inherit wind settings of the first tree. You can change the settings for each subsequently created tree by adjusting the parameter values manually or by loading the previously saved presets.

Material group of controls:

Element: The principal elements of a broadleaf tree to which are assigned the physical properties important for wind modeling are classified into seven groups:



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• Leaf Stem - the stems that carry leaves.

E: The elasticity value (E, red slider), measured in Newton per square meter (N/m^2), is the characteristic of a branch that determines the extent of its bending under a wind force. The lower the elasticity value, the more the branch will bend under the same wind force. The suggested E settings for broadleaf trees are:

Element E value

Trunk 1E8 ... 1E9

Bough 5E7 ... 5E8

Branch 1 5E7 ... 5E8



Twig 1E7 ... 1E8

Stem 1E6 ... 1E7

M: Each mass slider (M, in blue) enables you to adjust the mass of a particular class of tree elements. If you wish to add more mass to the trunk, for example, you set the corresponding blue slider to the value greater than zero. This value will influence how certain tree element moves on the wind. The higher the mass factor, the slower the movement (movement frequency).

F: Each force slider (F, in green) enables you to adjust the force on a particular class of tree elements. If you wish to add more force on the trunk, for example, you set the corresponding green slider to the value greater than zero. This value will influence how certain tree element moves on the wind. The higher the force factor, the higher the extent of movement (movement amplitude).

<Wave>: Located to the left of the force sliders, will activate the waving of the

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corresponding class of elements. We suggest activating waving on the twigs if you animate a weeping willow, for example.

Wind group of controls:

W. speed: Sets the wind speed.

W. speed change: Sets the percentage of wind speed variation.

W. direction change: Sets the percentage of wind direction variation.

Wind r. seed: Sets the random seed for wind behavior on a particular tree. If two instances of the same tree have the same wind random seeds, the trees will behave in exactly the same way. Unless you have a specific reason to keep the random seeds the same, it is a good practice to vary the random seed for each tree on the scene.

Wind direction: Sets the wind direction.

Here is a table with the speeds for various wind strengths expressed in different units:

Wind Beaufort km/h m/s mph

Calm 0 0.5 0 1

Light air 1 5 1 3

Light breeze 2 10 3 7

Gentle breeze 3 15 5 12

Moderate breeze 4 25 8 18

Fresh breeze 5 35 11 24

Strong breeze 6 45 14 31

Moderate gale 7 55 17 38

Fresh gale 8 70 21 46

Strong gale 9 80 24 53

Whole gale 10 95 28 63

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Storm 11 110 33 75

Hurricane 12 160 59 124

Gust group of controls:

G. speed: Sets the average gust speed. If the speed is zero, there are no gusts.

G. speed change: Sets the extent of speed variation for the gusts. If the change is zero, all gusts will have the speed set by "Gust speed".

G. begins at: Sets the time of the first gust occurrence. To set fractions of the time click the right mouse button, the slider changes the color from red to blue, and drag the slider with a left mouse button. Toggle back with a click of the right mouse button.

G. rise, duration: Sets the average time of rise and duration for gusts.

G. duration change: Sets the extent of variation in duration for the gusts. If the change is zero, all gusts will have the duration set by "Gust duration".

G. decay frequency: Sets the frequency rate at which the gust decays.

G. decay damping: Sets the speed of gust decay.

Time between gusts: Sets the average time between the two successive gusts. To set fractions of the time hold Option key, the slider changes the color from red to blue, and drag the slider.

Gust r. seed: Sets the random seed for gust behavior on a particular tree. If two instances of the same tree have the same gust random seeds, the trees will behave in exactly the same way. If you wish the gusts occurring at the precisely same times on all trees in the scene, keep the random seeds the same.

Wind settings buttons:

<Load>: Loads a previously saved "*.wnd" file.

<Save>: Saves the current wind settings as a "*.wnd" file.

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Wind window - conifer tree



Element: The principal elements of a conifer tree to which are assigned the physical properties important for wind modeling are classified into seven groups:



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• Needle - the needles.

E: The elasticity value (E, red slider), measured in Newton per square meter (N/m^2), is the characteristic of a branch that determines the extent of its bending under a wind force. The lower the elasticity value, the more the branch will bend under the same wind force. The suggested E settings for conifer trees are:

Element E value

Trunk 5E8 ... 5E9

Bough 5E7 ... 5E8




Twig 5E7 ... 1E8

Needle 1E6 ... 5E6



<Wave>: Located to the left of the force sliders, will activate the waving of the

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corresponding class of elements.









Calm 0 0.5 0 1

Light air 1 5 1 3










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Storm 11 110 33 75

Hurricane 12 160 59 124


G. speed: Sets the average speed of gusts. If the speed is zero, there are no gusts.




G. duration change: Sets the extent of duration variation for the gusts. If the change is zero, all gusts will have the duration set by "Gust duration".








How To

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To prevent needles from subdividing

Special feature of elasticity setting for conifer needles. If the needles are not originally made curved (in OnyxTREE CONIFER or TREE PAINTER), they are composed out of one longitudinal section. When wind is blowing, depending on the wind strength, the needles become subdivided in four or more sections, which means that the polygon count goes accordingly up. To override wind influence and preserve straight (single segment) needles, set the Elasticity slider to its rightmost position, the value of 9.5E9.

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Wind window - palm



Element: The principal elements of a palm tree to which are assigned the physical properties important for wind modeling are classified into three groups:

• Trunk - the main stem of the palm, covers also the Crownshaft - the tubular leaf bases cylinder carried by the trunk.

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• Stem - the stems of the palm leaves.

• Leaflet - the leaflets of the palm leaves.

E: The elasticity value (E, red slider), measured in Newton per square meter (N/m^2), is the characteristic of a branch that determines the extent of its bending under a wind force. The lower the elasticity value, the more the branch will bend under the same wind force. The suggested E settings for palm trees are:

Element E value

Trunk 1E8 ... 1E9

Stem 1E7 ... 1E8

Leaflet 1E7 ... 1E8








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Calm 0 0.5 0 1

Light air 1 5 1 3










Storm 11 110 33 75

Hurricane 12 160 59 124


G. speed: Sets the average speed of gusts. If the speed is zero, there are no gusts.




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G. duration change: Sets the extent of duration variation for the gusts. If the change is zero, all gusts will have the duration set by "Gust duration".








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Tips

In order to make your wind explorations efficient, we have set the defaults for wind parameters that will produce good results for most trees and palms. This is not to say that you should not change them, on the contrary, we encourage you to explore the vast space of possibilities for various wind behavior on different trees.

Here are the guidelines that speed up the process of setting the parameter values and will lead to desired results:

Simplify: Before embarking to the production of the final animation, you should create a series of preliminary runs. Since the time is always very important, simplify your scene and the rendering attributes to make these pre-runs as quick as possible.

Wireframe: So, if your scenery includes more than one tree or groups of trees, the preliminary runs should be made on a few, representative trees and one at a time. And, render these trees in a wireframe, with only one light source, and no shadows or other attributes that might slow down the rendering. This will speed up the preliminary animation and you will converge to a set of satisfactory wind parameters much faster.

EMF: When you begin to play with the parameters, you will notice that the EMF triplets (explained in the ”Wind” window) have considerable impact on the way a tree moves on the wind. And, in order to get the desired movement, you will probably spend much of your time on adjusting these parameters. The elasticity "E" and force "F" determine the extent of element bending, and the mass "M" influences the speed of the movement. Please, read about all of the wind parameters in this chapter and make sure to have complete understanding of their meaning before you start.

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Texture Mapping Overview

How to Texture Map a Tree

Even though trees are coming onto the scene already beautifully colored with "Color per Vertex" material, there will be a time when you will want to get very close to a tree -- so close that you will want to see the bark on the trunk or even veins of the leaves. Versatile TREE STORM enables you to get that appearance because it creates every tree with a set of sub-materials which can be easily texture mapped. This tutorial describes how to apply image maps to the leaves and a procedural noise map to the trunk, boughs and two generation of branches of our tree.

We recommend you to go over all three tutorials - the results will justify your effort.

• Texture Mapping the Trunk and others. You will learn how to apply a procedural 3D noise map to the trunk, boughs, etc.

• Texture Mapping Leaves - 1. You will learn how to apply image maps to the leaves of a tree. You will apply a single material to the face of a leaf. The leaves will have the same appearance from both sides - the front and the back.

• Texture Mapping Leaves - 2. You will learn how to apply image maps to the leaves of a tree. You will apply a double material to two faces of a leaf. The leaves will have different appearance of the front and back faces.

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Texture Mapping the Trunk We are going to show you how to apply noise texture maps to the trunk. You can use image maps instead if you wish.

Create a tree on the scene

1. Run 3ds Max.

2. Under <Create> command panel, press <Geometry> button and from pull-down menu select “TREE STORM”.

3. Under “Object Type” rollout press <Tree> button, and under “Choose” rollout press <Tree...> button.

4. Select a tree from TREE Library, say, Corylus avellana which is located in Fantastic trees folder.

5. Under “Preview Mode” rollout press <Detail> button, and under “Position” rollout press <Create> button. The tree appears on the scene.

6. Press <Zoom Extents All Selected> to fit the tree into the whole viewport.

7. Save the scene as TNTEX1 and render.

UV the trunk

1. Press <Modify> tab to expose the “Modify” command panel.

2. Under “Polygons” rollout press <Adjust> button. "TREE STORM - Adjust Polygons" window comes up.

3. In the Trunk row, set UV by checking the “UV” check box, and press <OK>.

4. Save the scene as TNTEX2 and render. The rendering shows the white trunk instead of the original brown shaded trunk.

Apply noise maps to the trunk

1. Under “Rendering” menu select “Material Editor...”. “Material Editor” window comes up.

2. Press <Pick Material from Object> button and press <Select by Name> button. Pick Object window comes up.

3. Select "Corylus avellana 01" and press <Pick> button.

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4. Under “Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters” rollout press <Trunk> button.

5. Under “Maps” rollout press <Map Diffuse Color> button. “Material/Map Browser” window comes up.

6. Select “Noise” from New 3D Maps and press <OK> button.

7. Under “Coordinates” rollout from “Source” pull-down menu select “Explicit Map Channel”. Set U Tiling to 2.

8. Under “Noise Parameters” rollout check Turbulence radio button and set size to 0.1. Set “Color #1” RGB to 50 43 31, and “Color #2” RGB to 207 200 194.

9. Press <Go to Parent> button.

10. Under “Maps” rollout drag <Map Diffuse Color> button over the <Map Bump> button. Increase bumpiness from 30 to 100.


12. Save the scene as TNTEX3 and render. The rendering shows the texture mapped trunk instead of the original brown shaded trunk. Notice that the texture map follows the curvature of the trunk.

Texture Mapping the Boughs, Branches, etc.

Now that you have successfully texture mapped the trunk, you may wish to do the same with other elements of the tree. If you wish to use image maps for boughs, branches, etc. that is OK. Here, however, we will apply the same noise texture map to boughs, branches1, and branches2, by simply dragging the trunk button over the other three.

1. Under “Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters” rollout drag <Trunk> button over the <Bough> button and Instance (Copy) Material window box comes up.

2. Check “Copy” radio button and press <OK>.

3. Repeat the above for Branch1 and Branch2.

4. Save the scene as TNTEX4 and render. The rendering shows the texture mapped trunk, boughs, and two generation of branches. Notice that the texture map follows the curvature of the wooden elements.

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Texture Mapping Leaves - 1 We are going to show you how to apply the leaf texture map to the front face of a leaf plate. When rendered, both faces of the plate will have the same look, i.e. there will be no difference in the appearance whether you look at the front side or back side of the leaf.


1. Run 3ds Max.






7. Save the scene as LSTEX1 and render.

Prepare and UV the plates


2. Under “Polygons” rollout press <Adjust> button and "TREE STORM - Adjust Polygons" window comes up.

3. In the Leaf row press <Plates> button. "TREE STORM – Leaf Plates..." window comes up.

4. Set Number of p-groups red slider to 1.

5. You may leave the default leaf plate parameters intact or you may change them if you wish. Let's set Resolution to 2. Press <OK> button. Press <OK> button.

6. Save the scene as LSTEX2 and render. The rendering shows the white plates instead of the original leaves.

For this tutorial, you can prepare three bitmaps of a leaf. You will need the leaf image

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bitmap for diffuse color map, the leaf bump bitmap for bump map, and the leaf negative bitmap for opacity map. You may also prepare specularity and other bitmaps if you wish, but this tutorial will use just the mentioned three.

Apply the leaf image bitmaps to the plate


2. Press <Pick Material from Object> button and press <Select by Name> button. “Pick Object” window comes up.


4. Under “Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters” rollout press <Leaf Plate 01> button.

5. Under “Maps” rollout press “Diffuse Color Map” <None> button. “Material/Map Browser” window comes up.

6. From New 2D Maps select “Bitmap” and press <OK> button. “Select Bitmap Image File” window appears.

7. Select LeafFrontColor.png file and press <OK>.


9. Under “Maps” rollout press “Bump Map” <None> button. “Material/Map Browser” window comes up.


11. Select LeafFrontBump.png file and press <OK>.


13. Under “Maps” rollout press “Opacity Map” <None> button. “Material/Map Browser” window comes up.


15. Select LeafFrontNeg.png file and press <OK>.


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17. Save the scene as LSTEX3 and render. The rendering shows the real leaves instead of the original leaves.

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Texture Mapping Leaves - 2 We are going to show you how to apply leaf texture maps to both faces of a plate. When rendered, each face of the plate will have the distinctive look, i.e. the front and the back face of the leaf will appear different, as is often the case in the nature.


1. Run 3ds Max.






7. Save the scene as LSTEX11 and render.

Prepare and UV the plates


2. Under “Polygons” rollout press <Adjust> button and "TREE STORM - Adjust Polygons" window comes up.

3. In the Leaf row press <Plates> button. "TREE STORM – Leaf Plates..." window comes up.

4. Set Number of p-groups red slider to 1.

5. You may leave the default leaf plate parameters intact or you may change them if you wish. Let's set Resolution to 2. Press <OK> button. Press <OK> button.

6. Save the scene as LSTEX12 and render. The rendering shows the white plates instead of the original leaves.

For this tutorial, you can prepare five bitmaps of a leaf. You will need the front and back leaf image bitmaps for diffuse color maps, the front and back leaf bump bitmaps

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for bump maps, and the leaf negative bitmap for opacity map. You may also prepare specularity and other bitmaps if you wish, but this tutorial will use just the mentioned five.

Assign two-face material to the plate


2. Press <Pick Material from Object> button and press <Select by Name> button. “Pick Object” window comes up.


4. Under “Multi/Sub-Object Basic Parameters” rollout press <Leaf Plate 01> button.

5. As you can see, the default material type is “Standard”. Press the <Standard> button. “Material/Map Browser” comes up.

6. Browse from “New” and select “Double Sided” material. Press <OK>. The “Replace Material” window comes up.

7. Select "Discard old material?" radio button and press <OK>. Notice that there are now two buttons under “Double Sided Basic Parameters” rollout of the Material Editor: “Facing Material” and “Back Material”.

Apply leaf image maps to the front side of the plate

1. Let's texture map the front side of the leaf plate. Press the button on the right of “Facing Material” and open “Maps” rollout.



4. Select LeafFrontColor.png file and press <OK>.




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8. Select LeafFrontBump.png file and press <OK>.




12. Select LeafFrontNeg.png file and press <OK>.

13. Press <Go to Parent> button three times.

14. Save the scene as LDTEX13 and render. The rendering shows the real leaves on the front side of the plates.

Apply leaf image maps to the back side of the plate

1. Let's texture map the back side of the leaf plate. Press the button on the right of “Back Material” and open “Maps” rollout.



4. Select LeafBackColor.png file and press <OK>.




8. Select LeafBackBump.png file and press <OK>.




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12. Select LeafBackNeg.png file and press <OK>.

13. Press <Go to Parent> button three times.

14. Save the scene as LDTEX14 and render. The rendering shows the real leaves with different front and back sides. This is as real as you can get.

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About TREE STORM

About rollout displays the product name, version, and the licensee name.

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tree storm manual

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