The Plant Factory Discussion - share your experience and workflow etc. :)

[Tangled-Universe]

Hi Guys,

So who has bought The Plant Factory by now?

I know Ade (TerrAde) and I did. You too, Michael (Badger)?

If you like I'd like to use this thread from now to share thoughts, experiences and insights about the soft here.
Despite that we can't exchange project files directly I think it's very cool to see and share each others workflow.
In the end this may all culminate in a topic with tons if interesting info similar to the rest of these forums which are also a giant heap of documentation all together

I will install my copy tonight and report back here about my findings.

So Ade and others, what are your thoughts so far?
And show us your WIPs!

Cheers,
Martin

[cyphyr]

I do find it bizarre that users cant share their files, how on earth would a studio work. Would a tree modeller still have to upload it to Cornucopia and then the guy on the desk next to him have to download it?
I'm sure in practice this wont happen, the model will be converted to a OBJ and shared about the studio regardless of the EULA. As long as it doesn't leave the studio no real harm has been done.
I do still wish I could afford it but alas no chance at the moment.

[Dune]

Neither will I, too many strange restrictions  . I'll stick to XFrog, but am interested to see what you come up with. 

[mhaze]

First thoughts. It has all the tricks of other packages in one but not much that is new?, it has a definite vue slant.  Now that they have lifted the restrictions it is very powerful when it is stabilized it will undoubtedly be the best.  Big learning curve without a manual but after an hour or two I'm beginning to get the basics. It is not as fast as Speedtree to learn or produce trees but can do more.  At the pre release price, it's a bargain but at the final price, no way would I buy it!  Frankly you can do almost as much in Xfrog.

[Dune]

Pfff.

[Tangled-Universe]

First thoughts. It has all the tricks of other packages in one but not much that is new?, it has a definite vue slant.  Now that they have lifted the restrictions it is very powerful when it is stabilized it will undoubtedly be the best.

The best I don't know, but I have a nice modeler now for a nice price. If it will be better than SpeedTree? Time will tell, but I think they will be pretty similar.

Big learning curve without a manual but after an hour or two I'm beginning to get the basics. It is not as fast as Speedtree to learn or produce trees but can do more. 

Well everybody has been learning TG without a manual

This topic is meant to do the same.
Share your results and workflows so we can all learn from each other.
Of course I can move on to E-on's forums and will do so occassionally, but I'm keen on this community.

At the pre release price, it's a bargain but at the final price, no way would I buy it!  Frankly you can do almost as much in Xfrog.

Yeah $395 is a great deal...$595, current pre-release price, is absolutely the max I would like to pay for it.

There are quite a few things you can't do in XFrog design/creative wise.
Also branch-welding is superior to XFrog.
I think it's fairest to compare TPF with SpeedTree.

[cyphyr]

Also branch-welding is superior to XFrog.

I presume you mean XFrog 3.5 stand alone version. The C4d and Maya versions are up to v5 and are considerably more advanced that the 3.5 version. If only Greenworks had updated the stand alone version ...

[mhaze]

Here's my first exported tree rendered in TG.  I had problems (Still do) with developing the branches the don't seem to inherit from their parents though I think that's probably me.  I also had problems with uv mapping from trunk to branch and had to adjust the image size.  The texture sytem is very Vue and really does not work well for trees. Export displacement is normal maps and for the time being will have to convert to height maps in MindTex.

[mhaze]

Don't use the pre made components for best results click in the node tree choose segment and add as a child to the previous node. this will give you more controll

[Antoine]

Did you try the "blending with parent" ? It allow much better smoothing between the branches and the trunk.

[Tangled-Universe]

Thanks guys.
Setting "blending as parent" for better blending sounds quite logical.
I'm eager to have a look tonight, new toy!

[mhaze]

Here's a neat trick

[attach=1]
To achieve this create a very short trunk in this case 1 unit in length and call it root.

Then create  a child segment and set placement to "Tip of the segment"
[attach=2]

Set Whorl to the number of branches you need
[attach=3]

Repeat to taste

[attach=4]

[TheBadger]

Yes I bought it, Martin. Feel a little dirty about it for the moment though. Ill tell you with no doubt, it was right at the price, but I would not have payed one cent more.

Have you guys got your prerelease part 2 yet? I have received no link and cant open the soft without windows yet. So I doubt I will do much more in this thread than read and take notes. But Im glad you guys are talking about it, and I am looking forward to using it too.

In the end I decided whats important is that I can make the objects that I need, much more than I need to be able to sell a model for someone else's project. And as others have said, if I need too, ill just make an obj if i want to collaborate (on a not for profit).

In the end, if this soft helps me to make the art I always wanted too, then Ill be happy. I guess thats all that really maters.

[mhaze]

Badger goto the plant factory site

http://www.theplantfactory-tech.com/

and you'll find a link to pre release II

[TheBadger]

Thank you.