light and shadow on object

Dune · December 16, 2015, 01:43:19 PM

I've got a near perfect workflow now (ST to LW to MUD to LW (for some deletion) and back to ST), only struggling to get the trunk flipped alright, which doesn't seem to work in ST. Blue lines pointing outward (normals) in both branches and imported trunk, but when exported to TG light is not falling right on the trunk, while it does on the branches. Very weird.

TheBadger · December 16, 2015, 02:47:47 PM

What is the polly count of a tree in speed tree that would be considered high detail, and what is the comparison to a sculpt in mud in that regard?

Also, have you worked in a simplification, like baking or just out-putting maps, or is the method more straight forward raw whole objects so to speak?

Quote(ST to LW to MUD to LW (for some deletion) and back to ST)

Dune · December 17, 2015, 03:18:26 AM

A high quality tree would maybe have up to a million polys, I had one or 2 that had around 700k. Usually I try to keep them lower, say 200-300k. (if I recall well). Leaves take up the most, and/or small, but well defined branches. When taking the trunk into mud, I need to increase levels at least 2 times to sculpt anything decent. Though, of course that can be done in ST beforehand.
I don't know about baking maps. Texture is applied in ST, refined until it sits well, and still there when exporting, that's all I know. I did, however import the UV's separately in MUD (import same obj), and found they were gone in higher subdivision, so I 'retextured' to this higher level (not remapping but some other way, can't remember the button atm.), but later in LW found that the mapping was too small (reduced to within the boundaries of the UV space), so I had to stretch the texture again (it's repeated across the trunk of course).
What is 'baking maps' anyway?

AP · December 17, 2015, 04:23:02 AM

http://wiki.polycount.com/wiki/Texture_Baking

Dune · December 17, 2015, 07:27:26 AM

Ah, thanks Chris, I'll take a look.

Meanwhile I've found out that it's pretty hard to import a modded trunk in ST and export as a whole again. So, my workflow is now; model in ST, export as obj, open in LW, separate trunk from branches and decrease texture so it fits in UV space. Make 100.000%, and subdivide until a nicely dense polycount. Then export as obj, open in MUD, sculpt (no extra levels necessary) while keeping the areas where the branches meet intact, save and combine with branches in Poseray. Pff, that works.

AP · December 17, 2015, 07:43:02 AM

No problem.

That still seems like a lot of steps to make one tree, a very nice looking one all the same but i suppose it depends on one's time, patience and perseverance.

Dune · December 17, 2015, 07:55:21 AM

Can be done in less than an hour, depending on how accurate it's needed, sculpting taking the most time. And one tree makes a whole forest

But, you are right of course; depending on the need for such a tree, it's worth investing the time.
For me, this developed out of Michael's query for olives, and my curiosity, which is now satisfied.

AP · December 17, 2015, 08:20:21 AM

An hour or less is no real issue then. Certainly worth it for what the results are.

Dune · December 18, 2015, 09:00:53 AM

This is going well now, though I had this strange thing; exporting an obj from LW11, and importing in TG it rendered a totally black image, without even a terrain, while the preview looked okay. So, I opened the lwo in Poseray and exported the obj from there. Works like a dream.

bobbystahr · December 18, 2015, 11:25:35 AM

That is a most awesome tree, you should make a 'for sale' set. They'd be as good or better than anything I've seen, especially that can be successfully used in programs other than .max.

Dune · December 19, 2015, 05:37:11 AM

I don't know about selling, as some parts are made in Speedtree, and they have this policy (but also a dedicated sales website). Other parts are made in LW and MUD, so I don't know how far that ST EULA goes. It's a great way anyway to adjust formerly basic trunks into more elaborate things. Experimentation for now.

Dune · December 19, 2015, 07:30:36 AM

Strange preview; no texture.... (Michaels trunk experiment), but it renders.

bobbystahr · December 19, 2015, 11:02:03 AM

Quote from: Dune on December 19, 2015, 07:30:36 AM
Strange preview; no texture.... (Michaels trunk experiment), but it renders.

Odd...I've had that on some imported .obj models as well from time to time...dunno why here either

bobbystahr · December 19, 2015, 11:03:42 AM

Quote from: Dune on December 19, 2015, 05:37:11 AM
I don't know about selling, as some parts are made in Speedtree, and they have this policy (but also a dedicated sales website). Other parts are made in LW and MUD, so I don't know how far that ST EULA goes. It's a great way anyway to adjust formerly basic trunks into more elaborate things. Experimentation for now.

too bad ST are such 'stick in the mud' , 'dog in a manger' about selling...how are they on simple cashless sharing, hee hee hee....what a hippie I am eh?

WAS · December 19, 2015, 11:21:49 AM

Quote from: Dune on December 17, 2015, 07:27:26 AM
Ah, thanks Chris, I'll take a look.

Meanwhile I've found out that it's pretty hard to import a modded trunk in ST and export as a whole again. So, my workflow is now; model in ST, export as obj, open in LW, separate trunk from branches and decrease texture so it fits in UV space. Make 100.000%, and subdivide until a nicely dense polycount. Then export as obj, open in MUD, sculpt (no extra levels necessary) while keeping the areas where the branches meet intact, save and combine with branches in Poseray. Pff, that works.

This is coming along nicely. The only thing to work on now is making sure leaves don't follow the tree flow, but gravity.