How to import an animated tree (wind) from SpeedTree?

Started by lookdev, November 28, 2018, 05:28:49 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

lookdev

SpeedTree exports animated trees as Alembic. How do I import this animated tree in Terragen?

Hannes

The only way I can imagine is to create an obj. sequence inside your app if possible, which you can load into TG.

lookdev

#2
Thank you, I will test it, How do I import an obj sequence in Terragen?

Animated trees have been around for a very long time. Terragen needs a "middleman" to digest an animated tree. Quite disappointing.
Clarisse can import alembics from SpeedTree, how come Terragen can't.
It's a workflow mindset, if one tool can and the other can't, one wonders why and what's keeping the developers from implementing it.
So by default, Terragen assumes trees to be dead static in an animation.
I really like Terragen, but some basic missing things make me wonder.

Dune

Don't forget (or maybe you didn't know) Terragen is still in development and has come a long way already. There's no big team involved, so a bit of patience and consideration would be in place.

lookdev

Everything I've seen sofar from Terragen shows it is heading in the right direction, moving very fast, and this is why I'm less patient to get it fully integrated with the rest of the tools.
The latest vdb export is a fantastic step, the subscription pricing is definitely a great gesture.
I need a great Tree modeler, I'm now heavily testing SpeedTree, and it has astonishing capabilities compared to 2 years ago, I just want to use all of SpeedTree inside Terragen.
By the way there is a SpeedTRee Engine for Clarisse being developed. Coming in a few weeks, But clarisse doesn't have atmospheres, skies or clouds.
Terragen needs to integrate with Clarisse perfectly, then I'm ok to forget about the speedtree story.
A software with limited integration in the VFX pipeline, will die young. We don't want that for Terragen.

Oshyan

We have plans to implement Alembic in the future, which should include support for animation caches. For now you do need to use OBJ sequences.

- Oshyan

lookdev

Can you imagine how mind blowing it can be to have a terragen render with active simulation from Realflow, and animated trees from speedtree, all with the alembic import.
Please move it up the list of development.

KyL

Well actually you do not have to imagine and simply use an OBJ sequence. I've done that many times and actually find it much more reliable that working with Alembic files, despite the higher disk space requirement.

lookdev


KyL

You need to use something like Maya, 3Ds or Blender to convert it.

Usually I export an animated .fbx from Speedtree (very light as you keep the rig/animation from speedTree rather than doing a geometry cache), import that in Maya and export an OBJ sequence using this tool: https://www.highend3d.com/maya/script/obj-i-o-obj-sequences-import-export-for-maya

bobbystahr

I do believe you can export .obj sequences out of DAZ as well as Poser too. DAZ is free so it's like blender financial overhead wise.
something borrowed,
something Blue.
Ring out the Old.
Bring in the New
Bobby Stahr, Paracosmologist