To the budding modelers out there

[gregsandor]

If you name your readme file "ReadMe," or "License," or some other generic term, its going to get overwritten by the next guy's generically named file.  

Same goes for your model names and texture names.

If you name a texture "Leaf01" I have no idea what plant it goes to.  I'm about to delete a ton of plants simply because I don't have time to sort and rename them.  It will be less trouble for me to model them myself or buy from someone else.   Also, an object named "Plant" or "Plant_01" is useless.  They get overwritten and your hard work vanishes.  So please name your oak tree, OakTree at least, and call the bark texture OakTree_Bark_tex or something useful.

Additionally, I've looked at some of the plant models and they are astoundingly overcomplicated -- 15,000 polys for a flower for example, when fewer than half that would do the same job in the most closeup render possible, and fewer than 1000 would do for most cases, not to mention the unnecessary triangular faces on all of them.  You make them like that, I can't use them.  Its poor modeling and wastes resources. 

p.s.  If you're producing your models then converting them into Terragen's opaque .tgo format, please please please list the specs and provide a wireframe.  I want to know what's under the hood and with the tgo I can't see any of that.

[FrankB]

I don't have any of these problems. Usually models come in a compressed archive. If I unzip it, it creates a new folder, like "tree pack", and all tgos and textures are placed in it, also any potential license.txt or whatever. The next archive I'm opening will not and is not going to overwrite any of it.

In my personal opinion, poly count is really not a big problem with TG2, and will be even less so with the 64bit version. I guess people have different expectations. Maybe you won't render a flower really close, whereas the next guy wants to do exactly that. It's hard to please everyone I suppose.

Regards,
Frank

[MGebhart]

Make a separate folder for each downloaded item and place each tree or plant in that folder. If the download has a name like birch.zip, give the folder the same name and unzip it there. This will keep your objects separate and files will not be overwritten.

I never unzip downloads in one folder where many files, I know, have generic duplicate names.

If you are unzipping everything in one folder, you may need to take a file management seminar.

Note: Sorry about the sarcasm but, I have never heard of anyone having this issue. It just boggled my mind.

[gregsandor]

We use a different file system.  I do not want a seperate file folder for every plant I have, I want Trees, Bushes, Grasses, and so on.  Though I do unpack the archives into folders I refile them in my system.  I don't need a file management seminar, I need logically named models and associated textures.  I rarely use the stock ones without modification.  For instance if I change a texture in my plants then search for the original it has no identifier.  

I render at ground level often and do want detail, not unnecessary geometry.

A perfect example of what I'm after is the ProTrees sample I downloaded at http://web.me.com/marcgebhart1/Trees/ProTrees.html

ProTreesSample.tgo  and the textures are logically named SampleTreebrkDISP, etc.  I can modify the textures I use and stil find the original.  

These are reasonable requests:  logically named files and well-made geometry.  It isn't too much to ask.

[MGebhart]

I don't know what your file system is but, it may work for you and your company. So, I doubt anyone will change the way they do things to accommodate one person.

Also, when populations are created in Terragen, I believe it uses proxies so, large complex objects should not be a problem. I create and use high poly count models all the time with little or no impact. There is one exception. When you cover the entire planet in dense grass. 

I agree with your need for logically named models and associated textures however, most of whats available on this forum are created by regular people and casual users and not companies. I suppose this could happen in a perfect world but, not on this planet.

It sounds like you may take your own advise "It will be less trouble for me to model them myself." This should eliminate your frustration.

You may also try stores like TurboSquid or other retail model repositories where you will pay through the nose. However, this still will not guarantee the prerequisites you are demanding. 

[gregsandor]

I agree with your need for logically named models and associated textures however, most of whats available on this forum are created by regular people and casual users and not companies.

This is exactly the reason I posted this, so they know.

[MGebhart]

You neglected to complete the quote: "I suppose this could happen in a perfect world but, not on this planet."

NOTE: I made the ProTree you downloaded. I get it. You will not, most likely, get others to follow this convention.

[TheBlackHole]

OK, you've covered plants. What about scifi models like asteroids and space stations?

[gregsandor]

Same thing:  make clean geometry and name your stuff logically.

[Dune]

Of course you have a point, Greg. It's good to have proper names, even for the modeler him/herself. But perhaps a modeler doesn't want to give all the insides away and leave it open for modifications, but just gives/sells for use as it is. And there's another point; a bit far fetched perhaps, but if you buy software, you don't see the inside, if you buy an artwork (and perhaps a model is an 'artwork'), you're not even allowed to alter it by law.
I'm not really bothered by all these thoughts, but wanted to mention it anyway.

---Dune

[Oshyan]

A bit tangential perhaps, but you can also get some additional information by running tgdcli.exe from the program's installation directory. This brings up a commandline window that outputs a log of what TG is up to. When you load an object some info about number of faces, etc. will be displayed in the log window.

- Oshyan

[gregsandor]

Thanks Oshyan!

[rcallicotte]

Thanks Oshyan.  Good to know.

[neuspadrin]

personally whenever i get a new model i generally refile it under my naming so i know what it is. 

Generally what type (trees/grass/clips/etc) / modelname / all that models files

I also try to keep a rendered picture of what the models look like in another folder so i can easily browse through and use its filename to find it quickly... but i slack on that a lot