TreeObjects: Conifer.i3o Tree(A).i3o Tree(B).i3o Tree(C).i3o -- Imagine 3.0 object files Tree(A)_Trunk Tree(A)_LeavesA-F Tree(B)_Trunk Tree(B)_BranchA-B Tree(B)_LeavesA-I Tree(C)_Trunk Tree(C)_BranchesA-C Tree(C)_Canopy Tree(Conifer)_Trunk Tree(Conifer)_BranchA-C -- Lightwave object files Tree(A).lws Tree(B).lws Tree(C).lws Tree(Conifer).lws -- Lightwave scene files LowRes: BarkBump ConiferAlpha24.iff ConiferBranches24.iff LeafAlpha LeafSummerGreen LeafyCanopy24.iff LeafyCanopyAlpha24.iff -- 24 bit IFF brushmaps in 320 x 320 format HiRes: BarkBump ConiferAlpha24.iff ConiferBranches24.iff LeafAlpha LeafSummerGreen LeafyCanopy24.iff LeafyCanopyAlpha24.iff -- 24 bit IFF brushmaps in 640 x 640 format Description: ============ These object files and image maps will produce very realistic looking trees. The main intent in producing these tree objects was to produce a convincing tree with minimal geometry but lots of detail. The object geometry is very simple -- in fact, you may wonder how the trees end up looking the way they do based on what the objects look like! A combination of colour and transparency mapping, and simple object framework for these image maps produce highly detailed, three dimensional trees that hold up to even close camera placement. Four different types of tree are included in this archive. I don't have names for these trees, since they are not based on any particular species of tree. These are just four different "looks" based on trees that I have looked at in nature. Conifer is your basic coniferous (pine) tree with slim branches and needles like we get up here in the wild north. Tree(A) is a bushy tree with branches coming from a central point in a single trunk, radiating in all directions. It looks like a fruit bearing or ornamental tree. Tree(B) is a standard type of tree like we have lining most of the streets in this city. Its trunk splits into three and the branches radiate from these trunks in a basically vertical direction. Tree(C) is a fantasy tree based partly on how trees used to look millions of years ago, and partly on how some trees in boggy or swampy areas look today. It has a long, bare trunk that ends with a rounded cap of leaves and branches. It is the least realistic of the trees included here. Instructions: ============= You will need to make an assignment to use these tree objects. You can put the image maps anywhere you like on your system, but you need to assign "TreeMaps:" to that location so that the rendering program can find the files it needs when it goes to render the trees. I have included two versions of the required image maps -- the "HiRes" directory contains 640 x 640 sized imagemaps which are required if you want to retain maximum object detail in your final renders. The "LoRes" directory contains 320 x 320 sized versions of these same image maps for use when the trees are not very close to the camera, or where memory space is at a premium. I have found that these low res maps will produce adequate looking trees even at close range, but the anti-aliasing of the transparency map can produce white ghosting on the edges of the leaves and branches. Simply assign "TreeMaps:" to whichever versions of the image maps that you wish to use. There is no need to edit the mapping attributes in the objects themselves. Imagine Instructions: ===================== You really don't need to do anything else to use these objects in Imagine. Imagine groups are self contained in the object files. You can load a single tree object into the Imagine 3.0 stage editor and then clone as many copies as you like, position and scale each one independently to create as many trees as you need. If you need cast shadows, you'll have to use raytracing, which can be slow. Lightwave Instructions: ======================= Place the tree objects in the Objects/Landscape directory in your 3D directory. Place the scene files in your scene directory. To load a tree into a scene, use the "LOAD OBJECT FROM SCENE" option in the object loading requestor. This will keep the object heirarchy, mapping, and clip mapping options intact. For example, to load a "Tree A" type tree, go to the object requestor, choose "Load Object From Scene" and then load "Tree(A).lws". You will see a requestor asking you if you wish to load lights too. Answer no. You'll need to do this for each tree you wish to load. The objects are parented to the tree trunks -- to move a tree, select the trunk object for that tree in the object menu, and the rest of the tree will move with it. The Lightwave versions use "object clipping" instead of transparency mapping. This is to allow for the use of shadow mapping, which will result in very fast render times, even with cast shadows. Unfortunately, object clipping does not recognize antialiasing in the clipping map, so I really recommend against using the lowres versions of the image maps with Lightwave. Even with the hires versions of the maps, there will be some aliasing errors evident if you get the camera very close to the objects. This is particularly true of the conifer tree. Miscellaneous Notes: ==================== The tree maps were produced with Adobe Illustrator on a Mac Quadra 800, and turned into anti-aliased bitmaps in Adobe Photoshop. These were then converted for use on the Amiga using HamLab by Ed Hanaway. If you use PEGGER to compress the image maps on your system, please read the following: Make sure that you use a QUALITY setting of 100 on these maps, particularly the ALPHA maps. The antialiasing in these files is critical to the success of the transparency illusion -- there is a 1 pixel difference in width of the objects between the colour maps and the transparency map. This is crucial to avoid white edges during rendering. If you compress the ALPHA maps with any setting lower than 100, the JPEG artifacts will begin to interfer with the transparency image, and these artifacts will show up in the tree images when rendered as unsightly white "ghosting" around the branches and leaves. Copyright © 1994 James Hastings-Trew FidoNet: 1:140/90 SnailMail: 126 Willow Street Saskatoon, SK Canada S7J 0C2 Free to use, but may not be included in commercial, PD disk, or CD ROM collections without written permission of the author.