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3 Dimensional Chat / Makin' trees

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Barbarian
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Posted: 30th Oct 2007 06:23 Edited at: 30th Oct 2007 06:59
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as the title suggests, i need some help with making trees. i have access to 3ds max, own a copy of milkshape and can download any free 3d modelling program, given that it will be appropriate for making trees.

so basically, this is what i need from you guys:

1) the most appropriate (preferably free or the modellers mentioned before) 3d modelling program which i can use to make trees

2) tutorials (i couldn't find any that had some results that weren't cartoony)

3) (optional) tree models (i'm not begging for anything here, but hey, if any of you guys can donate some tree models to me that'd be great, i won't have to reinvent the wheel)

anyway, thanks in advance to anyone who's willing to help me.

p.s while i'm on the topic of 3d modelling, i also need a decent tutorial for making people. i have a book which explains it (dunno where it is right now so i can't give you the name - it's written for use with 3ds max) but i'm not sure if it's the best way to model them. once again, if anyone wants to donate any plain human character, it'll be much appreciated.


edit:
http://books.google.com.au/books?id=w_KLe1AylhEC&dq=character+modelling+3ds+max&pg=PP1&ots=RgFuq8b1ki&sig=czkWVjE2_rRvEW4W2F_dn_0xxiM

^^^ link to the book i own
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John H
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Posted: 30th Oct 2007 07:29
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1) Make a cylinder, give it a few stacks (if youre using Max, give it some tapering so it will get skinnier/twist towards the top)
2) Grab some edge loops, scale them different
3) Grab some individual verts, push and pull them around to add some difference to the trunk of the tree
4) Make some flat planes, rotate them around and make one edge touch the tree trunk.

Voila, just texture the the trunk with some bark and the planes with some leaves (use a 32bit TGA to include the alpha layer in the texture) and youre solid!


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Barbarian
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Posted: 30th Oct 2007 07:41 Edited at: 30th Oct 2007 07:52
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thanks, i think i understand most of that, i just have two more questions (i know almost nothing about 3d modelling):

1) could you explain texturing the leaves with a bit more detail?
2) if i wanted to make bushes, would i use the same technique used for the leaves of the tree?

once again, thanks for the quick reply

edit: actually, could you explain how to use the planes too?
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 00:07
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1) I'm sure you'll get a better answer if we know what tool you'll be using. Texturing and using materials is different for each program.

2) For bushes, I would suggest using a few planes with twiggy bush textures to make the twigs; probably two or three, intersecting as an X or a star. Cover them up with a low-poly sphere, slightly squished and the bottom curved sharply in (the very bottom of it should be cut open). Then take a couple of pentagonal cones and place them through the entire thing to give it a little more detail. Texture it all with a 32-bit leaf texture (except for the few intersecting planes you started with; give them that bare-bush twig texture) and you're all set.

3) To use planes to make leaves on the tree, just position the plane along the branch so that it's slicing the branch down the center; starting at the tip, then splitting the branch straight in half towards the trunk.

Texture the plane with something like this

and you'll get this


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Barbarian
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 00:10 Edited at: 31st Oct 2007 00:16
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oh, sorry, i thought i mentioned it at the beginning. i'm a newb at 3d modelling and haven't really gotten used to any particular program. i have 3ds max and milkshape (i bought milkshape and my dad owns a copy of 3ds max) and i just downloaded blender, so i can use advice for any of those programs (i am most comfortable with 3ds max though).

thank you very much for the help. do you mind if i use the leaf texture you posted

edit: oh and how can i make the planes double sided? i read somewhere that someone welded the vertices of a cube but i'm not sure if that'd be the best way to go.
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John H
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 01:15
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Just turn backface culling on for the specific object to get both sides to show. I'd suggest you get comfortable with 3DS, since Autodesk now owns both 3DS and Maya, the new releases of both programs are rather similar. Personally, I use Maya (I'm a 3D Art & Animation student @ champlain college) however my 3D Professor showed me a program called 'Silo' which he considers much more of a powerful polygonal modeler than Maya is - its rather cheap, I'd check it out


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Barbarian
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 02:15
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awesome, thanks
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 05:39
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Yes, Silo looks like a cheap $200 z-brush. but I don't know if it can paint on textures like z-brush or handle any animation.

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John H
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 05:57
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Hence polygonal modeler, mate


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Barbarian
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Posted: 31st Oct 2007 06:52
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i have one more question to ask; i managed to make a model and texture it in 3ds max, how can i export it (with the texture) and load it using DGDK?

i tried using conv3ds but i ended up with two untextured planes (as opposed to two textured planes )
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JMON
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Posted: 5th Dec 2007 05:18
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I like the way it works except i cant make a leaf ,i made a photoshop black 0,0,0 image and brushed a leaf texture ,but a black line is at the border of the leaf how do i get rid of it >?

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John H
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Posted: 5th Dec 2007 20:04
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Dont use a black background. In photoshop, paint your leaf on a transparent layer then export as a .PNG with an Alpha Layer (transparency) or use a 32bit .TGA which also supports alpha.

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JMON
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Posted: 6th Dec 2007 03:00
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I tried to create an alpha texture but i am so confused can you walk me through it please . this is so important
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Phaelax
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Posted: 6th Dec 2007 07:13
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take your leaf texture, duplicate it, erase the black background (or just delete the layer containing the background color) and make sure the background layer is transparent. Save as a PNG file. If you need someone to hold your hand when simply saving a file properly in photoshop, maybe you should read the book that came with your copy of photoshop.


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JMON
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Posted: 9th Dec 2007 17:41
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I need help from new image ,and i have read it thats why im here ,you gonna help or bust my balls
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