Speedtree

enf0rcerenf0rcer intrigued... Join Date: 2003-03-16 Member: 14584Members
<div class="IPBDescription">kinda random</div> This is random because of the place I'm posting it. Maybe it should go in customization where no one will read it or care? Anyway here's what you don't need to read:

There's this very cool max plugin/ CAD thing that generates trees very nicely. You've probably seen them in the next elder scrolls title. What I'm wondering is how something like that would export to HL2. The way the trees work is that the program makes the tree trunk and branches and then models the leaves seperately. The leaves themselves then act like sprites and rotate to always face the player.. that's what makes the tree look so dense.


My Question: Can HL2 have model faces that rotate to always face the player? Would you need to add a ton of sprites as leaves and just stick them all over a tree (totally unreaslistic as there are entity limits and stuff)? Or would you simply need to make like triple the poly count and have the faces be placed at random angles?

ideas? (the actaul plugin site doesn't have a forum and the publishers forums are deader than dead)

Comments

  • NeonSpyderNeonSpyder &quot;Das est NTLDR?&quot; Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17913Members
    How dead?


    (and yes i've heard of the program)
  • enf0rcerenf0rcer intrigued... Join Date: 2003-03-16 Member: 14584Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-NeonSpyder+Aug 1 2005, 09:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NeonSpyder @ Aug 1 2005, 09:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> How dead? <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    waaay beyond necromancy
  • OttoDestructOttoDestruct Join Date: 2002-11-08 Member: 7790Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-enf0rcer+Aug 1 2005, 09:18 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (enf0rcer @ Aug 1 2005, 09:18 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> <!--QuoteBegin-NeonSpyder+Aug 1 2005, 09:04 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (NeonSpyder @ Aug 1 2005, 09:04 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> How dead? <!--QuoteEnd--></td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'><!--QuoteEEnd-->
    waaay beyond necromancy <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    This forum has proved nothing is beyond necromancy. Or at least thread necromancy.
  • [WHO]Them[WHO]Them You can call me Dave Join Date: 2002-12-11 Member: 10593Members, Constellation
    afaik you can't have a "model's" faces change direction without explicit animation or rotating of the entire model.

    So, yeah, you'd need sprites or find a way to make static faces look better.
  • enf0rcerenf0rcer intrigued... Join Date: 2003-03-16 Member: 14584Members
    <!--QuoteBegin-T h e m+Aug 1 2005, 09:52 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><b>QUOTE</b> (T h e m @ Aug 1 2005, 09:52 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'><!--QuoteEBegin--> afaik you can't have a "model's" faces change direction without explicit animation or rotating of the entire model.

    So, yeah, you'd need sprites or find a way to make static faces look better. <!--QuoteEnd--> </td></tr></table><div class='postcolor'> <!--QuoteEEnd-->
    thought so.. just looking for other opinions.

    thanks
  • DOOManiacDOOManiac Worst. Critic. Ever. Join Date: 2002-04-17 Member: 462Members, NS1 Playtester
    Well, one of the reason to use a small range of prop models is because you only need to have the model in memory once, even if you have it in 500 places on the map. Having 500 different actual trees would cause you to run into really big problems. However 50 instances of 10 different trees wouldn't.

    Make sense?
  • NeonSpyderNeonSpyder &quot;Das est NTLDR?&quot; Join Date: 2003-07-03 Member: 17913Members
    Ah yes Instancing.. the glorious thing which cuts my render time by hours and hours. how i love thee.
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