onyxtree

[mikeh]

i never noticed this before because i always brought my onyxtree stuff into max via treestorm but if you don't have treestorm and just use the plain onyxtree generator software and export your models from it out as 3ds or anything else (it doesn't export out as a max model) you get significantly different results material-wise. Treestorm plugin gives you what you expect. Exporting out from the plain software gives you things you might not want. Just a heads up to anyone considering onyxtree.
mh
(i just upgraded my treestorm to max 2008, 64 bit)

[beestee]

I have always used the 3ds export, not a single issue since figuring out how to use it...nothing unexpected at least.

What exactly is the problem that would make one reconsider the investment?

[mikeh]

there is a large difference. With 3ds export you get plain colors for materials. If you replace those colors with vertex color you get very wierd coloring. If you take that same onyxtree model as loaded into the onyxtree software and instead import it into max through treestorm, the model comes in with vertex colors that look as you would expect them based on what you see in the onxtree tree makers or whatever maker you are using. It does not come in with plain colors. The difference is that you get a gradation of color across leaves.

As far as the bark, well, onyxtree software will never get that as photorealistic as bringing in actual bark maps once the tree is in max so on that level, it's not an issue. All onyxtree trees need good bark texture mapping after they come out of their software, at least in the close ups. For distant shots, it's not a problem.
mh

[glorybound]

Bark

Can you recommend a good bark library?

[mikeh]

i use google images for textures but there was a post in the images forum here that had a refernce to good bark textures...can't remember what it was.

Also, beware...Treestorm crashes max...always has (i got it when it first came out) and still does and probably always will. I NEVER leave trees in their Onytree format. I always collapse them and convert them to meshes to prevent crashes....and they don't always convert to mesh so some are useable and others aren't. I stopped using the wind portion of their plugin years ago. I use storm only for it's ability to manipulate the trees, then once i get them where i want them, i convert them. During the manipulation process max will crash...you'll just have to get used to it if you buy treestorm.
mh

[mikeh]

this image shows what you can do with treestorm that, as far as i know, can't be done with the regular onyxtree software. It shows leaves that are multiple on a single stem. This is a california pepper. Treestorm and treestill let you replace leaves with objects. The object in this case is a homemade leaf, the leaf is mapped with an actual image of the real thing. It's all geometry.
mh

[mikeh]

here's a larger image....also, i forgot to mention that treestorm will corrupt your max file so it is unopenable and unmergable, so i always create the trees in a seperate file, clean them up and then merge them into the main file.

http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs225&d=08122&...-pepper547.jpg





mh

[re:FORM]

Interesting. I wanted to try out treestorm again, but after requesting the max2008 version I'm told I need to upgrade for $75!.... Seems daft to pay for a plugin that corrupts max files!
Think I might stick to the old method of exporting 3ds files.

I'm not sure what your images are supposed to show. I can export to 3ds with multiple map channels on the leaves so I can easily apply a selection of different leaf textures randomly over the tree.

[beestee]

I imagine that this unusual upgrade price comes from the fact that the creators do not develop the plugins or software themselves. They have to pay somebody to create the code and API for them every time an update is needed...this would also explain why many of the bugs go unfixed as well.

Somebody with the resources and ability to handle the code side of things needs to absorb "Onyx Computing," clean up their programs/plugins, and then offer a reasonable upgrade option to existing users.

Where's Autodesk when you need 'em?

[voltron7]

Interesting. I wanted to try out treestorm again, but after requesting the max2008 version I'm told I need to upgrade for $75!.... Seems daft to pay for a plugin that corrupts max files!
Think I might stick to the old method of exporting 3ds files.

I'm not sure what your images are supposed to show. I can export to 3ds with multiple map channels on the leaves so I can easily apply a selection of different leaf textures randomly over the tree.

re:FORM, could you explain this process a bit? I have the "regular" onyx broadleaf and have not found where to do that yet...
Thanks!

[mikeh]

I'm not sure what your images are supposed to show. I can export to 3ds with multiple map channels on the leaves so I can easily apply a selection of different leaf textures randomly over the tree.[/QUOTE]

....but you can't get leaves that look like these from regular onytree software. there is no way to substitute the leaves they provide with these type of leaves unless you have treestorm. That is one of the things that makes treestorm valuable, not to mention the difference in vertex color that you end up with.

Also, these are not "plates" which it sounds like you are talking about when it comes to mapping leaves. These are mesh leaves with the image of the leave mapped to the mesh. Sijnce VRAY doesn't handle transparency of plates very well and shines with mesh, i am converting all my trees and shrubs to "no plates" and replacing the plates with mesh. In treestorm you can select the leaves and substitute the leaves for objects. the objects can be anything, flowers, multi-stem leaves, fruit, etc. You don't get that in the regular onyxtree softeware.

hope that answers the question.
mh

[mikeh]

here's an Albizia julibrisson that i'm working on...you cannot get this with regualr onyxtree software unless you use plates. The leaves are mesh (not plates) and the flowers are mesh(not plates). It's work in progress. The flowers still need some work.
mh

http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs125&d=08125&...rissons350.jpg

[mikeh]

and here's a progress closup. the flowers and leaves are not plates. the problem with plates is that you don't get enough control of the size width and length and noty to mention they slow things down in vray. With mesh, you can do anything. A leaf can be a leaf cluster, flowers, a flower cluster or fruit etc.
mh

http://xs.to/xs.php?h=xs125&d=08125&...lose-up711.jpg

[mikeh]

add to treestorms side effects that it (apparently) corrupts max so that it can't be repaired but must be unistalled and reinstalled. joy.
mh

[rmejia]

details...

add to treestorms side effects that it (apparently) corrupts max so that it can't be repaired but must be unistalled and reinstalled. joy.
mh

Everything sounded good up to this last post .... sounds like a pretty big problem, have the people from Onyx said anything about this? Weird that it corrupts max, this surely can't be happening to every max treestorm user.