GrowFX - Review

[3DMK]

Hi guys,

After using the GrowFX now 2 to 3 months I would like to give my thoughts on the plug-in so far.

Pros
- the ability to create ANY tree, real or not.
-The ability to create virtually anything, as it is based on a L-system so it's not just for building trees.
- It's a native Max plug-in
-it can react with any Max objects in the scene [ this is one of its best features]
-it can create much more realistic trees and plants than all the others such as Onyx
-the interface is well thought out and simple to use.
-The creator of grow effects is as nice a person as Vlado....lol
- they listen to users and implement our wishes
- The support is amazing [as good as Vray] Send them files & they fix/tweak them for you.
-Meta-mesh creation for more realistic plants and trees

Cons

-Very small plant library.
- Slow meta-mesh creation [Most plants don't need/use meta-mesh so it's not an issue]
- not enough tutorials

conclusion

If you are only looking for a library of plants that you never tweak or change this is probably not a program for you. Onyx is better suited to that end, although Onyx is virtually dead with no further developments or improvements.
If on the other hand you are looking for a program to take your trees and plants to the next level..... then GrowFX is it!
I am now happy that I can conquer any plant species that are thrown at me in my projects , thanks to GrowFX

Attached RENDERS--
Attached is a render from a scene using all grow effects plants I created after about two months use.
Plant with flowers I made in about an hour whilst testing GrowFX for about 1 week
Tree with flowers I made in an hour after about using GrowFX for about 1 Week.

Cheers

Jamie

[peterguthrie]

Thanks for the write up Jamie.

So do you feel equipped to model say, a mature Oak tree (there arent many good ones available online) and know the various steps you need to go through? My concern would be that it would take a whole day to figure out all the different modifiers (or whatever they are called) just to get the trunk looking good.

It certainly seems to be very powerful, I'm sure you really can model any tree or plant, it just looks quite daunting!

Guess I should set aside a few days/weeks to really learn it.

[3DMK]

Yes Peter, I feel you could ask me to model virtually any tree now that I have a good understanding & have seen first-hand what GrowFX is capable of.

Trying to build plants & trees in ANY software needs PATIENCE.
That's because trees/plants are at times very complex shapes...although they can always be broken down into simple paths/objects.
It was the same when I used ONYX.....I used to get sooo frustrated using that program...pulling my hair out most days.
I find I really enjoy building tree/plants using GrowFX and only rarely get frustrated with it.....& the frustration stems from my lack of knowledge....not the software it self.
The best thing is that it is a native max plugin written in the style of 3ds max.....that's why it looks as daunting as the first time you used max!!!
Give it even a few hours & you'll be surprised how much you will understand. [There is a good free demo to check it out]

Reasons relying on a generic tree library is Bad for your work
-Your trees will all look like everyone else's trees.... which means that your work will look like everyone else's
-You will be limited to buying only tree species that are available..... which means you will have to say no to some clients needs & maybe even some clients
There are just way too many species of plant to afford to buy ALL plants/trees you need [eg Oak trees [genus Quercus] of which about 600 species exist!!!]
-You will always be wishing that your tree was a little bit higher/lower, or a little bit less bushy, or the branches started higher up the tree to not block the building, etc etc
-Your trees cannot react to objects in the scene..... you might as well say your trees are dead....lol


Reasons FOR relying on a generic tree library
- So you don't have to read posts such as this...lol

All the best
Jame

[MoonDoggie]

Great writeup, been needing to get a tree program sometime, I'll get growfx when I do. Many thanks.

[simmsimaging]

I spent some time with GrowFX last year for a potential project and have to agree: it's a powerful program. However, the learning curve is very steep IMO. It's just a way of working that you are either intuitively setup for or not, and as I am not it means a lot of time is needed.

Each person has to decide for themselves, but the kind of time required to make what, for many shots, amounts to peripheral props is hard to justify. For that reason I think GrowFx should ship with a good library of basic trees and plants. You don't have to use them, but if you don't have much time then you won't be able to use GrowFx at all in many cases.

Fully agree that the support is top notch though, and that goes a long way.

Anyway, I don't mean to disparage GrowFX at all, it's really well done and supported, but you need to consider carefully how it fits your pipeline and and unless you are pretty serious about your plants or have a good amount of time to invest up front in learning to make them it's a tough sell. A stock library would fix that pretty quick though.

(I bought the mentor plants collection (1 and 2 I think) to fill that gap, but personally find them to be mediocre quality at best. They're okay for long shots and lower res work though.)

/b

[yyk]

3DMK, could you show us some specific tree species you've created? I mean no closeups on leafs or stuff like that but simple renders of a tree you've started from scratch? I'm asking because I've been struggling with anything more complex than a birch tree and you seem to have a better grasp on GrowFX. I mean sure, I can make a tree that looks vaguely like an oak tree and then give it bark and leaf textures of one, and people would recognize it as some sort of a fantasy oak but that's just not good enough.

I don't get why they still have no initial library. It's pretty easy to tell by browsing their forum that they actually have made a lot of different trees, some of which they've been kind enough to share. That said, their support is very good and quick!

[3DMK]

/b

I spent some time with GrowFX last year for a potential project and have to agree: it's a powerful program. However, the learning curve is very steep IMO. It's just a way of working that you are either intuitively setup for or not, and as I am not it means a lot of time is needed.

I agree Brett that the user interface And learning curve can seem quite daunting at first. I must admit I was a bit Confused until I understood the basics.
I'm not sure many of us enjoy learning new software, just the thought of it sends a chill down my spine, but in the end you get back what you put in.

Each person has to decide for themselves, but the kind of time required to make what, for many shots, amounts to peripheral props is hard to justify. For that reason I think GrowFx should ship with a good library of basic trees and plants. You don't have to use them, but if you don't have much time then you won't be able to use GrowFx at all in many cases.

I also agree that A library Would be a definite bonus, even if only using the trees as a starting point.

Fully agree that the support is top notch though, and that goes a long way.

absolutely awesome support!!!

Anyway, I don't mean to disparage GrowFX at all, it's really well done and supported, but you need to consider carefully how it fits your pipeline and and unless you are pretty serious about your plants or have a good amount of time to invest up front in learning to make them it's a tough sell. A stock library would fix that pretty quick though.

it's true that you what have to weigh up all the costs and benefits to see what is of value to you in your business & that's always a personal choice.

thanks for reminding me of a few negatives as it wouldn't be a balanced review without them.

jamie

[3DMK]

3DMK, could you show us some specific tree species you've created? I mean no closeups on leafs or stuff like that but simple renders of a tree you've started from scratch? I'm asking because I've been struggling with anything more complex than a birch tree and you seem to have a better grasp on GrowFX. I mean sure, I can make a tree that looks vaguely like an oak tree and then give it bark and leaf textures of one, and people would recognize it as some sort of a fantasy oak but that's just not good enough.

I don't get why they still have no initial library. It's pretty easy to tell by browsing their forum that they actually have made a lot of different trees, some of which they've been kind enough to share. That said, their support is very good and quick!

Unfortunately creating Realistic trees and plants can be very time consuming, even when you know what you are doing and have a powerful program.
something often overlooked is good reference material and making a simple plan of the different parts you will need to build.
get your best reference photo and put it into photoshop and draw some simple lines to trace the shape of the trunk and branches. This will help you clearly define the relative shapes, Sizes and angles of the trunk and branches.
The more you understand about what defines the trees shape the quicker and easier you can reproduce this with software.
You May also need to use a combination of different techniques to produce what you're looking for, so the more you understand The better.

I am a bit busy at the moment but will post some tree -shape snapshots when I get time

[chriserskine]

I had a look at the demo for a bit. I liked it after using onyx for ages.

I think having experience in onyx helps, as you can try and mirror struture for the trees that it uses. ie trunks, branches 1 ,2, 3 , twigs, stems, leaves.

with growfx is really starting off blank so you need to have a good idea of what you want to make.

the only issue I have is that i would have liked to have gotten a floating license, rather than a 1 or 5 user one. (i was buying forestpro at the time, and floating license just makes life a lot easier)

I will still probably get it though when i need to make a few new trees. it really it a lot more flexible to than onyx. it just has a steep learning curve.

[theedge]

I recently tried TreeSketch 2.0 on my iPad. The way it allows you to directly model and interact with the tree is amazing.
I think this is the kind of interaction we need, for the initial rough blocking of the tree shape. Then the more advanced controls provided by growfx could kick in to further refine and develop the tree model.

more info on TreeSketch here : http://algorithmicbotany.org/TreeSketch/

[PIXELBOX_SRO]

i think the creators of Tree Sketch could really make some fortune if they brought their soft to PC.....big bucks...could be very well used with tablet