TreeStorm and Proxies

[BBullo]

I know I've seen this explained in the forums before but I've done a search and can't find it. I'm hoping someon can help.

I'm looking for the cleanest way to export proxies using treestorm and Vray. I'm talking after I've modified its leaf and trunk mapping. I thought there was a way to export as proxy and the proxy would maintain the materials as they were changed in the origional file. Or do I have to save out a .Mat file for each tree I create and apply it to the Vraymesh after its been imported into the scene?

thanks,

[TRGraphics]

Yes, you have to save the materials in a .mat file and apply them after you import the proxy.

Take a look at the post right below this one for an explanation.

Tony

[Clifton Santiago]

I've never had to do this .mat file reapplying mapping thing with treestorm and Vray proxies.

I adjust the leaf and trunk mapping using the Treestorm UVW features. Then I collapse the tree to a mesh. Then I export as Vray Mesh. I also check the automatically import proxies option. The mapping and materials should remain the same as before the export.

[BBullo]

I must be missing something Clifton,
Here is what is happening.
I import a tree using treestorm. Goto adjust to select uv mapping, under the leaf parameters I select subobject rollout I select plates so I can apply an opacity map. Hit ok, and now the tree is acting as two separate objects(leaves are one selection all others are another selection). I can select the leaves and create an editable mesh out of the leaves, if I select the trunk the editable mesh option is not available.

Now if I go back into the subobject rollout under leaves and set it from 1 back down to o, It acts as one object and I can now create an editable mesh out of the entire tree.

So, for now I am unable to export a vray mesh while using opacity maps for treestorm.

Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

[Clifton Santiago]

Oh, yeah. I've encountered that before. If you use the plates option for leaves, you cannot properly convert it to an editable mesh. Even though the leaves appear to become editable meshes, the trunk and branches will not. And if you try to delete the trunk and re-insert the trunk alone, it will delete the leaves as well.

I just go to the Adjust button, tick all UV boxes for the relevant tree geometry, including leaves. This allows me to properly map the woody parts, and then I just assign a color or gradient color to the leaves geometry. If you just do this, you can then convert to editable mesh and then to Vray mesh. But then I rarely put a tree so close to the camera that I need to have realistic leaves....

In my experience however, if you just create one or two Treestorm trees and then instance all the rest (scale and rotate the instances for variation), you will be okay in terms of memory. I haven't seen significant performance increases with Vray proxies vs. Treestorm instances.