Xfrog tutorials - vid02 - Build tree from scratch

Xfrog tutorials - vid02 - Build tree from scratch

More detail of the Branch, Variation, and CurveNurbs objects.

Demonstrate tree AS04 variation 8 or 9, with newer textures.

AS04_Cassia_fistula_Golden_Shower_Tree

Branch object as stem

Branch object for branching levels

Branch object with flat profile for leaf, Variation, CurveNurbs

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Introduction

Hello there, my name is Jon Tojek and this is an Xfrog in Maya tutorial covering How to build a tree.  More specifically we are going to look at the details of using objects Branch, Variation, and CurveNurbs to make one of the many realistic trees that you can find in the large Xfrog library.  Here is a render of the Cassia Fistula or Golden Shower tree, and that is what we will use for our reference.  Now this tree is part of the Asia Library that Xfrog has available, and when you purchase a library like this, you get say 20 tree species.  But each of these species, has a good number of variations, like the Golden Shower here comes with 9 variations that range to show different stages of blossoming, and growth since this tree can look very distinct during different times of the year.

Basic guidelines or formula

Now if I were to try to give a simple guideline on how to build realistic trees in Xfrog, here is my simple advice.  You will be using a lot of branches, along with the object Variation to mix up those branches.  Also, for every one of these branches, rather than a standard nurbs curve as the path curve, you will replace that with an Xfrog CurveNurbs, which can be programmatically controlled.  Lastly, each of these path curves in your many branches will get tropism, so just lay it on thick.  These simple building blocks repeated in layers will help you get to a realistic tree shape faster than anything else.

1) Use many branches, duplicate, mix them up with Xfrog object Variety

2) On some branches  replace the path curve with an Xfrog CurveNurbs

3) Apply tropism to almost every branch path curve

Now is time to get very familiar with the Xfrog Visor and the hierarchy of a complex tree.  Truth is, the forms are merely repeating patterns of trunk, branchLO, branchMED, branchHI, then buds, stalks, leafs and flowers depending on your required complexity.  First, lets hide the flowers and leafs, so we can clearly view the branch structures.  Do this by selecting materials, RMB, select object with Material.  We do it this way because there are many hidden leaf/flower branches in every branch, to many to search and pick.  

Build trunk and two thick branchLO

First thing we will build the trunk with two branchLO hierarchy, that means three branches total, trunk just pull CV's add Variation, two thick branchLO, add variation, tropism, and CurveNurbs for random shape.

Select Variation, then Trunk, then child

Select BranchLO, then Variation, then plus sign,for two branches

Put these noise formulas into 1st, 3rd, 5th, Xrot, Zrot, Ytrans 

noise(u*50+i*110)*x*100, goes inside the CurveNurbs object

noise(u*350+1000+i*60)*x*5

Do all the work on first branchLO, later copy and put into Variation

Copy over the trunk top to explain what I will do next

noise(u*60+i*10+120)*x*25

WIND example noise start with this (0-u*100+100+i*10)*5

u is a gradient from 0 to 1 along the length of the branch

i is an iterative identifier for each branch

for WIND movement try these, also set a keyframe on point1 of CurveRotX

noise(t)*x,  THEN  noise(t*1.5+i*2)*x LOW strength noise(t*1.5+i*2)*x*0.25

noise(t*1.5+i*2)*x*0.25 + noise(0-u*100+100+i*10)*5

To wiggle leafs, nodeFlap, keyframe a curve point, add the t formula

noise(t*3+i*3+100+u*5)

For big global wind use Tropism +X, anim strength from up, down, up, down

u to make the curve "wiggle" along it´s path, i to get a different shape for every branch, x to control the strength and then a random seed number. 

We have basically built our trunk and branchLO sections, the parts of the tree with thicker branches, most of the strength of the tree, now at the end and along all those branches we have smaller more complex branching structures.  Lets take a close look at the little tree structures and the leaf/flower items they hold.

Next find a branch on the original tree that clearly gets copied all over the tree.  Cut this branch in Visor, select nothing, then paste.  It lands at the origin, very small in size, zero out transforms.  Then select this little tree thing, select branch where you want to place, and hit "Head", to place at the end.

Build that small complex branch with leaf/flowers

OK, rather than copy over another branch like this we will build one from scratch.

Make main trunk hidden, create two branches, make one wood, then the other is long thin green tubes hanging off, this is where leaves will go.  Give the main branch tropism, and NurbsCurve with random.  Make the thin green sticks hang down.

Make everything else hidden so you can work tiny on the leafs.  Be sure your curves are EP, and 3 cubic.  

Build the LEAF branch, apply to branchHI, be sure to turn off growth and thickness inherit.  Slap on the leaf material, adjust thickness to have a square, then scale both curves to get proportions.  Select leaf then green then child, adjust size, number, and tropism.  Be sure to turn off "Growth Inherit" and "Thickness Inherit".

Then copy paste that branchMED, and call it branchHI.  Send it to the HEAD of branch to double the size, be sure to turn off "Growth Inherit".  Apply green to the stem, and flower material, change name of branch to flower.

Place branchMED all over trunk and branchLO

Now you can bring back or unhide the land and trunk, to begin placing this branchMED around.  First make a copy for later adjustments.  Select branchMED, branchLO, then HEAD, you will not see it until you turn off "growth inherit"

Demonstrate the GROWTH slider from 0 to 1, now very slow.

Then you will make branchMED child of each branchLO, so in the end you have 4 chunks of foliage, two HEAD, and two CHILD.

This tree above right is the best one, the goal tree

Rough layout of the demo sections 

1) intro and build the trunk and branchLO geo, use tropism + CurveNurbs

2) build the branchMED + leaf, duplicate, place on HEAD, flower mtl

3) do the brief wind demo on branchHI and leafs

4) copy branchMED, place on HEAD, adjust, place more variation on child

================ 8/28/2020 ==============================

you slide down a pdf, you might want to instead

 open this page and click on the render or the british flag and you will have an interactive pdf that you can flip pages and its very highres, nicer and sexier appearance than the pdf you downloaded.

http://xfrog.com/product/X-48.html   

ASIA library is one of 31 fantastic xfrog plant libraries, representing over 3000 plants. 

Each of the 20 species in ASIA has 9 variations, so you get 180 total models to use in your landscape.

The 9 variations are created to accurately represent all ages and seasons of each Species which gives you tremendous power to create  believable non-repeating virtual biomes and ecosystems,

completely unlike many competitors which usually give only a single model or a few models in a single season.  With XfrogPlants you have enough biodiversity to create a colorful spring orchard, or autumnal landscape! 

trees:  a pine tree, a oak tree, a palm tree, dunno what you are feeling.   i will leave it totallyup to you, just please try to go for realism.  if it is my deicsion i would say a cherry tree that have blossoms that the wind can affect. and maybe a few fall off. that would be the ideal party for stewart.   i am all about cherry trees.  ha.