|
|
|
|
|
|
Modelling a High-Detail Christmas Tree
This tutorial assumes you have a basic understanding of MAX and a paint program (preferably Photoshop or Paintshop Pro) I will not be discussing how to create the example scene step by step. Instead, I will be discussing the techniques used to create each element and let you decide their placement and composition. My goal for this tutorial is to have you come out with some new knowledge as well as your own unique image rather than just a cookie cutter, paint by numbers sort of deal.
The following is a tutorial demonstrating how to create a high detail pine tree. Because of the many repeating shapes and patterns found in trees, this method will make use of a number of different procedural techniques to help cut down on the time that would normally be spent doing repetitive tasks. This tutorial assumes you have a basic knowledge of 3D Studio MAX.
Some notes about the final model before starting:
- The final model will be quite high-poly (1,000,000+ polys) but because of the procedural nature, the level of detail will be fairly easy to adjust, and with little work it should be easy to bring the poly count to a fraction of that.
- Because of the amount of modelling work involved, only basic texturing is needed to make the model convincing. This model uses only flat colours.
- The modelling of the tree will be broken up into layers of branches.
- Each layer will have between 4 and 10 branches
- The final model consists f 11 layers (including the top piece)
Tools the tutorial will cover:
To start off, you will need three basic shapes, a capsule and two cylinders.
1. Capsule – 6 sides. This will be the shape forming the tips of your branches
2. Cylinder 1 – 6 sides, same Radius as the Capsule. These will make up the inner segments of the branches
3. Cylinder 2 – 6 sides, smaller Radius. This will be the pine needle that gets scattered over the branches.
Keep the poly counts on the above pieces as low as possible. By the end of this tutorial you will have nearly 1000 of both piece 1 and 2, and roughly 40,000 of piece 3.
Modifying Pieces 1-3
Piece 1
-Add a few height segments
-Add an edit poly modifier and remove the bottom cap (leave open the hole this creates)
-Name this piece BranchTip001
Piece 1 will be used to create the tips of all the branches. If you notice, on pine trees, the needles come out every part of the branch, including the very tip. The round cap of the capsule and extra height segments will help replicate this when we use scatter. By leaving the other end an open hole, it ensures that none of the scattered needles will appear in that spot, and also helps to reduce poly counts. Per capsule, it might not make that big a difference, but when you multiply that by the 1000+ pieces you’ll eventually have, it will make a difference.
NOTE: I prefer to use the Edit Poly modifier so that I can go back and adjust any settings if I need to. Only when I know I’m 100% finished with the modelling will I collapse the stack, just in case.
Piece 2
-Add the same number of height segments as the capsule.
-Name this piece BranchSeg001
Again, the extra segments will help with the spacing of the scattered needles, and the eventual addition of a noise modifier.
Piece 3
-Name this piece PineNeedle001
Remember to keep the poly count of this piece low, as you will have well over 30,000 by the end of this tutorial. I chose a cylinder for the pine needles so that I can get a fuller look to them. If you want, a modified box would work just as well.
Constructing the Branches
Now that you have these three pieces ready, it’s time to start constructing the branches.
Begin laying out the pieces like the diagram below. Adjust the height of the objects as you see fit (this is why we added an Edit Poly modifier, rather than just collapsing them down). If the copies are going to be identical like the BranchTips on the left and right sides, make them Instances, rather than just Copies. This will reduce the memory usage of the scene later on. The coloured pieces marked A-E will be copies/instances of the BranchTip shapes. The pieces labelled 1-4 will be BranchSegs. Don’t worry if the shapes aren’t touching exactly. By the end you will have so many pine needles, the branches won’t really be visible. Just make sure the pieces are close. The different colours for the pieces are not necessary; they’re simply there to help illustrate the linking.
Linking Up the Branches
The next step is to link up all the pieces so that you can start adjusting the overall shape of the branch. Using the diagram as reference, link the pieces labelled A to piece 1. Link piece 1 and the pieces labelled B, to piece 2. Link 2 and C to 3. 3 and D to 4, and finally 4 and E to 5. You’ve now created a simple rig for the branch.
You can now start to adjust the position of the branch pieces using the Rotate tool. Adjust the branch pieces until you have something similar to the image below:
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
