Documentation map

This page provides an expanded version of the SpeedTree Modeler documentation table of contents.

A few tips to find information in this documentation:

• To browse through the whole list of topics, use the table of contents at the left or scroll down through the list below.
• To filter page titles by keyword, use the Enter here to filter field above the table of contents at the left.
• To search text across the whole documentation, use the Search field at the right of the top banner.

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Basics

• Modeling approach
• Create, open, or save files
• Units
• Upgrade old models
• Glossary
• User interface
  • User interface overview
  • Tree Window
    • Tree Window toolbar reference
    • Customize the viewport
    • Tree Window navigation
    • Overlays
    • Tree Window properties
  • Generation Editor
    • Generation Editor toolbar reference
  • Cutout Editor
    • Cutout Editor toolbar reference
  • Property Bar
    • Curve Editor
    • Variance Editor
  • Assets
    • Common asset settings
    • Materials Bar
      • Map Editor
      • Color Editor
      • UV Area Editor
    • Material Sets Bar
    • Meshes Bar
    • Displacement Bar
    • Masks Bar
  • Rules window
  • Hotkeys
  • Message system
  • Application Preferences dialog reference

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Modeling

• Editing modes
• Generators
  • Introduction to generators
  • Manage generators
  • Generator types
    • Tree generator
      • Tree generator properties
    • Branch generator
      • Branch generator properties
    • Leaf Mesh generator
      • Leaf Mesh generator properties
    • Batched Leaf generator
      • Batched Leaf generator properties
    • Frond generator
      • Frond generator properties
    • Zone generator
      • Zone generator properties
    • Vine generator
      • Vine generator properties
    • Card generator
      • Card generator properties
    • Base generator
      • Base generator properties
    • Reference generator
      • Add and set up a Reference generator
      • Reference generator properties
    • Cap generator
      • Cap generator properties
    • Decal generator
      • Decal generator properties
    • Fin generator
      • Fin generator properties
    • Knot generator
      • Knot generator properties
    • Shell generator
      • Shell generator properties
    • Mesh generator
      • Mesh generator properties
    • Mesh converter generator
      • Mesh converter generator properties
    • Mesh detail generator
      • Mesh detail generator properties
    • Stitch generator
      • Stitch generator properties
    • Target generator
      • Target generator properties
    • Spine generator
    • Subdivision generator
    • Cage generator
    • Leaf generator
    • Proxy generator
• Nodes
• Properties
  • Introduction to properties
  • Curves
  • Generation properties
    • Interval
    • Phyllotaxy
    • Bifurcation
    • Proportional
    • Proportional Steps
    • Absolute
    • Absolute Steps
    • Classic
    • Flood
    • Parent
  • Random seeds properties
• Procedural techniques
  • Randomization
  • Leaf collision
  • Mesh anchors
  • Clusters
  • Splits
  • Shape control
  • Vertex colors
  • Geometry forces
    • Add and apply Geometry forces
    • Force attenuation and containers
    • Geometry force behavior properties
  • UV tiling and patching
  • Manipulate mesh sections
• Freehand techniques
  • Bend
    • Bend a branch
    • Bend properties
  • Displacement
    • Displace a branch
    • Displacement properties
  • Trim
    • Trim a branch
    • Trim properties
  • Hand Draw
    • Hand draw a branch
    • Edit the spine of an existing hand drawn branch
      • Control point settings
    • Convert procedural branches to hand drawing
    • Work with hand drawn generators in the Generation Editor
  • Click Place
    • Add a branch with Click Place
    • Click Place properties
  • Vertex Edit
    • Select vertices to edit
    • Locally edit the geometry of a branch
    • Add wind rigging to a hero mesh
    • Vertex Edit properties
  • Vertex Features
    • Paint Vertex Features in Freehand Mode
    • Vertex Features properties
  • Vertex Colors
    • Paint Vertex Colors in Freehand Mode
    • Vertex Colors properties
• Vines
  • Create and edit procedural vines
  • Place and edit vines manually
  • Create low-poly vines for games
  • Create vines that follow a guide
• Forces
  • Force object reference
• Projectors
  • Introduction to Projectors
  • Set up a Projector
• Seasons
• Collision objects
  • Generate Collision Objects window reference
• Art Director
• Meshes and materials
  • Meshes
    • Create a mesh cutout
  • Materials and maps
  • Texture atlases
• Photogrammetry
  • Photogrammetry in SpeedTree
  • Create textures from photogrammetry scans
  • Convert photogrammetry scans to procedural geometry
  • Highlight features of branch geometry
    • Feature vertices
    • Add feature vertices
  • Texel density solutions
  • Extend a scanned trunk with a bake stitch
  • Extend a scanned trunk with texture blending
  • Extend a scanned trunk with vertex blending
  • Prepare a branch or twig mesh
  • Ways to use a branch or twig mesh
  • Place nodes on photogrammetry meshes
• Mesh helpers
  • Concept and use cases
  • Add spines to a hero mesh
  • Add procedural branches to a hero mesh
  • Mesh helper properties
  • Custom spines sample

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Rules

• Introduction to Rules
• Anatomy of a Rule
• Create a simple slider Rule
• Create a Rule to combine properties
• SpeedTree functions usable in Rules
• Rules videos and samples

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Lighting

• Directional lighting
• Ambient lighting
• Lighting leaves and fronds
• Lightmap UVs
• Light object reference

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Animation

• Wind
  • VFX wind
    • Fan - VFX
  • Games wind
    • Fan - Games
  • Legacy UE4/Unity wind
    • Fan - Legacy UE4/Unity
  • Lumberyard wind
    • Fan - Lumberyard
• Growth
• Timeline Bar

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Rendering

• Physically based rendering
• Render modes
  • Make a custom render mode
• Resolution
• Complex model strategies
• Level of detail
• Cameras
  • Scene cameras
  • Render Photo

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Exporting a model

• VFX export options
  • Unwrap UVs
• Games export options
• Export material or sequence
• Export from the command line
• Export custom formats
• Texture packing
• Custom data packing for game export
  • Data packing overview
  • Vertex packing for Runtime SDK files
  • Mesh packing for static meshes
• Package Options window reference

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Importing to other applications

• Maya
• 3ds Max
• Houdini
• Cinema 4D
• Blender
• Unity
• Unreal Engine (ST9 format)
• Unreal Engine (Legacy ST format)
• Lumberyard