What's new in SpeedTree 10?

This page describes the main new features and changes provided in SpeedTree Modeler 10.
To get the list of all other features, changes, and fixes that have been developed since the previous version, review the Release Notes.

Mesh helpers to rig and build off of hero meshes

A common practice in vegetation modeling is to build a “hero” mesh to capture unique shapes and fine detail that is critical to a shot or the environment. Examples include photogrammetry scans of trunks or models created in sculpting applications.

While SpeedTree’s photogrammetry tools remain one way to use such meshes, SpeedTree Modeler 10 introduces additional tools to tackle common problems that those tools do not address. Namely, using curves to control and build off of hero meshes.

In practice, a new type of scene object called “mesh helper” is available, which allows you to draw a curve on the hero mesh between a pair of markers and send this curve to a new spine-only Branch generator.

You can create multiple spine-only branches as descendants of the same hero mesh, even organized in a complex spine hierarchy, and use them as the source of additional Branch generators. In the end, you get control over the whole tree to make sure it animates seamlessly in the wind.

Hero mesh with mesh helper icons and corresponding sent spines
Hero mesh sample with mesh helper’s blue-green icons and their corresponding sent spines in pink.

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Vine generator

SpeedTree Modeler 10 includes a new Vine generator which allows you to create vines that hang with gravity and physically interact with its environment.

Partial view of the Generation editor showing Vine generators Vines resulting from Vine generators
Vine generators in the Generation Editor and the corresponding vines in the Tree window.

With the Vine generator, you can create fully procedural vines that hang, crawl, twist, and wrap in a realistic way. You can also shape and place vines manually for a more precise result, or quickly generate low-poly vines optimized for games.

Vine generation uses a physics-based approach, making the vines obey the laws of gravity and respond to the forces imposed by the model geometry, the ground surface, and the wind.

The Vine generator allows you to make your vines swoop, hang between multiple models, follow a guide, grow up any tree, or crawl along the ground just like real vines.

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Trim brush

The Freehand mode now includes a Trim brush that allows you to quickly adjust the overall shape of your tree by swiping your cursor over the branches directly in the Tree window.

Animation showing a tree reshaped by cutting branches with the Trim brush
The Trim brush in action with Cut mode selected.

The tool includes several trim modes to let you make the type of trim you want – cut, shrink, or remove the branch – and allows you to totally or selectively undo the trim.

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Redesigned user interface

SpeedTree Modeler 10 comes with a fully redesigned, modernized user interface to improve your experience and productivity.

SpeedTree Modeler 10 full interface

  • All buttons, icons, and other UI elements have been redesigned to optimize space, improve usability, and give the interface a modern look and feel.
  • Colors have been updated to improve accessibility.
  • The application display scaling now better responds to different screen sizes and resolutions.
  • The Generation Properties bar benefits from a smarter organization system and displays in multiple columns when you increase its width.
  • The window docking system has been improved for a smoother experience in layout customization.

Unified Modeler and new export system

Dedicated editions of SpeedTree Modeler for Cinema and for Games are no more. SpeedTree Modeler 10 provides a unified interface that addresses the needs for both games and VFX industries.

The new interface includes improved guidance and customizable export features according to your industry context:

  • A new export system walks you through both games and cinema exports with presets.
  • You can save your own custom presets according to your studio's export requirements.

Partial view of the new Export Mesh window

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Access to samples and learning material

The “New tree” dialog now gives you easy access to learning materials and sample projects from within the application:

  • Samples are categorized according to your context: games, VFX, or specific technique learning.
  • The window provides direct links to the SpeedTree library, video tutorials, and documentation.

Partial view of the new Samples section in the "New tree" dialog

Note

The hero mesh and vine samples depicted in the sections above are available via this dialog.

Shade Pruning in post process

The Post menu includes a new Shade Pruning option that removes leaves from the interior shaded parts of the tree, allowing you to:

  • Simulate how trees and shrubs naturally grow by removing leaves from interior shaded parts of the model.
  • Apply the inverse and remove leaves and fronds from the exterior of your tree.
  • Quickly optimize your model’s poly count and reduce overdraw by removing geometry that is less important towards the interior, while preserving the silhouette of your model.

Animation showing the effects of enabling and disabling Shade Pruning
The same tree with and without Shade Pruning enabled.

Also, the “Collision” property group in Leaf mesh and Batched leaf generators has been renamed “Post” and now includes properties for both Collision and Shade Pruning.

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Absolute mode for parent curve evaluation

In the previous SpeedTree Modeler versions, parent curve evaluations were done according to the relative position of a node on the parent, the reference being the distance between the node's Boundaries ("First" and "Last").

SpeedTree Modeler 10 allows you to switch the evaluation of any parent curve to absolute mode, using the full length of the parent as the reference for the node's position.

Tree window showing the relative distance between the node boundaries Tree window showing the parent absolute length
Left: reference in Relative mode. Right: reference in Absolute mode.

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Custom mesh packing

Take full control of your mesh pipeline with completely configurable mesh data packing, available for use in FBX and USD.

A simple script can write vertex colors, wind data, branch anchors, geometry types, and any other data associated with tree vertices into as many colors and texture coordinates as you need in the final mesh export.

Reference generators

Reference generators allow placeholders in the generation hierarchy to mark spots for new nodes.

With Reference generators, you can:

  • Declutter your graph and edit all instances via a single generator.
  • Build a tree-part with multiple generators, add reference generators to your tree, and edit all references of the tree-part via a single mini-hierarchy, all in one .spm file.

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Rules

Rules are scripts that can control all procedural parameters of your models within the Modeler application.

You can script custom Rules according to your needs to simplify and speed up your common modeling tasks, for example:

  • Make a dashboard grouping the properties you adjust the most frequently.
  • Combine multiple properties into a single control to adjust them simultaneously.
  • Organize your tasks according to your most common property adjustment sequences.

Rules use the Lua scripting language and the Modeler includes a dedicated Rule editor window. A few sample Rules are provided along with the Modeler to help you get started with examples of use.

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