Export to FBX and LODs Question

[Laurelh]

Hello,

I've recently started evaluating SpeedTree 8.4.2, but I can't seem to find a feature that I had in 6.3.1.

In 6.3 when exporting to FBX you had the option of selecting which LOD to export in the Geometry panel of the FBX export window.



However in 8.4, the geometry panel has been removed. When I imported the FBX into another application there were no LODs. I know certain features in the evaluation version are restricted, is this one of those things?

Or am I just missing something very simple?

[Greg Croft]

Hello,

You are using Export Mesh instead of Export to Game. If you have one of the games Modelers (Indie or Full Games), then you will just want to take a look at Export to Game instead. When you export an FBX with that, all the LODs can be included in the same file.

http://docs8.speedtree.com/modeler/doku.php?id=expgame

If you are evaluating SpeedTree Cinema, it does not have a concept of LODs in the game sense, nor does it have Export to Game. It does have resolutions, however (see the docs page below). The current resolution is the one that is exported with Export Mesh.

http://docs8.speedtree.com/modeler/d...d=kcresolution


Hope this helps

[Laurelh]

Hi Greg

Thank you, I knew it would be something simple that I was doing wrong.

[Harjawalda]

Hello,

You are using Export Mesh instead of Export to Game. If you have one of the games Modelers (Indie or Full Games), then you will just want to take a look at Export to Game instead. When you export an FBX with that, all the LODs can be included in the same file.

I'm trying out speedtree for indie, the "export to game" function does not have an extra data window, neither does .xml, how do you export wind animations instead?

[Greg Croft]

Hello,

SpeedTree Indie is meant for games and other real-time use at a lower cost than full SpeedTree Games. It does not include static mesh export, and thus no point-cache based wind options (which aren't suitable for games anyway).

Wind in real-time applications is computed at runtime. If you are using UE4 or Unity, this is already done for you so long as you use the standard SpeedTree pipeline (.ST files). For Lumberyard, you would use CGF files. For some other application, you would need to implement wind yourself. The Modeler can be used to set up vertex color data in the tree, which is often used for real time wind.

Hope this helps

[Harjawalda]

So let me get this straight, the only difference between a subscription 20 bucks a month and a thousand dollar yearly indie version is I can export to .fbx and break free of the render pipleline which delivers subpar results, but I cannot export simple animations?

[Greg Croft]

Hello,

SpeedTree Indie is for real-time/game use, can be used with any game engine (many of which are supported out of the box), and yes allows mesh export to a number of formats with all that entails (atlassing, texture packing, etc). The subscription versions are tied to single game engines (UE4, Unity, or Lumberyard).

If you wish to use point-cache animations in offline renders, you should instead be looking at SpeedTree Cinema.

Feel free to contact [email protected] to discuss your various options.