Assets AltTrees System [WIP] [AssetStore]

Thank you!

 

Attention!
If you receive errors when you build the project:
Assets/Plugins/AltSystems/
AltTrees/Scripts/AltTree.cs(1186,54): error CS0103: The name `AssetDatabase' does not exist in the current context
then, open the AltTrees.cs file (Assets\Plugins\AltSystems\AltTrees\Scripts\AltTrees.cs). Find the line number 1170.
Replace this:

Should I get this error with the latest build as it produces errors on build but not when playing in the editor?

 

Yes, you need to make a change of code, as I wrote above. This bug will be fixed in the next update.

 

The billboard trees are very dark from most angles (look like shadow side, when it is not supposed to) . Does anyone have any tips on how to improve on this?

Appriciate any feedback on this issue!

 

billboard texture currently are not generated properly.
but i hope i have lead @Diab1O into the right direction. see above

 

Any progress on this issue? This makes the whole thing unusable.. please fix.

 

i roughly fixed it locally for me – and as @Diab1O has my changes i guess he will do it "properly" in a nearby hotfix.

 

Hello everybody!
After a few days I will release a fix.

 

Cheers!!

 

Can we do those changes too without much shader knowledge? I need to build my project tomorrow and it would be nice to get rid oft this problem.

 

I will try during the day to finish the update with bug fixes.
Who wants to get an update (not to wait for approval AssetStore) - please send me a private message with purchase code and your version of Unity.

 

Awesome I will write you, maybe I can update it then tonight Also was able to fix my performance a lot with some better LOD for my wheat field. Now it is much faster than with terrain speedtrees. Good work mate

 

Our terrain is split into 4 tiles (each tile 40km x 40km). What is the best approach to get Alt Trees on all 4 tiles?

 

How many trees?

 

Sorry, I have found a bug that is not quickly corrected. The update will be tomorrow.

 

Hi!

Your system works wonderfully! However, when I attempt to place a tree on a very steep terrain surface, Unity just freezes and I have to close it from the task manager. Is there a way around this, perhaps?

 

Around 450.000 pr. slice (according to AltTree import trees dialog)

 

Hi!
I fixed this in 0.9.6.1

 

The first - to set up the distance LODs and Billboards on every tree.
If a small tree (shrubs, flowers, grass, stones, etc.) - check the box "isObject"
Configure pools in AltTrees manager (if there are warnings during play mode)
In AltTrees manager activate the checkbox "Debug Billboards DrawCalls" - each a different color - one DC. (You can send me a screenshot - I'll see)
Soon I will do an article for optimization.

 

Update 0.9.6.1 submitted for review in AssetStore!
If you do not want to wait - send me a private message with purchase number and your version of Unity.

Changes:
- Fixed billboards (thanks @larsbertram1)
- Fixed installer
- Fixed wind
- The camera is no longer needed tag MainCamera
- Fixed a lot of bugs

Attention! For Unity 5.4.0+:
Due to an error serialization Unity, automatic updates broken.
I recommend installing the update in an empty project (without AltTrees).

How install to not an empty project (with AltTrees):
1. Create backup project
2. Open empty scene.
3. Run Update AltTrees(with the installer)
4. Select the file "Assets/Plugins/AltSystems/AltTrees/DataBase/AltTreesDataLinks.asset", and assign a script "AltTreesDataLinks" on the missing script.
5. To all trees(Assets/Plugins/AltSystems/AltTrees/DataBase/Trees) assign script AltTree.
6. To all altTreesManagerData files(Assets/Plugins/AltSystems/AltTrees/DataBase/AltTreesData/[id]) assign script AltTreesManagerData.
7. Open your scene with AltTrees. Assign script AltTrees to AltTreesManager.

Please report all problems found. Thank you for your patience!

 

Performance is very good, but I am wondering how to Alt Trees with multiple terrains (4 slices) - should I have one AltTree manager for each terrain (in same scene)?

 

PM Sent!

 

Use one manager for all terraines

 

Hi! Sent

 

What platforms does AltTrees work on? Does it support consoles?

 

I tested only on the PC.
But it should work on other platforms.

 

Right now if I enter a scene, AltTrees don't appear instantly, and so my entire forest scene looks empty for a moment. Then it slowly starts filling up with trees. Is there any way to prevent this and display AltTrees from the start instead?

 

AltTrees need time to load data and create the trees. Remove the delay is unlikely to succeed. But I will soon make this process faster.
At boot time, you can show the loading screen. In the next update I make API for loading screen.

 

Hi,.. I almost bought this asset without any hesitation - it seems to be awsome
I'd probably bought it by the time of your answer, but still I have a few questions..

- I will need to use either TC2 or GeNa or both to place my trees in scene. Is it correct that the best way to do this is to place them first and then convert them to AltTrees afterwards?
- I have Elroys Trees Manager System now upgraded to UNature. It has the possibility to "stream" the tree colliders, so only the closest ones to the player have them. Would it be possible for AltTrees to either 1) Implement this directly, or 2) Be somehow compatible with UNature on this aspect.
- In case AltTrees will have "collider-streaming" in-built, would it be possible to have multiple colliders on each tree
- Above I saw someone mention the possibility of only having collider on the LOD0 instances and none on the next ones - that would be fantastic and solve the above, but I have no clue if it is possible without losing on performance??

Happy new year, Jesper, Denmark.

 

Great questions i have uNature and Terrain composer 2

 

Hi!
Yeah, right.

This is already implemented in AltTrees.

Yes it is possible. Please see the video: link

Now there are two types of colliders - on the mesh and Near billboards.
They can be switched on or off.
Make colliders only LOD 0 - is not a big performance gain. But I will do it in future updates.

Thank you! Happy New Year!

 

Thx, great!! Just bought it.

Being somewhat a "treehugger" - I love placing trees everywhere - I simply had to have it anyway Looking forward to try it with UNature!!

Jesper

 

Just had a question do the Billboards work in VR?

In unity terrain we can't use the terrain tree billboarding system do to how it rotates with the camera very badly. How do the billboards react to the camera in VR mode if anyone's tried this yet. VR environment artist's need a system like this very badly if it works great in vr mode. Thanks can't wait to try this out.

-Miguel

 

This looks awesome, but before I buy - is there any way to add dynamic snow to these trees? Currently i'm using a custom shader to add snow build up to trees, but since AltTrees uses your own shaders I'll need another way to do it. Ideas anyone?

 

10$ is not that much to try it out yourself. as you can't expect @Diab1O to have any vr device.
and testing it and giving feedback would be a nice contribution to the community.

 

Ok thanks. I think I will buy it and have a play around. The ability to add snow is pretty vital in my case, but I might be able to work something out.

 

Alright, sorry for posting twice, but I bought it and i'm having an issue with the materials. I converted my current placed trees to AltTrees and the new materials aren't cutout. What am I doing wrong?

Edit - Fixed it! The issue was that I converted a SpeedTree with a custom shader to an AltSpeedTree. Had to change the shader to SpeedTree before convert.

New problem though. All the trees I place sit about 20m above the terrain instead of actually on it.

 

So your saying as a potential customer I can't ask any kind of question before purchasing? I don't know this developer so how am I to know and you assume he doesn't have any type of VR device. Larsbertram 1 please think before you post something like that again.

Sorry to get off topic but thank you Diab1O for creating this. I will purchase this and will get back to you how it works in VR.

-Miguel

 

Works well in my Steam VR scenes.(Vive) A couple of issues but not drastic and will no doubt get a lot better with later updates from Diab1O

 

it's looking really good. The updates bring much more stability, and performance is good even with high poly meshes.

Looking forward to seeing this develop and already is a huge boast over terrain tree's with much easier implementation of meshes.

 

sorry miguel, i did not want to tell you what you may ask or not. all i wanted to say is: altrees is early alpha and still wip.
no comments about vr so far so probably untested.

 

no comments about vr so far so probably untested.
Apart from 2 comments above

 

now there is

 

Sorry, but I do not have the VR. Maybe someone has already tested.
I tested only on the PC.

I planned it for the future. But not soon. Maybe spring-summer

I do not understand. Can you rephrase? Google translator is unable to cope.

Very good!

 

This one looks promising, may I ask what happens under the hood? At first I thought this might be some GPU instancing sorcery but then realized it is compatible with earlier versions of Unity - just out of curiousity, I'll pick it up later anyway.

 

We using reset floating origin, to work around problems with large scale world. This means moving the terrain. But we can't move the alt trees, so they will align with terrain.

Can you give us a fix for possibility of translation on the alt trees? (manager?)

 

Does this work with Android and IOS? sadly to many new assets coming out, do not support mobile or are broken.., which is ashame seeing that many people use Unity for mobile....

 

I have question regarding management and dynamically updating tress.

Our system uses a server to store asset data for persistence between users and sessions. We support dynamically adding and removing trees.

Does this system offer any sort of utility for quickly referencing individual trees via code? I'm presuming that there's some sort of management going on to enable rendering and collision in real time.

 

@Diab1O ,

Is this asset a speed/LOD system for trees or does it create the trees etc as well?

 

Under the hood is optimized billboards. Billboards Groups are combined into a single mesh. + Other optimizations