Tree It - Free Foliage and Tree Creation Software

I'm a big fan and now use this for CityGen3D trees.

I made some notes somewhere about the workflow I used to get them into Unity, so if anyone runs into any problems I'd be happy to share my workflow, in case it helps.

 

I've used this briefly. It is not as robust as Speedtree, however as mentioned in the first post it has one major advantage: you can export as obj/fbx. To do that with Speedtree you have to pay $1000 for a special license.

 

Can it be used real-time/integrated into Unity directly in any way?

 

Yes, looking at my notes again, they mainly covered my workflow for using the CityGen3D mesh batching to batch the tree into one mesh and retain multiple materials for bark and leaves, which is just something I wanted to do to reorganise the prefab a bit. So they probably aren't all that helpful in generic terms.

But basically yes, you can just import the resulting FBX from TreeIt and do whatever you want with it inside your project, so it's a great tool for easy tree generation and it has lots of different species already setup.

 

Could always just import into Unity and go to the package manager and get the FBX Exporter and bam there you go lol. But not sure if the actual speedtree exporter gives any benefits - too expensive for me to afford that special license lol.

 

Sorry. I was wondering if models can be generated on the fly. Say if one was doing proc-gen terrain creation at runtime. With some kind of Unity asset or C# package.

 

Oh I see what you mean. I'm not aware of any scriptable tree creation functionality in TreeIt, I think you have to use the TreeIt executable and export your models.

Having said that, it's very easy to create variations of a tree species just by changing the random seed value in TreeIt, then exporting them as models and setting up Unity prefabs. For most proc gen scenarios I imagine you'd likely want to use a limited number of pre generated trees anyway to take advantage of GPU instancing.

 

Thanks very much. I've just released a new demo video of me driving around a CityGen3D scene, which includes TreeIt trees

Please take a look at my Work In Progress thread in my signature for more info.

When I actually looked at my TreeIt notes they were very rough and involved using CityGen3D specific mesh batching, so I'm not sure they are much use really.
If I recall correctly, TreeIt trees have two meshes one for bark and one for leaves. Whereas I batched the output to be one mesh with two submeshes.

I think the only generic things that I noticed worth mentioning was that I had to tweak the scale a bit in Unity import (I think by factor of 10). Not sure that was an issue with my TreeIt export settings though.

I also made a note to "invert specular map in paint program", but that probably depends on which PBR workflow you use.

I also noted to export in FBX and not OBJ, although I forgot to state why, but I seemed to get better results

 

Can i have a look on your notes or your workflow on treeit, iam trying to use it in my small game but having issues with leaves they are very thin but when i look those trees in treeit thouse leaves are completely fine and fluffy
Iam using acacia tree preset http://www.evolved-software.com/treeit/treelibrary

 

Hi,

The raw notes wouldn't be of any use to you as when I looked back they contained too many details specific to my project. However I summarized all the useful points in my previous message above.

I think the issue you are having is most likely down to the shader you are using to render the tree leaves. I use a custom double sided shader using the Better Shaders asset, which ensures the leaf polys are visible from both sides.

So if you are just using a standard Lit shader you probably just need to change it to a suitable foliage shader.
Hope this helps!

 

Tree it was around since dbpro days, and the tree/leaf shaders are already there in the sys/treeit folder. If you check the shaders, you will see vertex color.xz is for wind and color.y is for fluttering. If you check the unity terrainengine.cginc and libraries, they use smiliar math for wind animation. So, its possible to write a new shader compatible with the tool.

It would be much better for smart unity people to buy this tool from this guy and get rid of the tree creator completely.

 

This would cause conflict of interest with SpeedTree being a part of Unity service.

 

I meant the tree creator, not speedtree.
Speedtree is a must for individual trees, but also the billboard trees are required for huge areas. Anyways, TreeIt is usable as is.

 

tree it is fairly old now and the dev is kind of cool, i asked him to add branch flares and he did it very fast and good and also you can create plants, it is a very nice free tool, at least for low - mid poly count

EDIT: i do not recommend to use the presets, because most of the time those are not well compatible with the newer version of tree it, but create trees and recreate those presets is very easy

 

I've been looking for a foliage generator and rod looks pretty cool

 

These simple soft-occlusion bark and leaf shaders give it a great looking wind animation with the TreeIt vertex colors.
Bark shader:

Code (CSharp):

1. // Upgrade NOTE: replaced '_CameraToWorld' with 'unity_CameraToWorld'
2.  
3. Shader "TOZ/Nature/Bark" {
4.     Properties {
5.         _Color("Main Color", Color) = (1,1,1,0)
6.         _MainTex("Main Texture", 2D) = "white" {}
7.         _BaseLight("Base Light", Range(0, 1)) = 0.35
8.         _AO("Amb. Occlusion", Range(0, 10)) = 2.4
9.  
10.         // These are here only to provide default values
11.         [HideInInspector] _TreeInstanceColor("TreeInstanceColor", Vector) = (1,1,1,1)
12.         [HideInInspector] _TreeInstanceScale("TreeInstanceScale", Vector) = (1,1,1,1)
13.         [HideInInspector] _SquashAmount("Squash", Float) = 1
14.     }
15.  
16.     SubShader {
17.         Tags { "RenderType" = "TreeOpaque" "Queue" = "Geometry" "IgnoreProjector"="True" "DisableBatching"="True" }
18.  
19.         Pass {
20.             Lighting On
21.  
22.             CGPROGRAM
23.             #include "UnityBuiltin2xTreeLibrary.cginc"
24.             #pragma vertex vert
25.             #pragma fragment frag
26.             #pragma multi_compile_fog
27.  
28.             sampler2D _MainTex;
29.  
30.             v2f vert(appdata_tree v) {
31.                 v2f o;
32.                 UNITY_SETUP_INSTANCE_ID(v);
33.                 UNITY_INITIALIZE_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO(o);
34.                 //TerrainAnimateTree(v.vertex, v.color.w);
35.     v.vertex.xyz *= _TreeInstanceScale.xyz;
36.     v.vertex = AnimateVertex(v.vertex, v.normal, float4(v.color.xy, v.color.zw));
37.     v.vertex = Squash(v.vertex);
38.    
39.                 float3 viewpos = UnityObjectToViewPos(v.vertex);
40.                 o.pos = UnityObjectToClipPos(v.vertex);
41.                 o.uv = v.texcoord;
42.  
43.                 float4 lightDir = 0;
44.                 float4 lightColor = 0;
45.                 lightDir.w = _AO;
46.  
47.                 float4 light = UNITY_LIGHTMODEL_AMBIENT;
48.  
49.                 for(int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
50.                     float atten = 1.0;
51.                     #ifdef USE_CUSTOM_LIGHT_DIR
52.                         lightDir.xyz = _TerrainTreeLightDirections[i];
53.                         lightColor = _TerrainTreeLightColors[i];
54.                     #else
55.                         float3 toLight = unity_LightPosition[i].xyz - viewpos.xyz * unity_LightPosition[i].w;
56.                         toLight.z *= -1.0;
57.                         lightDir.xyz = mul((float3x3)unity_CameraToWorld, normalize(toLight));
58.                         float lengthSq = dot(toLight, toLight);
59.                         atten = 1.0 / (1.0 + lengthSq * unity_LightAtten[i].z);
60.  
61.                         lightColor.rgb = unity_LightColor[i].rgb;
62.                     #endif
63.  
64.                     float diffuse = dot(v.normal, lightDir.xyz);
65.                     diffuse = max(0, diffuse);
66.                     diffuse *= _AO * v.tangent.w + _BaseLight;
67.                     light += lightColor * (diffuse * atten);
68.                 }
69.  
70.                 light.a = 1;
71.                 o.color = light * _Color * _TreeInstanceColor;
72.  
73.                 #ifdef WRITE_ALPHA_1
74.                     o.color.a = 1;
75.                 #endif
76.  
77.                 UNITY_TRANSFER_FOG(o, o.pos);
78.                 return o;
79.             }
80.  
81.             fixed4 frag(v2f i) : SV_Target {
82.                 fixed4 col = i.color;
83.                 col.rgb *= tex2D(_MainTex, i.uv.xy).rgb;
84.                 UNITY_APPLY_FOG(i.fogCoord, col);
85.                 UNITY_OPAQUE_ALPHA(col.a);
86.                 return col;
87.             }
88.             ENDCG
89.         }
90.  
91.         Pass {
92.             Name "ShadowCaster"
93.             Tags { "LightMode" = "ShadowCaster" }
94.  
95.             CGPROGRAM
96.             #include "UnityCG.cginc"
97.             #include "TerrainEngine.cginc"
98.             #pragma vertex vert
99.             #pragma fragment frag
100.             #pragma multi_compile_shadowcaster
101.  
102.             struct a2v {
103.                 float4 vertex : POSITION;
104.                 float3 normal : NORMAL;
105.                 fixed4 color : COLOR;
106.                 UNITY_VERTEX_INPUT_INSTANCE_ID
107.             };
108.  
109.             struct v2f {
110.                 V2F_SHADOW_CASTER;
111.                 UNITY_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO
112.             };
113.  
114.             v2f vert(a2v v) {
115.                 v2f o;
116.                 UNITY_SETUP_INSTANCE_ID(v);
117.                 UNITY_INITIALIZE_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO(o);
118.                 //TerrainAnimateTree(v.vertex, v.color.w);
119.     v.vertex.xyz *= _TreeInstanceScale.xyz;
120.     v.vertex = AnimateVertex(v.vertex, v.normal, float4(v.color.xy, v.color.zw));
121.     v.vertex = Squash(v.vertex);
122.                 TRANSFER_SHADOW_CASTER_NORMALOFFSET(o)
123.                 return o;
124.             }
125.  
126.             float4 frag(v2f i) : SV_Target {
127.                 SHADOW_CASTER_FRAGMENT(i)
128.             }
129.             ENDCG
130.         }
131.     }
132.  
133.     Dependency "BillboardShader" = "Hidden/Nature/Tree Soft Occlusion Bark Rendertex"
134.     Fallback Off
135. }
136.  

Leaf shader:

Code (CSharp):

1. Shader "TOZ/Nature/Leaf" {
2.     Properties {
3.         _Color("Main Color", Color) = (1,1,1,1)
4.         _MainTex("Main Texture", 2D) = "white" {}
5.         _Cutoff("Alpha cutoff", Range(0.25,0.9)) = 0.5
6.         _BaseLight("Base Light", Range(0, 1)) = 0.35
7.         _AO("Amb. Occlusion", Range(0, 10)) = 2.4
8.         _Occlusion("Dir Occlusion", Range(0, 20)) = 7.5
9.  
10.         // These are here only to provide default values
11.         [HideInInspector] _TreeInstanceColor("TreeInstanceColor", Vector) = (1,1,1,1)
12.         [HideInInspector] _TreeInstanceScale("TreeInstanceScale", Vector) = (1,1,1,1)
13.         [HideInInspector] _SquashAmount("Squash", Float) = 1
14.     }
15.  
16.     SubShader {
17.         Tags { "RenderType" = "TreeTransparentCutout" "Queue" = "AlphaTest" "IgnoreProjector"="True" "DisableBatching"="True" }
18.         Cull Off
19.         ColorMask RGB
20.  
21.         Pass {
22.             Lighting On
23.  
24.             CGPROGRAM
25.             #include "UnityBuiltin2xTreeLibrary.cginc"
26.             #pragma vertex vert
27.             #pragma fragment frag
28.             #pragma multi_compile_fog
29.  
30.             sampler2D _MainTex;
31.             fixed _Cutoff;
32.  
33.             v2f vert(appdata_tree v) {
34.                 v2f o;
35.                 UNITY_SETUP_INSTANCE_ID(v);
36.                 UNITY_INITIALIZE_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO(o);
37.                 //TerrainAnimateTree(v.vertex, v.color.w);
38.     v.vertex.xyz *= _TreeInstanceScale.xyz;
39.     v.vertex = AnimateVertex(v.vertex, v.normal, float4(v.color.xy, v.color.zw));
40.     v.vertex = Squash(v.vertex);
41.                 float3 viewpos = UnityObjectToViewPos(v.vertex);
42.                 o.pos = UnityObjectToClipPos(v.vertex);
43.                 o.uv = v.texcoord;
44.  
45.                 float4 lightDir = 0;
46.                 float4 lightColor = 0;
47.                 lightDir.w = _AO;
48.  
49.                 float4 light = UNITY_LIGHTMODEL_AMBIENT;
50.  
51.                 for(int i = 0; i < 4; i++) {
52.                     float atten = 1.0;
53.                     #ifdef USE_CUSTOM_LIGHT_DIR
54.                         lightDir.xyz = _TerrainTreeLightDirections[i];
55.                         lightColor = _TerrainTreeLightColors[i];
56.                     #else
57.                         float3 toLight = unity_LightPosition[i].xyz - viewpos.xyz * unity_LightPosition[i].w;
58.                         toLight.z *= -1.0;
59.                         lightDir.xyz = mul((float3x3)unity_CameraToWorld, normalize(toLight));
60.                         float lengthSq = dot(toLight, toLight);
61.                         atten = 1.0 / (1.0 + lengthSq * unity_LightAtten[i].z);
62.  
63.                         lightColor.rgb = unity_LightColor[i].rgb;
64.                     #endif
65.  
66.                     lightDir.xyz *= _Occlusion;
67.                     float occ =  dot (v.tangent, lightDir);
68.                     occ = max(0, occ);
69.                     occ += _BaseLight;
70.                     light += lightColor * (occ * atten);
71.                 }
72.  
73.                 o.color = light * _Color * _TreeInstanceColor;
74.                 o.color.a = 0.5 * _HalfOverCutoff;
75.  
76.                 UNITY_TRANSFER_FOG(o, o.pos);
77.                 return o;
78.             }
79.  
80.             fixed4 frag(v2f i) : SV_Target {
81.                 fixed4 col = tex2D( _MainTex, i.uv.xy);
82.                 col.rgb *= i.color.rgb;
83.                 clip(col.a - _Cutoff);
84.                 UNITY_APPLY_FOG(i.fogCoord, col);
85.                 return col;
86.             }
87.             ENDCG
88.         }
89.  
90.         Pass {
91.             Name "ShadowCaster"
92.             Tags { "LightMode" = "ShadowCaster" }
93.  
94.             CGPROGRAM
95.             #include "UnityCG.cginc"
96.             #include "TerrainEngine.cginc"
97.             #pragma vertex vert
98.             #pragma fragment frag
99.             #pragma multi_compile_shadowcaster
100.  
101.             sampler2D _MainTex;
102.             fixed _Cutoff;
103.  
104.             struct a2v {
105.                 float4 vertex : POSITION;
106.                 float3 normal : NORMAL;
107.                 fixed4 color : COLOR;
108.                 float4 texcoord : TEXCOORD0;
109.                 UNITY_VERTEX_INPUT_INSTANCE_ID
110.             };
111.  
112.             struct v2f {
113.                 V2F_SHADOW_CASTER;
114.                 float2 uv : TEXCOORD1;
115.                 UNITY_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO
116.             };
117.  
118.             v2f vert(a2v v) {
119.                 v2f o;
120.                 UNITY_SETUP_INSTANCE_ID(v);
121.                 UNITY_INITIALIZE_VERTEX_OUTPUT_STEREO(o);
122.                 //TerrainAnimateTree(v.vertex, v.color.w);
123.     v.vertex.xyz *= _TreeInstanceScale.xyz;
124.     v.vertex = AnimateVertex(v.vertex, v.normal, float4(v.color.xy, v.color.zw));
125.     v.vertex = Squash(v.vertex);
126.                 TRANSFER_SHADOW_CASTER_NORMALOFFSET(o)
127.                 o.uv = v.texcoord;
128.                 return o;
129.             }
130.  
131.             float4 frag(v2f i) : SV_Target {
132.                 fixed4 texcol = tex2D(_MainTex, i.uv);
133.                 clip(texcol.a - _Cutoff);
134.                 SHADOW_CASTER_FRAGMENT(i)
135.             }
136.             ENDCG
137.         }
138.     }
139.  
140.     // This subshader is never actually used, but is only kept so
141.     // that the tree mesh still assumes that normals are needed
142.     // at build time (due to Lighting On in the pass). The subshader
143.     // above does not actually use normals, so they are stripped out.
144.     // We want to keep normals for backwards compatibility with Unity 4.2
145.     // and earlier.
146.     SubShader {
147.         Tags {
148.             "Queue" = "AlphaTest"
149.             "IgnoreProjector"="True"
150.             "RenderType" = "TransparentCutout"
151.         }
152.         Cull Off
153.         ColorMask RGB
154.         Pass {
155.             Tags { "LightMode" = "Vertex" }
156.             AlphaTest GEqual [_Cutoff]
157.             Lighting On
158.             Material {
159.                 Diffuse [_Color]
160.                 Ambient [_Color]
161.             }
162.             SetTexture [_MainTex] { combine primary * texture DOUBLE, texture }
163.         }
164.     }
165.  
166.     Dependency "BillboardShader" = "Hidden/Nature/Tree Soft Occlusion Leaves Rendertex"
167.     Fallback Off
168. }
169.  

 

Hi, thank you for sharing this, i have a noob question xD, how i use those scripts?

 

By the way, there are cool services for analyzing source code.
Tried?
Something like AppRefactoring or Sourcery AI

 

It's a shader, not a script. Create a new shader file, open it and copy/paste the code.