What's the best way to generate trees

[Anonymous]

What is the best way to generate trees and foliage in Archicad? I am using Photoshop at the moment to place trees and foliage as I am not happy with the results I am getting from Archicad.
The quallity, even on high settings (high dpi and high object default settings) is not very realistic compared to everything else that Lightworks renders, also the generating times increase dramatically.
I am using the default trees in Archicad and a downloaded library from the Archicad forum.
My computer specs are
2.6 Ghz processor
1gb ram
320 Gig HD
I am happy enough with the rendering times (with out trees) as it takes about 10mins for a 2000 x 750 (pixels) render at 250dpi

[Dwight]

I prefer the Onyx Tree Pro trees that make botanically accurate foliage. They have lots of polygons, but Onyx has a way to reduce them when you export using 3Ds to Archicad.

There was a library "Hoshino" commercially available with architected trees of reasonable polygons, but other than generically saying "tree" they had no character.

[Anonymous]

Dwight- Is this the site I should get the trees from. -- duh! Here: http://www.onyxtree.com/conifer.html --Doesn't seem like I see anythign sayin it is ArchiCAD compatible.

These are great trees if this is where I get them from.
The only pine/conifer trees I have found before this look like Xmas trees.

And I gotta say , here in the ADKs we have planty of conifer trees, but, maybe only 1/1000th of them look like a Christmas Tree.

Edit again- I say duh cuse I never copied the link in. edit.

[Dwight]

"Duh" is right. A Google on "Onyx Tree Pro" returns:

http://www.onyxtree.com/

Onyx Tree Pro is an application that generates unique, botanically correct trees. You make your own tree based in on of their many prototypes. These trees have lots of polygons.

When exporting the tree model to 3Ds, the user can constrain model complexity by simplifying the model and flattening leaves.

Since most 3Ds applications use a different XYZ system than Archicad, the tree model may arrive in Archicad laying down. Fix this in the 3Ds import dialog and import again.

In my seminar, [Washington DC, Oct22 - Philadelphia, Oct23 - New York Oct25 - Boston, Oct26] I suggest importing foliage as a separate object from the trunk and branches so that they can be rotated against one another to give more complex iterations [2 objects = infinite variation].

[Dwight]

ADK = Adirondack Developer Kit

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the advice Dwight. Great looking trees and (I think) reasonably priced too.
Any idea where I can get Australian trees?

[Dwight]

They have some eucalypts that could be adapted into coolabah trees for a billabong scene, say.

You'll have to use GDL for your swagman, however.

[Rafal SLEK]

Try free Garden Works library:
http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/object_depository.php?browse=Depository/02%20Sitework/Garden

[Anonymous]

I have down loaded the 'Garden Equipment' file but have had problems with placing things in Archicad.
Some of the objects come up on 'cards' and some create an error message. I don't have many other specific details because I havn't used these objects much because of the faults.
I assume I must be doing something wrong and would appreciate any advice.

[Anonymous]

I'm guessing the ones coming up on "cards" are bitmap trees, whereby you select an image of a tree that renders (with transparency). These can be good for trees in the distance, but be careful of close-up views, and if they cast shadows they can slow render times down a bit. They also turn to face the camera as long as the 3D view is rebuilt after changing view.