Plugin for Hash Animation:Master V11.0 or higher.
Generates trees based on your target surfaces.
Please mail (mbricman@kci-group.com) me a link to your work if you use it!

A PC version and a MAC version are available.

TreeeZ is available for free from this page (see bottom of this page).
TreeeZ is also included with new A:M versions.
Thanks to Hash Inc for supporting this project and to the Animation:Master community for testing and ideas.

In addition to the reference provided here, you can consult the Hash Forum thread here: http://www.hash.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=4556&st=0

TreeeZ does not have an interface, all settings need to be done to the A:M scene. This way your settings are fully reusable and shareable.

TreeeZ takes a "point cloud" that you feed it and a base shape.
It then uses a simple clustering algorithm to break the cloud down into a binary tree.
The base shape is then extruded towards the centers of the binary tree branches.

This simple example shows how it behaves:


This approach allows much more direct control over the look of your tree than your usual tree generator.

At some points of the algorithm you can customize the outcome. you can:

• specify the point cloud
• specify the base cross section
• specify a thickness profile
• specify a branch length profile
• specify a locality profile
• specify a regularity profile

Additionally TreeeZ can apply a decal along the length of the tree and group the different levels into A:M groups.

1. create a new A:M document

2. create a new Model

3. draw the "base" cross section
- Draw it in the top view around the 0|0|0 point.
- group it
- name it "base"
it could look like this:

TIP: keeping this shape simple will keep your tree clean and low-patch.

4. draw your point cloud
This can be patches or just splines. only the cps of the structures will be used.
it could look like this:

TIP: think of this structure as the foliage surfaces of your tree. In fact you'll later be able to reuse these structures exactly for this.

5. create a new action for your model

6. animate the point cloud (optional)
Via bone or muscle animation you can now animate your point cloud over time.
This enables you to let the tree start growing in one direction and then bend it to another one.
example: i have created a bone for the topmost surface of the tree

and then animated this bone in scale and position over 5 frames from small to large


7. create a thickness profile (optional)
This allows you to for example let your tree be thin at the base, then grow thicker and be thin at the twigs tips again.
- create a new percentage property

- name it "thickness"

- go to the action
- animate the property over the scene time of 1 second (30 Frames)

8. create a "branch length" profile (optional)
by creating this profile in the same fashion as the thickness profile you can vary the relative branch length over the height of your tree.

9. create a "locality" profile (optional)
by creating this profile in the same fashion as the thickness profile you can directly influence the clustering algorithm.
TreeeZ will normally try to create weighted trees. that means it will identify clustered target points and use them to grow the tree.
for certain trees however you might want to make the offshoots a lot thinner than the main branch and give it a more local target.
you can control this with the locality.


10. create a "regularity" profile (optional)
As seen in the example for locality control, small offshoot branches typically have a large influence on the shape of the main branch.
To reduce this influence, use the regularity control.

at 100% the plugin will weigh the branch influence. meaning that if you have
- a main branch with 9 child generations and
- an offshoot (no child generation)
the main branch will have 10 times more influence on its own direction than the offshoot (the example image shows this more clearly).

at 0% both branches have the same influence on direction, regardless of their child generations.


11. add a decal (optional)
By adding a decal to the model (just drag one on the model - but dont apply!), you can let TreeeZ create stamps of the decal along the tree height for you. This decal can be used as controller for leaf size, coloring your branch, etc.


11. invoke TreeeZ
right-click in the action window, and select Plug-ins > Wizards > TreeeZ.

by Mark Skodacek


by John Henderson


by Nancy Gormezano


by Reiko Weidtland


by John Henderson


by Ed Lynch


by Jim Talbot


by John Henderson

1.0
initial release

Download TreeeZ.zip Version 1.0 for PC
Download TreeeZ.zip Version 1.0 for MAC

Close A:M.
Unzip, copy the TreeeZ.hxt to your A:M HXT plugin folder (like C:\Program Files\Hash Inc\V11\hxt)
Run A:M.

Use this plugin at your own risk, i did not have any kind of problem while using it, but its always a good idea to save often. especially before using a plugin.