Tutorial by bean_xp

In this tutorial I will show you how we can create abstract trees with a similar effect to tree's found in introversion's game Darwinia. We will explore how Glow effects can be acheived in 3DS Max, and also using compund object 'Scatter'

From the image about you can see that this tree will require very little modelling as it is built mainly of lines. We will create the basic structure of our tree using splines. Spline modeling is a way of building 3d models from lines.

To begin we will create a new line object. This can be found by clicking the New object tab and then the shapes tab, in the standard primitives drop-down selection there should be an object called 'Line'. Create a vertical line in your 'Front' viewport. Try to keep the line straight, if it curves delete it and try again. This line will be the base trunk of the tree.

Next we right click the line and choose 'Convert to' 'Editable spline'. This will allow us to edit the shape and create a larger tree structure. Firstly we need to enable the line to be rendered. To do this select the line and enter edit mode. Under the rendering rollout select 'Enable in renderer' and 'Enable in Viewport' also set the thickness to 3. In the perspective viewport you should now be able to see a 3D vertical cylinder. We will now add some more branches to the base of this tree. Choose the selection level 'Vertices' and press S to enable snap, Right click the snap button and disable 'Grid' and enable 'Vertices'. Find the create line button and create some more branches from the top of the base. For now we will only create the first level of branches, so do not go over the top dding detail to branches. If a branch seems out of place deselect the 'Create line' button (right click) and reposition them with the move cursor. When you are happy with your basic branches create a new line object from the top of the exisitng branches, convert it to editable spline just as before. Now set the object to renderable and visibe in viewport. This time set the thickness to 1. Now build up some more branches from each of the existing branches and create a large tree structure that you are pleased with. You should have a structure something like this:

Now we will assign a material to both of these objects. Open up the material editor (Keyboard M). Select one of the existing materials and change the diffuse colour to an orange colour of your choice. Now set the 'Self illumination' 'Colour' check box to be onand choose a slightly brighter shade of the colour you picked earlier. Set opacity to 20. Now duplicate the shader by dragging it over an existing material, when the dialogbox comes up choose 'Copy'. This shader will be the shader for the leaves once we havecreated them, Change the colours of the leaves shader to a green of your choice. Now choose the orange shader and assign it to the two object we just created. Select the two objects, right click and select properties. Set the 'object-id' to 1, this will be the channel we will use to create a glowing effect. Under 'rendering' find the effects panel and add a new lens effect. Then add a Glow effect to that. Set global parameters 'intensity' to 1 and 'size' to 1. In the glow element rollout, set 'source colour' to 100 and under options turn on 'Object id' and set it to 1.

Next we will create the leaves. Create a plane that is a suitable size for a leaf. Now select the top branches of the tree and right click to convert them to 'Editable poly' form. Now we need to select the plane again and create an new geometry object. Find compound objects in the drop down list. Choose the compound object called scatter. Find the button that says pick disribution object. Press it then click the upper branches of the tree. In the compound object properties set the number of 'Duplicates' to 3000 and 'Vertex chaos' to 10. In the viewport you should now be able to see many of the leaf object scattered along the upper branches of the tree. Now assign the leaf material you created before to the leaves. In the properties pannel change the object id to 1 again. Now render the image and your tree is complete.