Branch Image Planes for Low Poly Trees

[NumbNong]

Hi I am currently doing Create 3D Assets for Video Games [on Udemy] which I am really enjoying. Unfortunately I got bogged down on a side issue. I noticed that the image planes really only came in one perspective. I thought if you could photograph a branch you would take a side, top and end view then put these altogether at 90 degrees to one another. I didn’t have access to fancy photographic equipment nor a suitable tree branch. So I thought I could model a branch in 3d and make renders on three views. Here is the set up from my viewport. Note I modelled only one maple leaf for the model in two d and then took image into UVs. Then warped to give 3 D structure.

Here are two walk arounds

1. of image planes
   https://youtu.be/nwIQJZlKgdY
2. of 3D model
   https://youtu.be/Oxuvn9zjpM0
   Hope you like my idea?

[FedPete]

Not sure what you are trying to explain. But after seeing your videos I like this approach, or solution? The 3 plane variant fails when animated, but as a still it should work if you don’t see it at close-up.

Well done!

[NP5]

I think you are just trying to make a 3d model but have it only a plane. I imagine to have one real branch change the image plane presented to the camera on the fly may be possible. Though I suspect there would be a jump on the change over.

Images on planes are just a work around from a proper full model of billions of verts that a tree should be.

[CoreyKnecht]

I see what you’re doing! It isn’t clear to me which method you would prefer, based on your explanation, but these are both valid ways of making a serviceable asset (could even include both as different quality settings). The branch you constructed from perspective shots is an oldschool approach that gives you a lot of bang for your buck if you’re on a performance budget - good thinking! I distinctly remember that the energy crystals in LEGO Rock Raiders were rendered using this technique (if you had quality turned to low):

A short distance from this technique is the workflow of making a 2.5D game with 3D-rendered sprites, which in my opinion can look good even today if you nail the art style. Dr. Lunatic Supreme With Cheese is a great example of that (the dev made it freeware if you want to explore it as a case study):

[NumbNong]

Thanks for your support. Yes, the image planes still fail on animation because human visual perception is very good. It would have been better if I had left only the stump of the main branch at the end. As It is it cannot align with a straight plane.
The aim was twofold

1. to use a 3d model to create image planes from rendering, instead of painting or photography.
2. to create a more systematic approach to image planes for branches than presented in the tutorial. (Not that is a bad way to do it.) Mine uses three orthogonal planes or polygons and three text images instead of one which has been warped and positioned on an odd angle. My method is probably higher in G card memory?
   Of course this process could be extrapolated from popup trees to whole backgrounds.
   Cheers.

[NumbNong]

Thanks for your interest. Both a 3d model and image plane branch are presented. Please refer to my other comments for details.
Cheers

[NumbNong]

Pretty much on the mark there I think. Clearly others have already used planar renders of 3d models for 2.5d uses in games. So I’m not the first. Sob! LOL!
Cheers.

[Megami_Jadeheart]

You see this all the time in PS2 games and I still think it’s a great tool for level of detail work. You don’t necessarily need the trees in the background to be heavily animated, and you can save your processing power for the one the character and camera are closest to. I love optimization tricks like this, and making the billboards from the 3d model directly makes the transition between levels of detail feel so much more natural!