Advanced foliage shader [released]

[larsbertram1]

new demo released:
http://bit.ly/K0osHC

it shows some new models like maple sapplings, blackberry bushes, weed and nettles all rendered with the advanced foliage shader (both: placed as single game objects and placed within the terrain engine) next to the new grass shader which allows even complex geometry without any restrictions in uv mapping (look out for the clover near the extraction point – just a poof of concept…)

lars

[anon_74038075]

Created an account just to tell you how awesome you are. Thanks a ton for your time and effort! This is great work and will benefit my project tremendously.

Tallenz

[mk1978]

@larsbertram1

@mk1978: i have already written 2 tutorials: one on terrains (pretty old by now… but it still contains some useful information about performance) and the other about the tree creator and i think i have already said all i can as far as unity’s terrain engine is concerned…

the most important things about terrain creation are:

• good references
• good assets
• and some artistic talent.

next to that some good tools, as you won’t succeed painting/sculpturing a realistic terrain just with the built in tools. use external tools or at least get the terrain tools from sixtimesnothing or terrain edge: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/118820-TerrainEdge-3-(need-testers-feedback-ideas-etc). those will help you sculpting the terrain and paint it.
terrain edge also comes with some shaders supporting bump mapping and uv mixing for better tiling as far as i know.
another starting point might be the advanced terrain shaders from the asset store (free!).

as far as the terrain from the images above is concerned: it is a pretty simple one: just 2 terrain textures (plus bumpmapping –*all included in the advanced terrain shaders), 2 different types of trees (30$ on the asset store ;-)) 2 mesh grasses and the new foliage plus foliage shader. plus one directional light, bloom and glow post processing image effect and some ssao.

lars

Yes, it is actually true that you have already published some tutorials. I would assume that it is more about artistic talent that I am currently missing. Anyway, it is always nice that you publish the web player scenes because it is good to “study” the scenes (materials, placement of the assets, etc.).

[larsbertram1]

Update
Bugfix in order to make foliage placed within the terrain engine bend correctly on windows.

[RickF]

From original post “Read the docs.http://bit.ly/JkLwD1” This link is broken. Anywhere else I can find step by step documentation? Would love to get our tree model library into unity.

[dirtybassett]

Any idea why my tree billboards are white using this shader ?

[janpec]

Whats your graphic card. I believe this shader requires SM3 and above.

[larsbertram1]

@RickF

From original post “Read the docs.http://bit.ly/JkLwD1” This link is broken. Anywhere else I can find step by step documentation? Would love to get our tree model library into unity.

thanks for your notice. i have fixed the link.

lars

[larsbertram1]

@dirtybassett

Any idea why my tree billboards are white using this shader ?

do i get you right? when using the shader tree billboards (billboards of trees not using the foliage shader) get white?
that sounds rather strange.

would be nice if you could give some more information about your issue.

lars

[dirtybassett]

My mistake, think i got my tree setup wrong because it works fine for unity built in trees. Works great with detail meshes.

[larsbertram1]

@dirtybassett

My mistake, think i got my tree setup wrong because it works fine for unity built in trees. Works great with detail meshes.

good to hear that the shader works for you and does not corrupt your trees…

lars

[Seith]

Hi Lars. I have a couple of questions, just to make sure I understand correctly:

• Do the shaders work with Unity 4.0?

• Does this mean I can create models for grass patches, bushes, etc… and then just clone them in the scene and place them manually? So even though they wouldn’t be painted on standard Unity Terrain, they would still be procedurally animated?

Thanks,
Seith

[Seith]

Oh. I hadn’t realized this project was discontinued…

[copenhagenjazz]

Hi Lars

Does this shader pack work with Unity4?

[larsbertram1]

hi seith,

sorry for my late reply but i haven’t seen your post until now.

@Seith

Hi Lars. I have a couple of questions, just to make sure I understand correctly:

• Do the shaders work with Unity 4.0?

i just made a quick test: yes, they do.

@Seith

• Does this mean I can create models for grass patches, bushes, etc… and then just clone them in the scene and place them manually? So even though they wouldn’t be painted on standard Unity Terrain, they would still be procedurally animated?

it is up to you: you can place grass, bushes etc manually or using the terrain engine.
no matter which way you choose, the shader supports procedural bending, bump mapping, specular lighting and receiving shadows.
however, only manually placed objects will also cast shadows.

so in case you do not need the objects to cast shadows placing them within the terrain engine would be the fastest method as far as rendering is concerned.
but as the shader also supports dynamic and static batching, LOD groups and even combined meshes even manually placed objects can be rendered very fast.

for these reasons i usually combine both ways: most of the objects i place within the terrain engine then i add some manually placed objects as i want their shadows.
but of course you can use the shader just outside the terrain engine in case you want to have some plants in a flower pot or some ivy on a wall.

just have a look at my 2nd demo: http://bit.ly/K0osHC

lars

[SevenBits]

This is quite nice.

[fano_linux]

very nice

[larsbertram1]

@fano_linux

very nice

thanks a lot.
and please make sure, you have a look at my afs foliage package, which ships with the shaders plus some more models:
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/3493

lars

[SevenBits]

@larsbertram1

thanks a lot.
and please make sure, you have a look at my afs foliage package, which ships with the shaders plus some more models:
https://www.assetstore.unity3d.com/#/content/3493

lars

Very cool. Just one question: do you use tree creator to make the trees or a modeling program? Because I’d like to be able to use wind zones, etc, in my scene, and those don’t seem to work on non-tree creator trees for some reason.

[Seith]

Great, thanks Lars! Then I’ll go ahead and buy the shader pack…

I’m also interested in SevenBit’s question regarding whether or not you can use Unity’s built-in Tree Creator and benefit from wind zones. And if that’s possible, does it mean any vegetation object manually placed (not through the Terrain system) can be affected by Unity’s wind zones?