I’m about to give up on trying to get my huge library of TreeCreator trees to look ok in Unity 5, and considering giving in and getting a SpeedTree subscription to try to use all my existing TreeCreator bark/leaf textures to remake a bunch of them as SpeedTree trees. Anyone here have any experience with their site and tree creator tool? How easy is it to take Unity tree assets and turn them into SpeedTrees? Is it worth the price?
Bump - Anyone out there have a SpeedTree subscription and want to share their opinion?
I like the Speedtree Modeler. You cannot take your models into the modeler to make your own trees, but you can make Speedtrees and apply your textures…bark, leaves, etc. It is very easy to use your own textures. I often find textures elsewhere or make my own and use them in Speedtree to make original trees and bushes. I am not a highly skilled 3d modeler and it is extremely easy for me to make trees in the ST tool.
It is worth the price to me. I pay $20 and get several free trees a month (although I usually have them all). I can cancel at anytime.
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I was in the same boat you were having pretty much all the tree packs on the asset store. What I noticed about the unity tree creator is you have to make sure the textures it creates are using certain settings and the normal map is an actual normal map not the default it goes to for starters. What I have been doing with unity tree creator trees and bushes is exporting them out to 3ds max to create models then using the free ATSv2 shader for the wind movement this way I can use more trees/bushes in scene.
As for speed tree its the most amazing tree modeler out there has no limitations once you know how it works. So yes I have been using other leaf textures with speed tree and once you know how speed tree works its all doable to interchange as needed. Also export out tree creator trees out of unity and you can bring that into speed tree and then use it as a guide as well to speed things up if you have the look you want.
Speed tree has a great wind system but it doesnt come over good without some changes to it. The wind wizard doesnt come over like it looks in speed tree have to make some changes first to the wind settings but still looks really good in unity once its all working correctly. What I love most is when you have the speed tree editor you can literally go back and forth hit save jump into unity and its all there showing latest changes, love that workflow that unity and speed tree integrated.
Oh and most important part of speed tree I find is the randomize button. Make a tree exactly as you need save that. Then hit randomize til your heart desires. It will create the most unique trees based off your settings just WOW!. So one tree you create will turn into as many as you want to randomize the look in scene. Sometimes you might have a branch or leaves slightly out of place well then go into manual mode and move it until your happy.
It’s daunting at first so many options but once you get the hang of it you’ll know what does what and I’m always finding new things so cool.
Like in this scene using the Redwood trees from speed tree that I randomized and manually changed to my liking. I used one SpeedTree Redwood in the editor then randomized it. Then changed the settings around until I had 4 unique Redwood trees all based off the original one. It’s that kind of workflow that really helps speed things up and keep things moving along. Then the rest of the bushes and trees were unity tree creator trees that I converted down into models now using the ATSv2 wind shader so all in the scene is moving convincing in the wind. Hope thats enough info:)
-Miguel
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Here are some crooked trees I made for a windblown coastal area. I used Speedtree trees and modified them. I love the way they turned out.
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Thanks for the responses. I guess I’ll give up my $19 and try it out. 
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