3DARCSTUDIO 3DARCSTUDIO TREE MAKER

one-click tree maker Plugin for Sketchup Beta Version 0.91 User Manual h p://www.3darcstudio.com 3DArcStudio 2013 All rights reserved

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

1. Table of content

1. Table of content ....................................................................... 2 2. Setup ........................................................................................ 4 2.1. Where to get the plugin ..................................................... 4 2.2. Installation ......................................................................... 4 3. Creating your first tree ............................................................. 6 3.1. The Make Tree Menu ......................................................... 6 4. Tree Configuration ................................................................... 9 4.1. Overview ............................................................................ 9 4.2. Trunk................................................................................ 10 4.3. Main Branches ................................................................. 17 4.4. Sub Branches ................................................................... 20 4.5. Leaves .............................................................................. 20 4.6. Flowers ............................................................................ 23 4.7. Managing multiple instances of the same tree ................ 23 4.8. Save as Template ............................................................. 23 5. Additional Tools ..................................................................... 24 5.1. Apply Colorset .................................................................. 24 5.2. Apply Random Colors ....................................................... 24 6. Additional Information ........................................................... 25 6.1. Sketchup version .............................................................. 25 6.2. Compatibylity ................................................................... 25 6.3. Bugs reporting.................................................................. 25 Table of content - Where to get the plugin

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker 6.4. Known issues ................................................................... 26

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Table of content - Where to get the plugin

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

2. Setup

2.1.

Where to get the plugin

Download the latest version of 3DArcStudio Tree Maker from the website: http://www.3darcstudio.com You will find it in the download area. The plugin is provided as a compressed file (Zip). Save the zip file to your disk.

2.2. Installation
Unzip the downloaded file, and copy all files and subdirectories into the Sketchup Plugins directory. By default, for Sketchup version 8 running on Windows 7 64bits, this directory is named:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Google\Google SketchUp 8\Plugins

The name of this directory may vary depending on the version of Sketchup, the system you are using (Windows XP, Windows 7 32 or 64bits, Mac, ) and the options chosen when you setup Sketchup application. After installation, you shall have into the Sketchup Plugins directory one file named 3darcstudioloader.rb and one subdirectory named 3darcstudio. The subdirectory contains the plugin code itself and additional configuration files. To check the installation, start a new instance of Sketchup. If one is already running, exit and restart Sketchup.
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Setup - Where to get the plugin

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

We recommend you to use a new Sketchup empty model to avoid any crash or performance issues with your exis ng models. You will be able to copy/paste or save and import later into your models the trees you created with DArcStudio Tree Maker.

If the installation was successful, under the Plugins menu, you should have a new menu called 3DArcStudio

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Setup - Installation

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

3. Creating your first tree

Once the plugin installed, you can immediately draw a tree with the existing default parameters.

3.1.

The Make Tree Menu

Start Sketchup, and select from the menu : 3DArcStudio and Make Tree

A dialog box is prompted, where you will be asked to choose in a drop down list a tree template from a list of existing templates. Select the Default Generic Tree and click OK.

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Creating your first tree - The Make Tree Menu

3DArcStudio Tree Maker The list of the templates depends on the version of the plugin and the templates you may have installed. Other tree templates may be downloaded from http://www.3darcstudio.com. You can also create your own templates (see chapter Save as Template later in this document).

The tree is built and placed at the origin of the Sketchup model. You can then move it as any other Sketchup object. Creating your first tree - The Make Tree Menu Based on the tree complexity and the computer and graphics card performance it may take some times to draw the tree, but generally only few seconds for a simple tree like the default generic one. The tree is created as a Sketchup Group that you can then manipulate as any other Sketchup entity. It contains itself 3 groups named stems, leaves and flowers. Within the leaves and flowers group, each leaf/flower is made of one instance of the same component. You can build other trees repeating the preceding steps.
To improve performance when using the Tree Maker plugin within Sketchup Close all windows, and more specically the outliner window.

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Hide edges in the display Start with an empty model, or a model with few other drawing elements.

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Creating your first tree - The Make Tree Menu

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

4. Tree Configuration

4.1.

Overview

Customizing tree is the most interesting part of the 3DArcStudio Tree Maker plugin, as you can create almost infinite varieties of trees by changing the configuration parameters. Lets have a look at these options.

The tree parameters you can change are grouped into 5 sections. Each is accessible from the contextual menu. To access to the configuration of a tree, select the tree Sketchup group and right click on it. This will activate the contextual menu. If you right click on a group made by 3DArcStudiio Tree Maker plugin, a menu item named 3DArcStudio Tree is available where you can choose from the following menu items to configure the tree parameters:
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Tree Configuration - Overview

This collection of trees has been created with by changing tree configuration options. It is available as download on http://www.3darcstudio.com

3DArcStudio Tree Maker Trunk Main branches Sub branches Leaves Flowers

We will see in this chapter the different options available and how they can change the appearance of your tree.

4.2. Trunk
Tree Configuration - Trunk From the Trunk menu, you will get a dialog box that enables you to change parameters that apply to the global tree and to the main trunk.

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Tree shape
This option changes the global aspect of the tree by adapting the length and count of branches among the trunk from its base to its end. To better understand the effects of this option here are examples of the same tree with from left to right the tree shapes: pyramidal, round, hemispherical, columnar, diamond, V-Shape.

Tree Shape Options Pyramidal-Round-Hemispherical-Columnar-Diamond-VShape

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Tree Configuration - Trunk

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Tree height
Size (height) of the trunk. The total height of the tree may be higher if branches are growing upward. Changing this value will impact some other options like branches length that are defined in percentage of this value.

Trunk curve type

The trunk may be curved with the following options: None: no curve Simple: regular curve angle S Shape: start in one direction at the beginning then curve back in reverse direction Begin: most of the curve applied to the start of the trunk Middle: most of the curve applied to the middle of the trunk End: most of the curve applied to the end of the trunk If another value than none is chosen here, you need to also define the trunk curve angle option.

Trunk curve angle

If a curve shape has been setup in the trunk curve type option, defines the total angle that will be used.

Radius size
Half size (radius and to diameter) of the trunk at the foot.

Branchless length
Tree Configuration - Trunk The percentage of the trunk length that will be free of branches.

Segments
Trunk (and stems) are split into equal portions called segments. Curves only apply at segments change, so increasing this value makes the tree seems more regular if curved, but it increases also the number of polygons of the model (and the size of the file).

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Faces
Number of faces defined to draw the trunk. Higher this value, more circular will look the trunk. If value set to three, trunk will be drawn as a triangle. Set a value of zero or two if you want the trunk to be drawn as a simple face (2) or not visible at all (0), but with other parts of tree drawn. These small values are more often used for small branches. Value of 5 to 8 is recommended.

Roots number
For most of the trees you can let this value to 1. It is used in rare situations where you want multiple instances of the same tree to be drawn at the same time. May be useful to create bouquets of flowers or complex trees.

Wind force
An additional small shift is added to any element of the tree always in the same horizontal direction. This may simulate the effect of the wind.

Wind force effect (max value) on the tree at the right

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Tree Configuration - Trunk

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Splits
Each time a split occurs, a new sub-tree will start from the split position.
Before using the split op on, reduce the number of branches, sub branches, leaves and owers, as it mul ply those objects and may result in huge trees.

Split example

Spirals
The trunk will rotate around itself. Tree Configuration - Trunk
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Spiral : 2 with curve angle 90

This value needs the curve angle also to be set to sucient high number in order to have eect.

Trunk colorset
Select from the predefined colors that can be used. You may also apply a texture (see texture option).

Radius reduction
How the trunk width will vary from the start to the end.

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Tree Configuration - Trunk

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Radius reduction 5% at left and 95% at right

Height variation
Each time the tree is rebuilt, a small variation is applied to the height in order to get different instance of the same tree.

Split angle min

If split value non zero, the minimum angle for new branches created at the split origin.

Split angle max

If split value non zero, the maximum angle for new branches created at the split origin. Tree Configuration - Trunk

Attractive force
Like the windforce option, but shift is vertical: up or down.

Global randomize factor

Additional random changes are made to all values in order to get different results of the same tree at each instance.
Unpredictable results may be obtained with high values.

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Global randomize factor set to 1

Texture
Select a texture to apply to the trunk. Textures are combined with the color selected in the preceding options.

4.3. Main Branches

Max number of branches
The total number of branches actually built may be different, as it depends also on the tree shape.
Be careful that choosing too high number of branches may result in huge Sketchup les that may be long to load and display within Sketchup, as each branch will itself generate sub branches and leaves.

Length
Length expressed in percentage of the parent branch (or trunk).

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Tree Configuration - Main Branches

Select the number of branches that will grow from the main trunk.

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Angle min
Minimum angle at the start

Angle max
Maximum angle at the start

Angle decrease
The branch angle will decrease.

Branches distribution
How the branches will start from the trunk. Fixed : grouped on one face Stairs : regular rotation Alternate : opposite directions Random Tree Configuration - Main Branches

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Branches distribution : fixed stairs alternate - random

Branches curve type

None Simple S Shape Begin Middle End Tree Configuration - Main Branches

Curve Angle
Total curve in degrees.

Curve Direction
Up or down.

Branches Segments
Number of segments the branch is made of.

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Spirals
Like for the trunk, the branch will try to rotate around itself. Curve angle must be set to a non zero value to see the effect.

Trunk Colorset
Not implemented yet for branches, in fact the colorset of the trunk is used for the branches.

Radius Size
The branch width expressed as a percentage of the parent branch.

Faces
Number of faces used to draw the branches. A value of 2 may be useful to lower the total size of the tree.

4.4. Sub Branches

The configuration options for sub branches are identical to those available for branches, so refer to the preceding chapter to see details.

Leaftype
Each leaf is an instance of a component definition. The list of leaves available depends on the tree templates installed with the plugin. The list is the same for the flowers instances. You can change/replace the component after the tree is built to give it your own design.

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Tree Configuration - Sub Branches

4.5. Leaves

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

You can start with leaf for leaves and leaf for owers, as they are

fast to draw due to small amount of polygons. When you will be happy with the global tree aspect, you will be able to choose from more detailed components.

Here are some of the leaf types you can use:

Leaf types examples

Max number number per branch

Maximum number of leaves attached to one branch.

Max number per sub branch

Maximum number of leaves attached to a sub branch. Tree Configuration - Leaves

Leaf size
Scale factor that will be applied to the component used to create leaves. Leaf00 component is 17cm height.

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

Leaves colorset
A slightly different color, based on one reference color will be randomly applied to each leaf. The list of colors proposed is an extract of the standard Sketchup colors.

Leaf length/width ratio

You can change the global aspect of the leaves

Leaves attachment
<draft to be continued>

Leaves distribution
<draft to be continued>

Leaves angle
<draft to be continued>

Leaves orientation
<draft to be continued>

Leaves distance
<draft to be continued>

Leaf texture
<draft to be continued> Tree Configuration - Leaves

Max number on trunk

<draft to be continued>

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

4.6. Flowers
You can apply to flowers the same options as to leaves. So refer to the preceding chapter for details.

4.7. Managing multiple instances of the same tree

Once a tree has been built, you copy and move the Sketchup group of this tree into your models to create multiple trees. To avoid having all the trees identical you can use the Rebuild menu. A new tree will be drawn, based on the same template.

4.8. Save as Template

You can save your tree configuration as a new template to future build trees based on this configuration.

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Tree Configuration - Flowers

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

5. Additional Tools

5.1.

Apply Colorset

Colorsets are used by the Tree Maker plugin to apply slightly variations of the same color on leaves and flowers. But this feature can be useful to colorize other objects, like tiles for example. Each object will get a different color from the colorset. To apply a colorset select the objects activate the menu. Here is an example of a colorset applied to tiles

5.2. Apply Random Colors

Same as Apply Colorset tool, but each object will get a color choosen randomly from the standard Sketchup colors. Additional Tools - Apply Colorset

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3DArcStudio Tree Maker

6. Additional Information

6.1.

Sketchup version

The current beta version of the plugin has only been developed with Sketchup Pro 8 (version 8.0.16846) on a PC running Windows 7. It may works fine on other systems and Sketchup versions but without any guarantee. If you are using older versions of Sketchup, it may be a good opportunity to download and upgrade to the latest version.

6.2. Compatibylity
We have been very careful during the development to insure that this plugin will not interfere with other tools and plugins that exist for Sketchup but we cant test all Sketchup add-on. Do not hesitate to contact us if you discover compatibility issues with another Sketchup tools or plugins.

6.3. Bugs reporting

This plugin is currently a Beta version. You can report issues by sending a mail to: info@3darcstudio.com

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Additional Information - Sketchup version

3DArcStudio Tree Maker

6.4. Known issues

Shaderlight
3D models created with 3DArcStudio Tree Maker are not always correctly rendered by Shaderlight. Some components of the tree are not displayed at the correct place (leaves or flowers components may seems to be exploded.

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Additional Information - Known issues