Ivy generator - does anything better exist?

[nickdk]

I have been using the well know ivy generator for ages but I haven't really been happy with the results (leaves looking flat and too generic) I know it's possible to use my own mesh for the leaves but then I lack the scaling/age of the leaves.

Does anything better exist? Or does anyone has a better way to produce super realistic thick natural ivy?

 

here's a few examples to show what i think looks realistic and what seems too fake:

 

looks good (I'm not 100% sure what i'm linking to here, but it looks cgi but pretty real)

http://www.fallingpixel.com/ivy-3d-model/32297

 

 

looks flat and boring

http://static2.evermotion.org/files/EVRprfolio/b0fae18ac16f89665b946513b6b477727f87817e.jpg

 

I hope someone here has a good method

Edited November 29, 2011 by nickdk

[Professor]

Looks good link didn't work for me. Get "Internal Server Error".

 

I use GrowFX for creating vegetation, works well for me and price is right.

[nickdk]

Looks good link didn't work for me. Get "Internal Server Error".

 

I use GrowFX for creating vegetation, works well for me and price is right.

 

Sorry about the Internal error, it should be fixed now.

I'll take a closer look at GrowFX

 

Thanks!

[Tommy L]

The 'looking good' example you linked to is actually just a bitmap (photo) placed on displaced geometry. If this is the look you want its pretty easy to do and would probably work ok for mid-long range stuff. Fall apart in close up though. Just got to get out there with a camera!

[nickdk]

The 'looking good' example you linked to is actually just a bitmap (photo) placed on displaced geometry. If this is the look you want its pretty easy to do and would probably work ok for mid-long range stuff. Fall apart in close up though. Just got to get out there with a camera!

 

Thank you for the reply Tommy,

The reason I linked to that example was that I got the impression it was modeled up from scratch. I want that look, but i want real geometry

 

I think the Ivy generator is very clever at making the stem but the leaves need a major overhaul

[Tommy L]

You could look at using a particle system based on the stem/branch geometry from the ivy generator.

[RyderSK]

Actually there are few tricks for using Ivy Generator ;- )

 

One is to model a "rig" invisible spline geometry to allow the ivy to grow into a space a bit. Then use as many ivies to grow at same place to achieve randomness as necessary. You have to think outside of the box :- ) ! good luck

[nickdk]

Thank you for the input:)

 

Tommy: I'm not so experience with using particles but I see where you're going with this, quite clever!

 

Ryder: Good idea with the invisible geometry to create a more 'full' ivy, have you experimented with custom leaves? (with correct scaling at the ends of branches and so on )

[Professor]

Nick, If your interested in seeing some veg created with GrowFX, I just posted a scene in the Arch Viz Gallery called "We Are Free". The trees and Ivy are all created with GrowFX. Probably not the best quality, cause I'm a noobie at Max, but from a distance I thought it turned out pretty decent. At least it was a lot of fun to build.

[Tommy L]

Thank you for the input:)

 

Tommy: I'm not so experience with using particles but I see where you're going with this, quite clever!

 

Ryder: Good idea with the invisible geometry to create a more 'full' ivy, have you experimented with custom leaves? (with correct scaling at the ends of branches and so on )

 

Particles are a really interesting and useful thing to learn. The modus operandi of particles is different to anything else in max and really offers a mental break from the norm, so its a quite pleasant skill to acquire. And boy are they powerful.