iToo Software has launched a new iteration of its scattering plugin designed for 3ds Max. Key features include Forest Sets, linked areas, along with improvements to Effects, plus more.
Forest Sets introduces a new helper plugin that serves as a versatile container for scene objects. By incorporating a Forest Set object, you can seamlessly integrate geometry, surfaces, references, or areas into your Forest object. This functionality enables multiple Forest Objects to share a single Forest Set, simplifying the process of adding, removing, and updating areas, geometry, or surfaces, all from an accessible editing point. Moreover, the contents of a layer can dynamically link to a Forest Set, facilitating effortless updates across scatters through the simple action of moving items between layers.
A notable enhancement includes the ability to establish links to areas referenced within another Forest Pack object. This technique allows for the creation of a parent Forest Object, which then assumes control over all areas of its child objects. The combination of Forest Sets and linked areas offers a flexible approach to constructing interconnected ecosystems.
Additional features in Forest Pack 8 include:
- Enhanced Surface UV mode, providing the capability to utilize Spline, Object, and other area types in conjunction with UV surfaces, achieved by projecting them along one of three axes
- A new preset library with high-quality photo-scanned autumn leaves.
- Several Forest Effects have been improved, offering the capacity to use splines independent of distribution areas. By leveraging this feature, it’s possible to modify parts of a larger scatter by enclosing them inside a path that does not affect the distribution area. Additionally, you can now read the material ID from both surfaces and splines.
- The inclusion of new Forest Effect presets illustrates how to implement the latest Effects improvements, encompassing the ability to rotate or tilt objects to follow splines, scale by proximity to splines or within an area, and limit by spline material ID, along with many more.
- Forest Effects introduce filtering functionality, allowing them to apply only to a selection of the geometry list, thereby enabling refinement of specific plant types through the effects system.
- It’s now possible to scatter linked hierarchies. Forest Pack can even control or randomize the animation of linked hierarchies just like a regular mesh.
- When using path mode, you can now shuffle the positions of objects while maintaining the spline.
- Forest Pack’s icon now changes colour depending on three different error states.
- The brush size parameter used by Paint Areas is now available in the main interface.
