Highly Detailed Trees

josefdoc

Member
Hi all,

I'm getting back into route building and was wondering where I can find some really detailed trees and shrubbery. Any help is appreciated. Thank you!
 
Check the DLS and built-in

Roystrees
RMM (begin with st_rmm_)
Some of the built-in Speed Trees are pretty good now.
Trees by Gawpo50

Just to name a few.
 
I agree with John above for most deciduous trees. Unfortunately, I find most conifers to be abysmal. There is not a Douglas-fir or Ponderosa Pine in the bunch that looks like a real one, for the most part they look like they went through a hurricane, got struck by lightning, or are dying of old age. Most of the spruce and hemlock seem to be suffering from top kill. Western larch is not seasonal at this point. Even the conifers that have been updated are no better, but most are older than version 3.5. I try to work on Pacific Northwest US routes, and the best routes seem to try to use hemlocks to stand in for most, or they are still using billboard trees like BN Oasis. Overall, I find it frustrating and pathetic to try to find something suitable.
 
I agree with John above for most deciduous trees. Unfortunately, I find most conifers to be abysmal. There is not a Douglas-fir or Ponderosa Pine in the bunch that looks like a real one, for the most part they look like they went through a hurricane, got struck by lightning, or are dying of old age. Most of the spruce and hemlock seem to be suffering from top kill. Western larch is not seasonal at this point. Even the conifers that have been updated are no better, but most are older than version 3.5. I try to work on Pacific Northwest US routes, and the best routes seem to try to use hemlocks to stand in for most, or they are still using billboard trees like BN Oasis. Overall, I find it frustrating and pathetic to try to find something suitable.
You are absolutely correct, the changes that made so many good trees look utterly abysmal were really retrograde, I've had to use hemlocks for my latest route as there are few good spruces , most are far too large and there's so much variety in the shapes that are used to portray aspens one might think they are completely different species. We now have the bizarre situation of multiples of some assets such as cars with hundreds of vAriations , which are ultra realistic , surrounded by trees that are either semi transparent or that often look like cartoons , often the seasonal effects look ultra gaudy. NV3 announced they have no intention of commissioning any new trees , really, we as a community need to do something about replacing those lost trees, if I had the modelling skills I'd do it myself but there seems no cheap software exists that allows easy creation of new items.
 
I agree with you guys on the conifers. I have yet to find anything that doesn't look like it was hit by the bark borers and fungus that has swept the western spruce and hemlocks. I saw this out in Glacier National Park, and I was heartbroken. We initially thought the trees were burnt from a lightning strike but as we got closer the trees were like dead soldiers with bare drooping bows. I have pics, but that would be out of scope for this topic.
 
I agree with you guys on the conifers. I have yet to find anything that doesn't look like it was hit by the bark borers and fungus that has swept the western spruce and hemlocks. I saw this out in Glacier National Park, and I was heartbroken. We initially thought the trees were burnt from a lightning strike but as we got closer the trees were like dead soldiers with bare drooping bows. I have pics, but that would be out of scope for this topic.


yeah I've noticed that on watching youtube videos of the rockies as research for the alpine tunnel route, its terribly sad, it seems to stretch right up to Canada .
 
I agree with the above "pine tree" comments. SAM has one PINE. It looks good and I use it where close viewing is anticipated. Rotation helps to reduce the obvious duplications.
 
I hate to say it again Graham, I appreciated all your work on updating trees, but if you Google images of Douglas-fir, you will find that they are a very straight tree, no matter what shape they are in, and generally have a uniform crown. That is why the existing Trainz hemlocks kind of make a suitable substitute, although the existing ones seem to suffer from top kill. Somewhat the same for Ponderosa Pine and White pine. Western white pine was valued for masts on the old sailing ships because of how straight they are. Even Western Red Cedar, which are still sought for power poles and in the old days for telephone poles. Auran and N3V seem especially bad at making twisty, distorted trunks.
 
Not correct, N3V licensed the SpeedTree engine and modeller software from IDV. Initially the stock SpeedTrees that came with the package were used, however N3V have since created their own trees as well as have some creators whom N3V obtained licences for them to use the software from IDV, a few creators obtained it themselves.
Like all software SpeedTree does have it's limitations so you are never going to get a perfect tree, however it's better than most of the competition. I have the old v5 modeller than came with the Unreal Editor, no use for the version we have now though and it's a horrendous thing to use anyway and only licensed for use in Unreal.

As for Trees forget looking for Trees by name as they often don't look correct, just go by appearance, not forgetting of course that same "name" trees are often actually different in various parts of the world as well to add to the confusion.
 
I think SpeedTrees are the best choice, and N3V has a license to use. They simply look the best to me. Pair them with TurfFX, and you get some real realism going on.
 
some 7+ years ago I spent a lot lot of time making speedtrees that would fit for my Rocky Mountain routes.
Making a choice of a few types that where doable this serie was one that I felt suitable for the job.
The subtile breeze moves needles and swing trees,fog and snow (3D) on the needles gives that ultimate winter feeling skiing of track. (long time ago of course)
In a 3D dynamic world where trains etc moves wind blows trees leaves and needles using 2D trees is off limit for me.
What it takes to make One tree content creators understand who have been there.
Fence sitters/experts of how a tree has to look always have the upper hand in what is right, regardless of what pleases more than enough the trainzers eye and creates a mood of reality, at least for me for sure.
Unfortunately the speedtree adventure I could not continue as licensing even to make upgrades was not feasible. So be it.
 
Not correct, N3V licensed the SpeedTree engine and modeller software from IDV. Initially the stock SpeedTrees that came with the package were used, however N3V have since created their own trees as well as have some creators whom N3V obtained licences for them to use the software from IDV, a few creators obtained it themselves.
Like all software SpeedTree does have it's limitations so you are never going to get a perfect tree, however it's better than most of the competition. I have the old v5 modeller than came with the Unreal Editor, no use for the version we have now though and it's a horrendous thing to use anyway and only licensed for use in Unreal.

As for Trees forget looking for Trees by name as they often don't look correct, just go by appearance, not forgetting of course that same "name" trees are often actually different in various parts of the world as well to add to the confusion.

Okay, I was thinking that N3V outsourced the Speedtrees to IDV like they did the new Mk1 cars for TRS2022. Apparently I was mistaken.
 
The current issue now is we can't even get the Speed Tree version that works with TRS22 even though it's now an inexpensive subscription that doesn't need to remain active and can be activated as needed. IDV ups the versions by what seems like a monthly schedule and obsoletes the previous ones just as fast. This makes an environment like this left out in the cold because N3V's implementation of Speed Trees is not like that found in other game studios where the trees are used for a single project, and it doesn't matter that the next game version uses different Speed Tree binaries compared to the last.
 
There are probably just a handful of tree experts using Trainz that know that a particular tree is not correct in the game compared to those that don't know, but I am one that believes that it doesn't matter what a tree is named, as long as it looks OK in game then that will do for me.
The experts will have a great time when they see what trees I have used in my DHR route update, I have used species that would never be found in Nepal, but because the tree looks 'near enough' to a native species then it is used. :D

After all, this is not a botany simulator, it is a Train Simulator.

Anyway, there are far more worrying things in life than worrying about trees in a 3D world.

Take care,
Graham
 
<SARCASM> Why that is nothing short of blasphemy! All over the world the "Trainz needs more realism" crowd are outraged by such talk.</SARCASM>:hehe:
 
There are probably just a handful of tree experts using Trainz that know that a particular tree is not correct in the game compared to those that don't know, but I am one that believes that it doesn't matter what a tree is named, as long as it looks OK in game then that will do for me.
The experts will have a great time when they see what trees I have used in my DHR route update, I have used species that would never be found in Nepal, but because the tree looks 'near enough' to a native species then it is used. :D

After all, this is not a botany simulator, it is a Train Simulator.

Anyway, there are far more worrying things in life than worrying about trees in a 3D world.

Take care,
Graham

I agree. While I attempt to match the kind of species of flora that exist in my area of the world, I will choose trees that look right. I will sometimes use a spruce instead of a fir, or a pine because the spruce trees look better, or use an oak instead of a maple because our maple trees look weird and are usually either way too big. Does it matter? Not really because as we drive along, we're not analyzing the foliage for the proper species.
 
Thank you all for the suggestions here. I've downloaded a few of the trees suggested, and am currently using them on my routes. I agree, that if a tree looks right, although not the correct species, it could still make for a realistic scene. Thanks again all!

Josef
 
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