A Guide to Realistic Digital Vegetation Creation for 3D Landscapes

March 21, 2024

March 21 is International Day of Forests, so we’re celebrating vegetation! This article came out last month and talks about creating immersive, realistic vegetation. Learn about tools and libraries to help you grow a digital forest.

Step into the vibrant forest of 3D artistry, where crafting landscapes and vegetation that feel real is an art form of its own. Whether you’re a seasoned pro in 3D or visual effects, or perhaps you’re diving into architectural or game design, the secret sauce to cultivating realism lies in nailing the natural touch. And that’s where digital foliage steps in, breathing life into virtual realms and turning them into captivating, believable worlds.

In this guide, we’re branching out into the fascinating jungle of digital foliage tools, shining a spotlight on the top-notch solutions from e-on software, iToo Software, and Laubwerk. Plus, we’ll unravel how seamlessly these tools dance with heavyweights like Cinema 4D, Redshift, Maya, Arnold, 3ds Max, V-Ray, and the other tool kits.

Come along on this tech meets nature journey with us, where we’re about to leaf no stone unturned! We’re unwrapping the tools that let professionals plant the seeds of magic into their 3D landscapes. Whether you’re a seasoned artist branching out to level up your skills or a wide-eyed newbie eager to root yourself in the potential, this article is your guide to blossoming in the wonders of digital foliage in your projects.

Why is realistic vegetation important?

If you’re a 3D artist, you must include realistic vegetation in your scenes for several reasons.

Visual appeal

Green vegetation and open landscapes create visually appealing scenes that contribute to the overall atmosphere and mood of the game or visual effects

Authenticity

Realistic foliage helps to create an authentic environment, making it more immersive and believable for players or viewers

Environmental Design

Vegetation is vital in environmental design, providing natural elements that enhance the setting, storytelling, and world-building aspects of video games and visual effects.

Why do video game trees look so bad?

Research indicates that players prefer virtual areas with abundant green vegetation, showing the significance of incorporating realistic foliage and trees in game environments.^[1] That said, video game trees are often overlooked. Below, Stylized Station explores the many reasons that trees often look bad in video games.

What Makes CG Trees Look Real?

Computer-generated (CG) trees that appear to be natural rely on various techniques and details within their modeling and rendering processes, and the list isn’t short.

To achieve realistic vegetation, 3D artists may use various techniques such as procedural generation, hand-painted assets, or a combination of both. Consider factors like scale, shape, color, texture, and density when designing vegetation elements. Some factors contributing to your vegetation’s lifelike appearance include:

Highly detailed geometry: Realistic trees need detailed structures like branches, leaves, and bark that mimic nature.
Species variety: Providing different versions of each tree type lets users choose based on specific contexts. Tools like iToo Forest Pack and Laubwerk offer diverse plant and tree models.
Model diversity: Nature doesn’t repeat itself perfectly, and neither should your digital landscapes. CG trees should have varied leaves, branches, and foliage to avoid repetition, mirroring nature’s diversity.
Photorealistic materials: Realism is boosted by textures mimicking bark, leaves, and other elements. Advanced tools apply high-resolution textures for a natural look. Using data from real trees through techniques like photogrammetry ensures ultra-realistic models.
Tiling ground textures: Integrating ground textures seamlessly creates a convincing environment for the trees.
Lighting and shadows: Realistic lighting is crucial. CG trees should cast shadows, receive ambient occlusion, and react to changing light conditions for believability.
Environment Integration. CG trees must blend seamlessly into the broader environment. Tools like e-on software use features such as Global EcoSystem to scatter plants realistically. There are several tools available specifically for scattering.
Wind and animation: Dynamic animation, like moving leaves and subtle branch motions, enhances realism by avoiding a static appearance.
Seasonal adaptation: In the real world, trees change with the seasons. Digital foliage tools allowing for seasonal changes, like variations in leaf color and density, add an extra layer of realism.

Dedicated Vegetation Creation Tools & Plant Libraries

In the table below, we dive headfirst into the “branch” of plant tools and libraries, putting the spotlight on the top players like iToo Software, and Laubwerk. These tools seamlessly mesh with heavy hitters in the 3D software scene, including Cinema 4D, Redshift, Maya, Arnold, 3ds Max, V-Ray, and Corona.

Some tools are developed specifically for creating vegetation in 3D environments and they offer a lot of benefits.

Efficiency: Generate complex vegetation quickly and efficiently. Save time and budget without manually modeling each plant or tree. The tools often have features for branch placement, leaf distribution, and wind simulation, which cut down on labor.

Optimization and Performance: Advances in real-time visualization of trees and plants, such as improved geometric representation and multi-resolution models, allow for faster rendering and more efficient design systems in 3D video games.^[2]

Consistency: Maintain a consistent look across your plants for a more cohesive and visually appealing rendering.

Realism: Many specialized tools have advanced features for creating highly realistic and detailed foliage. They also have features like wind and weather simulations, seasonal changes, and growth stages.

Integration: Many specialized tools integrate into your favorite host applications and rendering tools, allowing your work to be seamless.

Developer	Product	Type	Description	Compatibility	Notes	Purchase
Chaos	Cosmos	Model Library	High quality 3D assets and materials including a category for vegetation (trees, plants, shrubs, flowers)	V-Ray Corona Vantage		Cosmos is included with: V-Ray Vantage Corona
Chaos	Scatter (in V-Ray and Corona)	Scattering	Easily populate scenes with selected objects – especially useful for outdoor scenes that need to be filled with greenery, rocks, grass etc.	Chaos Scatter is available in Corona for 3ds Max and Cinema 4D, and V-Ray for 3ds Max, SketchUp, Rhino, Revit, Maya, Cinema 4D, and Vantage.		Chaos Products
Dosch 3D	Tree Library	Model Library	Fully textured 3D-models of trees.	3ds Max Maya & Softimage Cinema 4D Keyshot Lightwave & Modo		Tree Library for : 3ds Max Maya & SoftImage TCinema 4D Keyshot Lightwave & Modo
ExLevel	GrowFX	Plugin	Create broadleaf trees, conifers, palm trees, flowers, ivy and many other vegetational compositions.	3ds Max		Get GrowFX
Greyscalegorilla	Plus	Materials Library	Get 4000+ curated 3D materials, textures, models, and HDRIs including natural textures.	Cinema 4D Blender Houdini Unreal Engine Renderers: Blender Cycles/Eevee Houdini Mantra Karma Redshift Unreal Engine		Greyscalegorilla Plus Greyscalegorilla for Teams
INSYDIUM	TAIAO	Plugin	A procedural plant animation system used to generate trees, flowers, grasses and custom objects.	Cinema 4D	Only available as part of the INSYDIUM FUSED collection	INSYDIUM Fused Subscription INSYDIUM Fused Perpetual
iToo Software	Forest Pack	Plugin	Bring your creations to life by effortlessly creating sprawling landscapes filled with an array of detailed, realistic objects.	3ds Max Renderers: Arnold V-Ray Corona Octane Redshift FStorm Final Render		Forest Pack Forest Pack + RailClone Bundle">
iToo Software	The3DGarden	Model Library	A variety of high quality plant models from iToo Software.	3ds Max V-ray Corona Forest Pack Pro	Available bundled or in smaller volumes	The3dGarden Complete Bundle All Trees Bundle All Bushes and Flowers Bundle All The3dGarden volumes
Laubwerk	Plants Kit	Plugin/Library	Laubwerk offers easy-to-use software extensions for architects and CG artists looking for authentic 3D plants, and plant scattering tools.	3ds Max Maya Cinema 4D SketchUp Vectorworks 2023 (or newer) Python		Get Laubwerk Plants Kits
Laubwerk	SurfaceSPREAD	Scattering	An easy and efficient way to distribute Laubwerk Plants (and any other object) on a terrain.	Cinema 4D
Lindalë	Skatter	Scattering, Includes Library	Mimic nature's organic appearince	SketchUp	Comes bundled with 3D Bazaar, an extensive repository of high-quality render-ready assets.	Lindalë Skatter
Maxon	Redshift Plants from Laubwerk	Model Library	Elevate your digital landscapes to new heights with a diverse collection of meticulously crafted, hyper-realistic plants from Laubwerk.	Cinema 4D Redshift	New in Capsules in October 2023, available with Maxon One	Maxon One
Pixel Lab	Mutating Materials: Woods	Texture Library	A comprehensive collection of wood textures.	Cinema 4D Renderers: Arnold		Arnold Mutating Materials: Woods Redshift Mutating Materials: Woods
SiNi Software	Scatter	Scattering	Scatter tool for clean animation of distributed objects.	3ds max	Included in SiNi Software All Access	SiNi Software All Access

*See product for host support specifics.

A Few Freebies for Vegetation Creation

We have collected some free textures and models that relate to plants and trees. Enjoy!

ShareTextures. Download models, wood textures, and atlases for foliage and nature elements.
MegaScans. Download trees, grasses, foliage, landscapes, and more from Quixel MegaScans for Unreal Engine.
Xfrog 3D Free Plant Models. Xfrog has announced they are giving away a few Free 3D Plant Models, including Oleander, Field Maple, Dragon Tree, Bamboo, Incense Cedar, and Tea Tree.
Free 3D Trees at Turbo Squid. A variety of low poly, realistic, and fantasy trees in FBX format.
Free Nature 3D models from cgTrader. Grass, trees, and other plants as well as landscape models for an assortment of hosts.
Landscape Pro 2.0 Auto-Generated Material for Unreal Engine.
Unreal Permanent Free Collection. Dig through their archives for free vegetation and more for Unreal Engine.

Older Freebies

Maya Models from Arsa3D including trees, bark, and other natural elements. This is an older site
3D Tree Maker for Sketchup, Create 3D trees in a few clicks and add them to your model. Works with SketchUp 8, and Sketchup 2013-2015 only.
Grass Generator for 3ds Max. A grass generator plugin for 3ds Max, written in Maxscript from The Mantissa. Last updated in 2014, so it’s not new.

Tree and Vegetation Tutorials

Realistic 3D Trees Tutorial – Bring Your Renders to Life (fast and easy method)

In this webinar from VizAcademy UK, expert speakers share their tips for creating photorealistic trees in 3ds Max. Learn techniques for creating variety and randomization, lighting, and more. He’s using Corona Renderer in the tutorial and explains Corona Multi-Map and color correction.

Greenery Tips & Tricks for Realistic 3D Rendering

Another from VizAcademy UK, learn about how to create realistic foliage and plants in your architectural rendering using 3ds Max and Corona Renderer.

Trees at 9 different levels of detail | SketchUp for landscape architecture

Learn about a variety of vegetation components in SketchUp and how to get the best use of each component.

The Easiest Way to Scatter Plants In 3ds Max & Corona or V-Ray

Arch Viz Artist walks you through using Chaos Scatter for creating grass and scattering plants.

Chaos Scatter with 3ds Max

Use Chaos Scatter in Corona or V-Ray for 3ds Max to create natural environments by distributing grass, trees, and much more.

Chaos Scatter with 3ds Max (Corona Version)

Create complex exteriors with Chaos Scatter (V-Ray version)

Bifrost Bootcamp 2: Scattering Tree Landscape for Game Engines.

In Bifrost Bootcamp 2, a workshop for aspiring technical artists, Jason shows you how to create an autumn scene with rolling terrain using scattering. Jason shows you how to use Bifrost in Maya, covering distribution, instancing, culling, varying properties, and rendering. Then, he explains how to export this unique terrain into a game engine using USD.

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