Mossy Tree Model Pics - by Koniption

[Koniption]

Hey guys,

I've been working on making Ibsen some really mossy trees for Blackmarsh, that he requested in a thread in this same subforum.

Here are some pics of the first tree, mostly done, save for some extraneous decorations I want to add to it:

http://img94.imageshack.us/gal.php?g=screenshot17h.jpg

I'm gonna try to make 5 different trees. This tree might end up taking a little over a week to complete, since it seems I started on "the big" tree first. I've already worked on it for about 5 or 6 days.The poly count is gonna be higher than my largest hala tree, but I'm keeping an eye on things.

The amount of detail and versatility I'm adding is, well, a lot:

If you don't like the Spanish Moss parts, delete it from the nif. If you don't like the hanging moss that creeps a long most of the branches, delete it from the nif. If you don't like something else, delete it from the nif. Also, I kept the texture UVmapping for the roots, trunk parts, and branches uniform, so even though they use different textures like in above pics, they can easily all use the same texture and it will tile seamlessly all over the tree, for the most part (there are still seams here and there, like where the trunk base meets the roots, so I put a separate "root moss" clump over the roots and up over the trunk base, to hide things). Pretty "knarly" , eh?

Koniption

[Xae]

They sure look like moss-covered trees, alright, though the amount of moss seems rather consistent all over. Is it possible to make some parts less mossy to make the tree look more natural?

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Yeah, I'd agree with that, Xae. If you can make the colour of the drooping parts just a little more uniform with the mossy bits and maybe cut down on the ferns then I'd be even happier. It would probably make the polycount go screwy but a little more of a fuller, bushy or solid-looking 'clump' effect would just help to flesh it out a little more and this could replace some of the ferns.

It's beautifully gnarly and moss-bound though...

[Koniption]

@ Xaeaix - the upper half of all branches are gonna be separate "entities" from the lower half of same branches, in nifskope. In other words, they can use different textures. I have the "less mossy" texture already in use on the lower half/underside of the branches, but the almost pure mossy texture is in use on the upper side of the branches...do you think maybe using the less mossy texture on the upperside of the branches as well, will help? Or do you mean that I should lower my usage of the drooping moss that runs the length of most branches (I use less drooping moss on the upper branches, to try to achieve more natural look)? Or both?

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
Yeah, I'd agree with that, Xae. If you can make the colour of the drooping parts just a little more uniform with the mossy bits and maybe cut down on the ferns then I'd be even happier. It would probably make the polycount go screwy but a little more of a fuller, bushy or solid-looking 'clump' effect would just help to flesh it out a little more and this could replace some of the ferns.

It's beautifully gnarly and moss-bound though...

Which drooping parts do you mean? The drooping moss that runs the length of most branches, or the whiter moss that hangs in clumps here and there? The whiter moss is supposed to be that color - it's called Spanish Moss, and that moss can hang on trees separate from the other moss types. I can make it more of a puke green on the top parts of it, to sort of make cohere better with the color of the other mossy textures on the branches, but I'd like it to gradually go to it's normal whiter color as you go down it -sort of like it's stained where it touches the preexisting puke green moss.

By more of a "clump effect", do you mean for me to make for the branches, moss clumps, like the clump I made to go around the buttress roots? Or do you mean more clumping and clumping variety on the Spanish Moss part?? It will be more poly intensive to do the buttress-root-like clumps on the branches.

Oh, and there are currently no ferns on the tree....where'd you see ferns, IG??? :lmao:

Koniption

[Xae]

Originally posted by Koniption
@ Xaeaix - the upper half of all branches are gonna be separate "entities" from the lower half of same branches, in nifskope. In other words, they can use different textures. I have the "less mossy" texture already in use on the lower half/underside of the branches, but the almost pure mossy texture is in use on the upper side of the branches...do you think maybe using the less mossy texture on the upperside of the branches as well, will help? Or do you mean that I should lower my usage of the drooping moss that runs the length of most branches (I use less drooping moss on the upper branches, to try to achieve more natural look)? Or both?

Both, yes, to get as much natural variation as possible. Less drooping and moss-coverage further up the tree. Is it possible to also use slight colour variations in the textures?

[Koniption]

Originally posted by Xaeaix

Originally posted by Koniption
@ Xaeaix - the upper half of all branches are gonna be separate "entities" from the lower half of same branches, in nifskope. In other words, they can use different textures. I have the "less mossy" texture already in use on the lower half/underside of the branches, but the almost pure mossy texture is in use on the upper side of the branches...do you think maybe using the less mossy texture on the upperside of the branches as well, will help? Or do you mean that I should lower my usage of the drooping moss that runs the length of most branches (I use less drooping moss on the upper branches, to try to achieve more natural look)? Or both?

Both, yes, to get as much natural variation as possible. Less drooping and moss-coverage further up the tree. Is it possible to also use slight colour variations in the textures?

Ok, I understand about the drooping part. I think I understand about the mossy upper branches too. I'll tweak the tree later on, and see what I can come up with.

By color variations, do you mean to have the same texture have different yet correllating hues within itself? Or do you mean for different versions of the same texture to be differently colored (darkened, lightened, a different color altogether)?

Koniption

[Xae]

Originally posted by Koniption
Ok, I understand about the drooping part. I think I understand about the mossy upper branches too. I'll tweak the tree later on, and see what I can come up with.

By color variations, do you mean to have the same texture have different yet correllating hues within itself? Or do you mean for different versions of the same texture to be differently colored (darkened, lightened, a different color altogether)?

Koniption

Well, this ranges outside of what I know about nif's in Oblivion. Whichever looks best, I'd have to say. Colour variations would make it look more natural, since the moss on the upper branches would have more sun exposure and therefore be more dry, i.e. yellow. Translated to texture, I reckon that'd be a yellow-ish tint as well as stronger darker parts since the moss would also be thinner. However, being that there's no transitional texture the effect would have to be subtle at most.

A cool thing would be to have full-green moss trees for the heavily wooded areas and yellow moss-trees for those that stand on their own outside the forest.

[Ibsen's Ghost]

When speaking to KP about this earlier, my plan was to use a set of five trees but with two variations. One set would be darker than the others and mainly feature in the Southern areas like the Talu Swamp beneath Murkwood whilst the other set would be a little brighter when you delve into the most natural and untouched areas of the Arnesian Jungle.

To answer KP, I would say 'correllating hues'. Bushy parts would be good since the ferns look a little too 2D but, not having seen them in-game, it's difficult to say whether these would look best further up or further down the tree, probably up since the illusion of 3D might be created more effectively.

[Koniption]

@ Xaeaix - Ok, I'll work on implementing yours and IG's ideas into the tree.

Originally posted by Ibsen's Ghost
When speaking to KP about this earlier, my plan was to use a set of five trees but with two variations. One set would be darker than the others and mainly feature in the Southern areas like the Talu Swamp beneath Murkwood whilst the other set would be a little brighter when you delve into the most natural and untouched areas of the Arnesian Jungle.

To answer KP, I would say 'correllating hues'. Bushy parts would be good since the ferns look a little too 2D but, not having seen them in-game, it's difficult to say whether these would look best further up or further down the tree, probably up since the illusion of 3D might be created more effectively.

I have to ask - Where on the tree are you seeing ferns?? There are no ferns on the tree right now nor in any of its pics I've posted.

Ok, I'll try to make different hues within the texture.

Koniption

[Ibsen's Ghost]

Okay, ferns is a bad description. It's these more 'leafy' bits here.