GrowFX 2.2.0 User Manual
Exporting rollout
This rollout contains tools for exporting the GrowFX object to external formats and for creating separate hierarchy objects.
Export to Unreal Engine...
Opens the Export to Unreal Engine dialog.
Creating Hierarchy group
Group by Path Color
When on, adjacent hierarchy lines are grouped if their Path Colors are the same, and created as one object.
With this option, you can group several levels of small branches into one object. This is useful when preparing a hierarchy for workflows that require a limited number of branch levels.
Weighted pivot
When on, pivots will be directed to the last point of the path.
This gives the created hierarchy objects a pivot orientation that follows the overall direction of the path.
Use Multithread
When on, GrowFX uses multithreaded mesh generation when creating hierarchy objects.
This can speed up the mesh calculation stage for complex objects.
Note: Multithreading is used only for mesh generation. The actual scene objects are created on the main thread due to 3ds Max limitations.
Create Hierarchy of Meshes
Creates separate mesh objects, such as trunk, branches, twigs, and leaves, collected in a hierarchy.
The created objects have pivots placed at the attachment points.
Create Hierarchy of Splines
Creates separate spline objects collected in a hierarchy.
Create separate objects
Creates separate mesh objects for each starting distributor node. The starting distributor nodes are: Distributor node, Point distributor node, Surface distributor node.
- For Distributor node - creates one object.
- For Point distributor node - creates one object for each starting point.
- For Surface distributor node - creates one object.
Export to Unreal Engine
This tool exports the current GrowFX object to Unreal Engine using the Pivot Painter 2 workflow.
GrowFX exports an FBX file and Pivot Painter 2 data textures that can be used with the Pivot Painter 2 foliage shader in Unreal Engine.
Note: GrowFX generates Pivot Painter 2 textures directly from the GrowFX hierarchy. It also uses an optimized parent-index layout to improve reliability for complex trees with many branches and leaves.
Important: Pivot Painter 2 data textures should be imported as data textures in Unreal Engine. Disable sRGB, set Mip Gen Settings to NoMipmaps, and use Nearest filtering to avoid interpolation between data pixels.
Output Folder
Specifies the folder where the exported FBX file and Pivot Painter 2 textures will be saved.
Base Name
Specifies the base file name for the exported files.
For example, if the base name is Tree_01, the exported files will use this name as a prefix.
UV Channel
Specifies the map channel that will be used to store the Pivot Painter 2 lookup UVs.
In Unreal Engine, UV channels are zero-based. For example, GrowFX map channel 2 should be used as TexCoord[1] in the material.
Export FBX
When on, exports the GrowFX object as an FBX file.
Export PivotPainter2 Textures
When on, exports the Pivot Painter 2 data textures.
The exported textures contain pivot positions, parent indices, orientation vectors, and extents required by the Pivot Painter 2 foliage shader.
Overwrite Existing Files
When on, existing files with the same names will be overwritten.
When off, export will not replace existing files.
Group by Path Color
When on, paths with the same Path Color as their parent path are grouped into the same Pivot Painter 2 hierarchy element.
This can be used to reduce the number of hierarchy levels. It is useful for Unreal Engine materials that use four wind levels.
Note: To keep leaves on the fourth wind level, use Path Colors so that intermediate branch levels are grouped where necessary.
Weighted pivot
When on, GrowFX calculates the orientation of hierarchy elements using a weighted pivot direction.
This option is useful when the generated branch direction should better follow the overall shape of the branch.
Cancel
Closes the Export to Unreal Engine dialog without exporting.
Export
Starts the export to Unreal Engine using the current settings.