Digital Trees

[Sokramiketes]

Since I've been dabbling in Proto:48 lately, I joined last weekend's O Scale Central zoom session.  So if I hadn't been listening to Greg from the Science Fiction Museum in DC present about tree making, I never would have made this connection.  He shared a bit of the path from Speedtrees (design software used for video games and movie studios) to Blender to 3D printed scale models of high fidelity.

So, the steps as I've explored them:

1) Speedtree.  This is the new software for me.  It is set up to utilize pre-built rules to generate random trees... complete with textures, leaves, and animation (wind, etc).

But we can turn off all those leaves and extra stuff and just focus on trunks.

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The software is $19 a month at our level.  Buy it for a month that you want to generate a bunch of files.

It has some preloaded trees, like this Hero Oak, but there are also lots of files at the Speedtree website.  Like an autumn blaze maple for $9.

Upright styles of trees are probably going to print the best.

[Sokramiketes]

https://store.speedtree.com/

[Sokramiketes]

The download that seems to work best out of Speedtree is AutoCad .FBX

This can be loaded into Blender for post processing and conversion to an .STL

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My initial tests left blocky triangulation.  When you're mapping an image onto the tree form for digital consumption, that tends to smooth the rough edges.  But, in Blender we need to add Subdivision to those triangles to smooth them out for better resolution on large tree prints.  Apply a modifier:

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[Sokramiketes]

So then we can export an STL file, which loads up great into Chitubox for slicing.

Again, an upright tree is probably easiest here, as you can get away with minimal supports.

If you run autosupports, it will fill the entire tree with supports.  Instead, manually add some on the lower branches and main stems, where they have overhang, and let the rest of the tree go.

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There are some upper branches that start as islands during printing... but the rest of the branch catches up and the only flaw is a slight flat spot. 

Anyway, it works, and you get one of these for very little resin cost (but a lot of machine time cost). 

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I'm using ABS -like resin from Elegoo lately, and it is flexible and more robust than Supertrees.  And, compared to Supertrees, the branch angles and volume are waaaay more realistic.    The next problem is this affect... parking Rapido couplers next to True Scale Couplers... blending is going to be a thing!

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John's photo

And with some foliage:
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The future is now!

[Lemosteam]

Awesome! 

Like I said in the first go in the WU, these might be better candidates for a hi res FDM printer (Prusa Mini?), as there are damn near rubber materials that would withstand impact well.

Are you willing to share an image of a force on one of the long branches to see how far it deflects?

[GaryHinshaw]

This is very cool.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Whoa. I've been waiting for this for years.

Now how to print 100s of them efficiently.

[Chris333]

If you put some STL files up for sale I'll buy some. (doubt I could figure out that software)

[vermonter_railfan]

What are you using to attach the leaf and scenery materials to the tree? The supertrees/scenic express stuff or something different?

[chessie system fan]

Now if only we had an N scale-sized Superleaf option.  Not every tree can be a sycamore.    Moving the bar in one area just highlights where the bar is in other areas, I suppose. I would love to see an example of short static grass added before the leaves to simulate some twig density.

Tim mentioned this free program in the weekend update and I've been playing around with it.  Not quite as nice, obviously, but I like it!

https://drajmarsh.bitbucket.io/tree3d.html

Here's my southern pine attempt. I would love to have a birch option, but that one needs more experimentation.

[Sokramiketes]

Awesome! 

Like I said in the first go in the WU, these might be better candidates for a hi res FDM printer (Prusa Mini?), as there are damn near rubber materials that would withstand impact well.

Are you willing to share an image of a force on one of the long branches to see how far it deflects?

Good questions. There is enough detail on the trunks that I think resin printing is worth it.

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And I hope this shows the branch bending.
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[Sokramiketes]

What are you using to attach the leaf and scenery materials to the tree? The supertrees/scenic express stuff or something different?

For the one shown here with foliage, just some 3M spray adhesive and scenic express Superleaf. Mostly because it was easy to grab.

[Sokramiketes]

Whoa. I've been waiting for this for years.

Now how to print 100s of them efficiently.

Now the robot can do “a tree a day”. Or three if you come back every 6-8 hours.

[Scottl]

Very cool, thanks for opening this door and your process details.

I played around with both and came up with conifer trees that would serve.  Printing will have to wait but excited to give it a try.  Might be just the thing for foreground detailed trees. 

[C855B]

I fooled around with an oak from https://drajmarsh.bitbucket.io/tree3d.html, and exported to an .obj which AnyCubic Photon Workshop digested just fine. Set it up for my D2 and let 'er rip, but apparently I didn't use enough supports and it didn't even rise out of the soup. Darn.

I've been tweaking settings to attempt scrub-type armatures for things like the smoke trees indigenous to the SoCal desert, but haven't hit the right combo as yet. Leaves will likely be represented by static grass. We'll see.

EDIT: Added a screen cap -

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