IDV has released SpeedTree Cinema 8, the latest version of its standalone tree, plant and foliage modelling suite of tools. New features include:
- PBR workflow and rendering. Supports non-destructive material editing, allowing artists to adjust textures on the fly.
- A new library of 150 models with thousands of 3D surface-scanned PBR textures. Each model contains multiple polygonal resolutions and adjustable seasonal variations.
- Improved export pipeline. Exports of both meshes and wind animations now run much faster and use less memory. Other improvements include UDIM support, better mesh unwrapping, hierarchical exports, and better bone weighting for skinned meshes.
- New leaf batching system. Leaf rendering in the SpeedTree Modeler is up to 1,000 times faster than version 7. This greatly speeds the modeling process and supports the creation of more complex models.
- Improved wind realism. Cinema 8 captures the complex dynamics of wind among leaves and branches more naturally. The overhauled system features a realistic rolling wind effect, is much easier to tune, and includes a new wind wizard.
- Many more improvements, including a new art director tool and an overhauled mesh cutout system.
This release sees SpeedTree Studio and SpeedTree Architect discontinued. In their place SpeedTree Cinema is offered in various versions with both rental and perpetual licensing options. Find out more on the SpeedTree website.
