Product Overview of PlantFactory
What is PlantFactory?
PlantFactory is a powerful 3D plant creation and editing software developed by e-on software, now made available for free by its current owner, Bentley Systems. This tool is designed to help artists, designers, and professionals create highly detailed and realistic 3D plant models with ease.
Key Features and Functionality
Plant Creation
- PlantFactory allows users to create any kind of vegetation, ranging from simple grass to elaborate hero trees. Plants can be created through various methods, including hand-drawing, assembling pre-made components, or building from scratch using a node graph.
Procedural Geometry and Materials
- The software generates procedural geometry and materials of unlimited detail, enabling the creation of highly realistic plant models. This includes the ability to animate all aspects of the plants using precise wind and breeze algorithms.
UV Workflow and Editing
- The 2024 version of PlantFactory introduces significant improvements to the UV workflow, including a new UV preview panel and workspace for interactive UV previewing. This version also includes new UV options such as UV inheritance and continuity options across different parts of the plant.
Advanced Parameters and Presets
- Users can customize plants using extensive parameters and presets. The software includes features like leaf cluster baking, support for baking backlight (translucency) into textures, and new child parameters such as zig-zag shape, pair offset, and offset mode. It also supports master materials and material instances in the Unreal Engine 4 & 5 plugins.
Integration and Export
- PlantFactory integrates seamlessly with various 3D applications through plugins for 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, LightWave, Maya, and Unreal Engine. Users can export 3D vegetation as standard .OBJ, .3DS, or animated .FBX files, making it compatible with a wide range of digital content creation (DCC) software.
Additional Features
- The software includes advanced features such as support for quads, triangles, and mixed quads/triangles meshing modes, and the ability to convert levels of detail (LODs) using the native host application’s LOD system. Unreal Engine users benefit from features like custom mesh hierarchy levels during export and support for Unreal’s Pivot Painter 2.0 tool for real-time wind support.
Free Availability
- Following the discontinuation of development by Bentley Systems, PlantFactory 2023 and 2024 versions are available for free download, including for commercial use. The 2024 version is provided as an unfinished beta, but it is generally stable with some potential for bugs and occasional crashes.
In summary, PlantFactory is a robust tool for creating and customizing 3D plant models, offering a wide range of features and functionalities that cater to the needs of CG professionals, small studios, and hobbyists alike. Its integration with various DCC applications and advanced editing capabilities make it a valuable asset for anyone involved in 3D environment creation and plant modeling.