Anyone using Blender for Foliage for UDK

[GRoss]

Hey everyone! Just stared creating trees in blender (I had 1 Fir Tree which was easy) and everything was going great until I realized that I have to completely re-make the textures in blender/photoshop for UDK, since as it was mentioned somewhere no 2 faces should share the same UV space, so that means that all of my branches with leaves must have unique texture co-ordinates, even though they are using exactly the same textures. Have a look what I mean:
http://img695.imageshack.us/img695/5492/treeproblem.jpg

Every 'branch with leaves' has the same texture and there are like 40 banches (the texture is on the top right), so in order to import it into UDK properly I will need to allocate a unique space for each branch now - a time consuming process which will lead to barely satisfactory results - since I'll have to unwrap all of the branches 1 by one and then create a new texture in photoshop with all of the branch textures on it, which will lead to much higher-sized image and lower performance.

Does anyone know of a different approach for this problem?

[CupcakeMan]

May I just ask why you dont use speed tree? its probably faster...

[Denny]

Who told you that lie. Just reuse texture space like you want to! I've done it a gazillion times on my foliage. What you might be thinking of is unique UV space for light mapping, to have that you can make a second UV channel with unique coordinates. You can choose this UV channel in the static mesh in the editor later on. :)

[GRoss]

Yeh, but its very expensive - I looked on the website, and if a project is commercial it costs around 10 grand. My project, isn't that much of a project lol, but still, if I make something now, I want to be sure that I can use it later...

[Echo-Leader]

Yeh, but its very expensive - I looked on the website, and if a project is commercial it costs around 10 grand. My project, isn't that much of a project lol, but still, if I make something now, I want to be sure that I can use it later...

um the version of speed-tree that comes with the udk can be used for commercial game i believe

[GRoss]

Denny - sorry didn't see your post when I wrote a reply. I have been following this tutorial and now that I read it properly ;) I get that the second UV map has to be used for the Lightmap, sadly I don't think that Blender allows for multiple UV layouts...... and I don't know how to go about doing that now.. and I cannot allow myself to spend 3.5 thousand dollars on 3D max or Maya 8(

On another note, Echo-Leader are you sure that speed-tree with UDK can be used for commercial game, and is included in the 25% taken out of your profits?

Thank you all for the replies!

[Denny]

You can auto-generate a new UV map in the Static Mesh viewer in Unreal. It isn't perfect but it's better than nothing. ;)

[GRoss]

awesome!! - found it! Thanks Denny, and no price tag on that lol, that will surely come in handy!

[Bobreg]

... sadly I don't think that Blender allows for multiple UV layouts...
Blender allows for as many UV layouts as you want or need.

[Bobreg]

... since as it was mentioned somewhere no 2 faces should share the same UV space, so that means that all of my branches with leaves must have unique texture co-ordinates, ..... since I'll have to unwrap all of the branches 1 by one and then create a new texture...
Why not just JOIN all the branch/leaf planes into one mesh, JOIN that to the trunk and limbs mesh, and then assign each section of the tree a different material group? Then you might select just the leaf group and do a smart projection UV unwrap and do the trunk and limbs in a separate UV unwrap. You'll have one mesh with 2 materials and 3 UV unwraps (one for lightmaps).

[GRoss]

Bobreg, I don't really understand what are you saying - I can join all of the leaves together in 1 mesh, but if I do that and do a smart projection UV unrwap, I will have to redo the textures, which I am trying to avoid. I think auto-generating a UV map for lightmass in UDK will be easier

[Bobreg]

It's like Denny said, stack those UV leaves... and use the smart projection for the light maps.

[innocentdeviant]

Blender can use many uv layers as you want, and has a lightmap uv unwrap mode. If its true you cant have overlapping uvs in udk then why not just first export your actual tree (trunk and branches) and then just export one or two differently mapped or textured leaf planes or simple shape your using and then just build your foliage in udk from that. probably simplest way that doesnt rquire any alteration to textuers or maps.
You can get maya or max for free...
ps. What exporter do you use for blender to .ase? cause i cant even make it export maps or textures at all. In glsl mode i unwrapped added a material and texture and exported with goofos..is there any other blender .ase exporters for 2.48??
2.5 will be here soon