Vue Xstream
Vue Xstream
Vue is advanced modeling software, published by E-On, that allows the animator to increase the efficiency with which they create realistic looking natural systems. The software can be used as a stand alone application, or it can be used as a plugin for several industry platforms ( 3ds max, Maya, Light Wave, Cinema 4D, Softimage). The work flow is similar to most 3D modeling applications and when run as a plugin the Vue window integrates with the host application.
Basically Vue Xstream allows you to quickly create, paint, and populate scenes with complex shapes and polygons.
Vue software streamlines the creation and rendering of complex polygons. Scene elements created within Vue are rendered by the Vue renderer. This renderer works congruently with the host application. Complex polygons created within Vue are not rendered by the host application. This eases the burden on the host renderer. The host settings for atmosphere, render engine, and lighting are integrated within the Vue renderer, or each renderer can be manipulated independently.
A few of the main features groups useful to rendering landscape scenes:
Plant models are organized by species. Some are supplied with the software, while many more are available for purchase from E-On and third-party creators. Each plant model placed into a scene is “grown” within the software, according to species-specific rules. This ensures that no two plants are alike, even if they are of the same species and size. The plant models’ embedded information allows them to sway, bend, and twist in the wind. A single plant can be used to generate an array of similar plants with various degrees of variability in size and position. These arrays can then be “dropped” onto the terrain, with each plant landing at the appropriate height at its location.
Vue can be used to quickly create and modify detailed terrain. Heightfield images or Digital Elevation Model files may be imported to define topography, or a default typology can be created and modified to suit. The built-in terrain editor allows for highly creative terrain sculpting and application of natural processes like erosion. These terrains may then be covered with detailed materials, some of which include 3d effects.
Vue is an effective renderer of atmospheric parameters. It can populate clouds, calculate lighting due to atmospheric effects, simulate fog, and create physically-accurate lighting effects. Thr presence of dust and humidity may be specified to create highly unique environments. By using the atmosphere editor, one can quickly create and manage the entire mood and background of the scene. It is extremely easy to select and manipulate the natural background of the scene without creating new objects.
Vue is extensive but not overly complex:
By using the 3 main features listed above you can create a scene relatively easily. I created the wetland scene below using only stock vegetation, no terrain, and a few adjustments within the atmospheric editor. ( I did use the “Paint Ecosystem” feature to lay in this much vegetation quickly.)
For those interested in modeling outdoor scenes ……………….Vue really helps out (it almost feels like cheating).
If you have a working knowledge of other 3d rendering softwares you can pick your way through the controls relatively easily. Once you start playing around with vegetation, terrain, and atmosphere you have yourself a scene that looks pretty good. The 3 main features listed above (Vegetation, terrain, and atmosphere) are all you really need to get started and there are plenty of ways to adjust these components using different tools within Vue XStream.
Further descriptions and impressions of what it like to work with Vue to render outdoor scenes can be followed on the subpages below.
working with vue
- final animation techniques [Audubon Golf Course]
The softwares used to make the video include After Effect, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3ds Max, and Vue xStream. [Vue xStream] I use Vue to render the animation of growing vegetation. Generally, the steps of how to make a growing vegetation animation could refer here. In this scene, I create about fifteen trees and five shrubs for [...]
- TUTORIAL [growing vegetation animation]
Here is a tutorial of growing tree or flower in Vue. The following is a test rendering with growing trunk and leaves. In Vue, it is straightforward to make a animation like the sample. Basically the only one step is to set two key-frames: one at the beginning and one the end of the animation. [...]
- Rendering in Vue (natively)
This is a prototype render using the “preview” setting. You can adjust the quality of the render before you render it to maximize efficiency. If you are just running tests while developing the scene you may want to quickly run the renders at a lower setting like “preview”. ”Preview is relatively fast, and gives you [...]
