The APEX Vegetation feature, which has been tightly integrated into the SpeedTree Modeler, allows the artist to quickly transform static trees and forests into interactive, dynamic elements that can play an integral role in gameplay.
Key features of APEX Vegetation include:
SpeedTree 5.0 Modeler integration to ensure turnkey operation
Support for deformation/destruction and leaf emitters
Full artist control over physical trees
Access to the SpeedTree Library with predefined physical trees
Cross-platform support (PC, PC+GPU, PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii)
Easy scalability for different gaming platforms
Support for networking and AI
Level of Detail control
SpeedTree 5.0 Modeler
Using the Windows-based SpeedTree 5.0 Modeler (pictured at right), the artist can use both procedural and hand modeling techniques to modify trees from the SpeedTree library, or create precise, customized new trees that simulate a wide variety of important physical features, including bone skeleton resolution, breakability, deformation of tree parts, damage parameters, and leaf emitter rates (by using physical objects to test collision interactions and effects).
APEX Vegetation Runtime
The Vegetation runtime manages the simulation of trees created in the SpeedTree 5.0 Modeler using the NVIDIA PhysX SDK in your application. Trees can fully interact with all objects in the physics scene. The Vegetation runtime also manages Level of Detail, and can scale the quality of simulation based on the capabilities of the hardware platform.
APEX Vegetation can be used in a variety of scenarios, for example:
Grenades or other explosives, which can make a tree deform or destruct and drop or spray physical leaves in pre-determined quantities based on detonation power and proximity.
Car, aircraft or other actor strikes, which will result in realistic tree deformation and/or destruction.
