Forest Pack 8 released

iToo Software has released a new version of its scattering plugin for 3ds Max. Headline features include Forest Sets, linked areas, Effects improvements, and more.

Forest Sets is a new helper plugin used to create a multi-purpose container for scene objects. A Forest Set object can be added to a Forest object as a collection of geometry, surfaces, references or areas. Multiple Forest Objects can share a Forest Set, making it simple to add or remove areas, geometry or surfaces and update several scatters from one easy-to-edit location. The contents of a layer can also be dynamically linked to a Forest Set, making it possible to update scatters by moving items between layers.

Also new is the ability to link to areas referenced in another Forest Pack object. Using this approach it is possible to have a parent Forest Object that controls all of the areas for several children. Combining Forest Sets and linked areas makes it possible to create flexible interlinked ecosystems.

Other features in Forest Pack 8 include:

• Surface UV mode has been improved with the ability to use Spline, Object, and other area types in combination with UV surfaces by projecting them along one of 3 axes 
• A new preset library of high quality photo-scanned autumn leaves. 
• Several Forest Effects improvements including the ability to use splines that are independent of distribution areas. Using this feature it is possible to modify just the parts of a larger scatter by enclosing them inside a path that has no impact on distribution areas. It is also now possible to read the material ID from the surface and splines.
• New Forest Effect presets are included to demonstrate how to implement the new Effects improvements, including the ability to rotate objects to follow splines, tilt objects to follow splines, scale by proximity to splines or within an area, limit by spline material ID and more.
• Forest Effects can now be filtered so that they only apply to a subset of the geometry list, allowing you to refine individual types of plants using the effects system.
• Is is now possible to scatter linked hierarchies. Forest Pack can even control or randomise the animation of linked hierachies just like a normal mesh.
• When using path mode, it’s now possible to shuffle the position of objects while still following the spline.
• Forest Pack’s icon now changes colour depending on three different error states.
• The brush size parameter used by Paint Areas is now available in the main interface for easier access. 

For a detailed overview, visit the Forest Pack 8 page on the iToo Software website.