Game Ready Tree Creation From Maya to Unreal by Simon Barle

Tutorial created in collaboration with LevelupDigital on how to create trees for real time graphics using simple and easy to follow along methods.

We’re thrilled to be featuring a tutorial by Simon Barle, a game industry veteran with experience from titles like Star Wars Battlefront and Battlefield V. In this fully narrated tutorial, you will get insights into his AAA workflow for creating trees.

Simon breaks down the process by sharing insights into how photogrammetry can be used as a tool for understanding shapes and surfaces. He shows his high poly modeling techniques for the tree trunk, berries, leaves, and branches. He covers sculpting in Zbrush, UV creation and setup, bark texture creation, tree texturing, preparing the model for game engine use, and shader creation in Unreal.

Simon also shares critical insights into how to optimize assets for production while keeping the final quality in mind. If you want in-depth insight into how an industry pro creates foliage for games, this is the tutorial for you.