Unity 5 was announced this morning with one resounding theme: Democratization. The world of video game engines is undergoing a massive shift in how video games develop as the smaller indie developers like Facepunch Studios and Camoflaj release stunning titles without the aid of major studios. The integration of powerful technologies such as SpeedTree and Oculus VR directly into their game engine levels the playing field of game development by putting these tools into the hands or both the casual developer and major studios. New features allow developers what they need to realize their visual and gameplay concepts quickly, without needing a large team or high overhead. Needless to say, this fits right in with our goals in providing access to our SpeedTree software and assets to Unity 5 users.
SpeedTree is integrated in Unity 5 through the subscription-based Modeler and the availability of assets for purchase in both the Unity storefront and the SpeedTree store. Our Modeler provides Unity 5 users access to some of the same tools used by AAA studios and VFX artists through a monthly subscription. For $19 a month, users can create as many assets as they need and import them directly into the Unity engine. Meaning that if you only need SpeedTree for one month to create a forest of randomized trees you can pay for that month and retain all your assets once finished. Be sure to watch the video of today’s presentation and read through the release notes for Unity 5, there’s so much more than we can fit into one post!
Some of the benefits of SpeedTree in Unity 5:
- Multiple resolutions with each asset
- Seasonal Variations
- Artist-Tuned LOD
- Artist-Tuned Wind Effects
- Helper SPM Models
- Branch Seam Reduction
- Preset Ambient Occlusion
- Preset Collision Objects
- Quality Textures