Tree from Curves video tutorial

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One of the coolest scripts that came along with Blender 2.46, is the Trees From Curves. This script was developed for the Peach Project, to create trees and brushes. If you want to know the basics of how this script works, Ideasman42 has produced a video tutorial, showing the basics to create a tree model.

The link for the video is available at the Blender Wiki, together with the documentation of the script. So, go there and start to make your own trees!

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    • fredpyo

      NEAT! Looks very useful!

      I imagined the following:
      Blender says to the Blenderhead: “Ok, just give me the basic shape, and let me fill in the rest for you!”
      We’re one step closer from the magical “make an awesome movie about ” button (;

      Haven’t checked the new scripts yet. Guess it’s time to give them a look.

      Thanks for developing this script, and for pointing it out!

    • http://kaeru02.neuf.fr/index.html kaeru

      Ah finally , we will understand how this script works …

      Thanks guys !

      Peace :-).

    • lexi

      hehe brushes (sic!) – look above – so the characters are able to annoy each other with strokes.

    • http://www.smick.net smick

      This is so great. I like it better than relying on some other program to create this kind of thing, even though many of the tree-plant programs I’ve seen are cool too. This is good because you don’t need to go elsewhere, rely on a certain OS for another app and you can depend on the settings to be what you need / can handle. PLus a library could be made pretty consistently for this kind of object. Love it.

    • Gwenouille

      Nice Tutorial !
      Campbell is very relaxed, doesn’t rush through the manipulations.
      Excellent script ! The man knows what he’s doing…
      I also likes the way he hesitates with the orientation of the leaves : very reassuring !

    • http://www.creaturefeature.info/ Ataru

      I wondered what that was… thanks Allan and Ideasman!

    • IAN 3D

      Help, where do I download the script?

    • BlenderLovingSquirrel2

      As a Crysis modder this is very awesome! Thank you!

    • BlenderLovingSquirrel2

      I mean wow this is just awesome guys the more i look at this script the more INCREDIBLY awesome I find it.

      Thanks!

    • ccherrett

      IAN3D It is in the script menu of blender. included in 2.46

    • zogdog

      I have tried this script several times and I keep getting this error
      Curve2Tree, starting…
      reading blenders curves…
      Traceback (most recent call last):
      File “”, line 3627, in do_tree_generate
      File “”, line 3608, in do_tree_generate__real
      File “”, line 3276, in buildTree
      File “”, line 269, in fromCurve
      TypeError: sort() takes no keyword arguments.

      System Version: Mac OS X 10.4.11
      Kernel Version: Darwin 8.11.0

      Can someone help me figure out what I am doing wrong.
      Thank You

    • campbell barton

      @zogdog, looks like your need python 2.4 or newer for this script, I didn’t test with an older python so my bad :/
      Next release of blender will probably not support py 2.3 since its getting a bit old.

    • zogdog

      Thank You.

      I do have the older version installed.

    • Andrew

      That tutorial was fantastic.
      Such a nice looking tree at the end.

      I would of liked it if he had zoomed out at the end and showed us a render, but still, a very easy to understand tutorial.

      I’m gonna give it a bash now.

    • IAN 3D

      ZOGDOG, where did you download the script, can’t find the link? PLEASE CAN ANYBODY HELP

    • IAN 3D

      Yes I have 2.46, searched everywhere in blender trees from curves script, CAN’T find it, please can somebody tell me how to find it?

    • http://www.martylog.com Martin

      Perfect for my current project! So many lovely surprises hidden in Blender.

    • http://kaeru02.neuf.fr/index.html kaeru

      @IAN 3D : normally it should be under wizards in the scripts window

      Peace :-).

    • rogper

      @IAN3D
      Yea! I also can’t find it and it isn’t under wizards :/
      We must have srew up something during the instal or something like that :(
      I have windows XPx64, what is yours OS?

    • Andrew

      This script is amazing!
      I’ve been fooling around with it today, and here’s my result (complete with BBB-esque grass):
      http://www.ironbarkstudios.com.au/misc/tree_test.jpg

      The blender dev team just keep on closing the flaws in Blender. :) I was considering getting Vue 6 just for the trees, but it looks like I won’t need to anymore!

      @IAN 3D: I had this problem as well. You will need to reinstall Blender, and when the question comes up as, “Where do you want to install the application data (with 3 options to choose from), choose the second option – install in Blender directory. That worked for me.
      I think it has something to do with it using the scripts from the previous versions stored in your windows directory.

      Anyway hope that works. Let me know if you’re still having issues.

    • rogper

      It worked for me, thanks Andrew! ^_~
      Nice tree btw :)

    • Tbot

      The script only comes with the pre-compiled packages. If you are running Linux find an RPM, windows download the installer. There should be a bundle download though, for those of us running stuff from Graphicall.org.

    • rogper

      O_O This is way cool! One can make a tree in less then 1 minute!
      Real thanks for this excelent tool Campbell as also for the great video tuturial!

    • PP

      Moi non plus je ne trouve pas le script, d’ailleurs le menu wizards (version 2.46) des scripts est vide !

    • PP

      J’ai essayé ce que préconise Andrew et… ça marche, merci beaucoup. Désolée pour le dérangement.

    • ati

      I have the same problem of zogdog on MAC.
      What can i do ?

    • IAN 3D

      OK, the script is not on my blender 2.46, can I download it from the web, can anybody help?

    • frank me
    • frank me

      IAN 3D–

      I found it here:

      http://projects.blender.org/plugins/scmsvn/viewcvs.php/trunk/blender/release/scripts/wizard_curve2tree.py?root=bf-blender&view=log

      then had to edit out the surrounding html code and moved it to my .blender directory

      –Frank

    • http://twoday.tuwien.ac.at/pub panzi

      very nice! :)

    • jojoe

      hey i cant use the scale thing wats up with that it scales if both arms are sel but not if only one is sel is scale still the s key in the new 2.46

    • Lucas Da Costa Dantas

      Great ,i will give a try .
      I guess that can be used for build characters and other stuff .

    • http://www.ceridwenproductions.com Bischofftep

      One problem I’m having! What key/click combination is he using to add the branches to the main trunk? I’ve tried left click to no avail. How do you add arbitrary points to the curve like that??

      Thanks for any help!

    • Marc

      Great tutorial and I can now make trees in a really speedy fashion.
      One problem though, I can see the leafs in the GE. I can see the object, but not the duplifamed leaf. Can this be corrected?

      Thanks.

    • DJ_Boxer

      @Bishofftep: He is using the L key for linking the extruded points to make the branches.

    • DJ_Boxer

      One question what is he doing when the trunk/curve splits into several pieces? Maybe shortcut keys could be added to the sides of the textpoints on what to do?

    • DJ_Boxer

      I know he said link key for the branches but how did he scale the trunk and get the seperate branches?

    • gilgamesh

      @jojoe: the scaling of the bezier vertex is done with ALT-S
      see http://blenderartists.org/forum/showthread.php?t=109760&page=2

    • http://home.deds.nl/~mp/ ysvry

      great tut and script gives good control to the artis.

    • dede

      i saw the tutorial..it great

      but i have a problem

      when i bevel depth extrude my curve doesnt becoma like a wire

      its taking a pyramid form
      can anyone help me and tell my why is that happening and how to fix it