RAC 2009 - RPC tree geometry

[ws]

I wondered what others are doing with the new very solid RPC trees (the basic geometry) in RAC 2009 - do you duplicate Views and make them transparent, for example - or swap them out for different trees (which sort of defeats the object of the integrated rendering).

Rendering is OK, but they do not look good in a regular 3D view or elevation.

Or quite possibly I'm missing something in how to use the trees?

[etboards17]

I am concerned about the same thing. I have a few elevation perspectives that I want to export with foliage. The solid RPC trees do have an effect, but I want them to be less noticable.

I went ahead and opened the family and attempted to modify the material display. There is a transparency channel, but when set at any value, the tree still maintains its opaque effect.

There needs to be a course and fine setting for the trees. I could see the solid material being for course and a nice wire frame or translucent material for the fine display setting.

What would you do?

[etboards17]

Did find one solution:

If you right click on the element and go to Override Graphics in View>By Element a little menu comes up and lets you make the RPC trees transparent. However the outline of the tree is still un-desirable. There are other settings such as line work and surface patterns that have effects you can sample to see if anything satisfies.

Nothing worked in my scene.

[david.kingham]

If you edit the family you can either turn off the visibility of the rpc tree altogether (it will still render) or change the visibility of it so it's no visible in elevation, or just at a fine level of detail, just go into the properties of the rpc and you will find these options

[ws]

thanks David and etb...

I'll play about with those.

The bases to the trees are the worst thing - I quite like the outline of the trees showing.

[johnf.77896]

Has anyone figured out how to change the transparency settings for the trees? I can override but it is an all or nothing transparency, it would be great if you could do a percentage so that the trees are still a little visable, so you could see objects that are behind the trees.

Thanks
John Fleming
GMK Architecture, inc.

[jmaurer]

The most effective way I've found is do two renderings - one with the trees visible and one without. Then take the images into Photoshop as two separate layers and adjust the transparency of the top layer.

[patricks]

I actually rather like the new tree shape outline in elevation instead of the old "bundle o' sticks" that the Accurender trees looked like in elevation.