SpeedTreeRT Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) Topics

  1. What is SpeedTree?
  2. How long has SpeedTree been on the market?
  3. What are the various parts of SpeedTree?
  4. What games/companies use SpeedTree?
  5. Does SpeedTree do just trees?  What about bushes, flowers, grass, etc?
  6. What trees are in the library?
  7. Can I make my own trees?
  8. Does SpeedTree just generate tree meshes?
  9. Can I just export SpeedTrees somehow and use my existing mesh loader?
  10. Will SpeedTreeRT work with rendering engine/operating system/console/computer X?
  11. How long does it take to integrate SpeedTreeRT?
  12. What kind of technical support do we get?
  13. How do I start integrating SpeedTreeRT with my engine?
  14. What do I get by purchasing a full license for SpeedTree? What do I get by leasing?
  15. How much does SpeedTree cost?
  16. What is the process for licensing and obtaining SpeedTree?
  17. What parts of SpeedTree can I distribute with my game?
  18. Can I show screenshots, movies, or demos of my game?

FAQ Answers

What is SpeedTree?

SpeedTree is a suite of tools that is behind the best looking real-time forests in games and simulations today. It accomplishes this through a combination of art tools and run-time software.

How long has SpeedTree been on the market?

SpeedTreeMAX was introduced in February 2002. The first licenses of SpeedTreeRT were sold in late 2002.

What are the various parts of SpeedTree?

The SpeedTree suite is made up of a few different pieces that work together. SpeedTreeCAD is a stand-alone Windows® application that is used to create and edit trees. The SpeedTree Tree Model Library contains well over 1GB pre-made trees that can be used directly or used as starting points for other trees to be created in SpeedTreeCAD. SpeedTreeRT is the run-time component that is integrated into a game engine to load the files created by SpeedTreeCAD and create the actual geometry of the trees. SpeedTreeRT handles wind effects, level of detail (LOD) calculations, and billboarding of the leaves and the simple imposter/billboard trees used as the lowest LOD. SpeedTreeMAX and SpeedTreeMaya are plugins for 3D Studio MAX and Maya, respectively, that can be used to import SpeedTrees into those software packages for rendering and world building.

What games/companies use SpeedTree?

While IDV can not disclose a complete customer list, a portion of SpeedTree-powered titles have been publicly identified. Press releases, game screenshots and customer testimonials are featured prominently at www.speedtree.com.

Does SpeedTree just do trees? What about bushes, flowers, grass, etc?

Anything that grows like a plant can be modeled by SpeedTree. The Tree Library has examples of various types of deciduous, evergreen, and palm trees; bushes; flowers; and even underwater plants such as kelp While SpeedTree is probably not the most optimal solution for low-lying ground cover such as grass, it can (and has) been used as such. There is also a little-known secondary offering called “SpeedGrass” – contact sales@speedtree.com for more information.

What trees are in the Model Library?

IDV maintains a searchable online catalog of all members of the SpeedTree library, including trees, bushes, flowers, cacti, fantasy and even a marine series. Access the catalog at http://www.speedtree.com/tree_browser/.

Can I make my own trees?

Absolutely. SpeedTreeCAD was specifically designed to allow you to create and modify trees as much as you want. New variations of that same base tree are just a button click away. Textures for a tree can be real photographs or can be made in a variety of art packages, such as Photoshop® or procedurally with other 3rd party software.

Does SpeedTree just generate tree meshes?

No, the files that SpeedTreeCAD saves do not store mesh information. They store all the parameters from CAD so the tree can be recreated procedurally at runtime. This keeps the file size very small (5-7KB), even for very large and complex SpeedTrees. This also allows new variations of that tree to be randomly generated at run-time if desired.

Can I just export SpeedTrees somehow and use my existing mesh loader?

SpeedTrees are much more than just meshes. The reason they look so full with so few polygons is because the leaf cards always rotate to face the camera. If it were to be exported to a static mesh format, the leaves would not face the camera anymore and would face random directions, not to mention that you would lose all of the wind effect, LOD calculations, and lighting hints that you automatically get by using the SpeedTreeRT library.

That’s not to say that it couldn’t be done (and some of our customers have done this), but it would be just as much of a hurdle to build a system that uses SpeedTreeRT to create a static mesh as to integrate SpeedTreeRT with your game. You would have to reimplement some sort of algorithm for the leaves and do wind effects and LOD calculations on your own. The trees in your game would also very likely cease to look and act the same as they do in SpeedTreeCAD, causing some discrepancies between what your artists see in CAD and what’s rendered in the game engine.

Will SpeedTreeRT work with rendering engine/operating system/console/computer X?

SpeedTreeRT is rendering engine agnostic. That is, it is merely a numerical engine for creating the tree, handling wind effects and LOD calculations, etc. There isn’t a single rendering call inside the SpeedTreeRT library. Thus, SpeedTreeRT can be compiled and used on practically any modern platform, console, or engine. SpeedTreeRT handles creating the tree, wind effects, LOD, etc., and then outputs vertex data that you then render in your engine the same as anything else. Basically when you integrate SpeedTreeRT with your engine, you are writing a “wrapper class” that takes geometry data from SpeedTreeRT and gives it to your engine however it expects it. The SpeedTreeRT SDK comes with examples of wrapper classes for OpenGL, DirectX, etc.

The evaluation version of SpeedTreeRT, however, is limited to certain platforms. Windows PC, Xbox® 360, and PLATSTATION®3 are the supported platforms for the evaluation versions.

How long does it take to integrate SpeedTreeRT?

Usually, not very long. We’ve had reports of a day or so to a week or two. Obviously, differences in engines and the extent to which the integration is optimized affect how long it takes. The fastest way to get SpeedTreeRT integrated is to start with the reference rendering code and modify it, rather than to try to integrate it from scratch.

What kind of technical support do we get?

The technical support for SpeedTree is handled by the developers. The email support@speedtree.com is forwarded to everyone on the SpeedTree project, so it is the fastest way to get your questions answered. Business, sales, and marketing questions should be sent to sales@speedtree.com.

How do I start integrating SpeedTreeRT with my engine?

A good way to get started is to skim through the extensive documentation for both SpeedTreeRT and SpeedTreeCAD. These documents hold a wealth of information about how SpeedTree works from a conceptual and internal standpoint. But when it comes to coding, probably the number one best source of information is the reference code in the SDK. Every feature that SpeedTree provides is implemented in this application. Usually, we advocate that users new to SpeedTree use some of the classes (most notably the wrapper and forest classes) from the reference code straight in their applications. Then, once SpeedTree is integrated and working, they can delve down into the code and optimize it for their particular needs.

What do I get by purchasing a full license for SpeedTree? What do I get by leasing?

A full license of SpeedTree grants you the right to publish a game and related marketing materials for that game. You get the full source code of the SpeedTreeRT library and the complete Tree Model Library, rather than the subset given out to evaluators. You also get unrestricted versions of the MAX and MAYA plug-ins.

The lease option grants you evaluation keys for the SpeedTreeRT library indefinitely, but not the source code. You also get the full Tree Library and unrestricted versions of the MAX and MAYA plug-ins with a lease version. Leasing is a good option for smaller development companies that don’t have a lot of money to spend up front. However, it will cost more in the long run.

How much does SpeedTree cost?

For current pricing of SpeedTree products and services, go to our sales page. For multiple title and platform deals, discounts may be available. Contact sales@idvinc.com for details.

What is the process for licensing and obtaining SpeedTree?

As soon as a license agreement has been signed and payment has been received by IDV, the licensed software will be added to your download account.

What parts of SpeedTree can I distribute with my game?

Before any sort of distribution, a full license of SpeedTree must be purchased. Following this, the SpeedTreeRT library must be fully integrated with your game before distribution. This means that either a static library is used or the source code must be built in (no DLLs may be distributed). No source code from the SDK can be distributed, with some exceptions for modified wrapper classes from the samples (contact support@speedtree.com for verification). Art files such as .spt files and textures from the tree library can be distributed with the game, but not on their own. If you have any questions, feel free to contact support@speedtree.com. 

Can I show screenshots, movies, or demos of my game?

Evaluators: The Evaluation Use Agreement limits distribution of the game or any derivatives thereof to those working for the organization named in the Agreement. IDV will grant waivers for limited showings outside the organization, such as sharing movies or a demo prototype with a publisher. But uses including, but not limited to, posting SpeedTree-powered screenshots or movies on a publicly-accessible website, displaying a game that features SpeedTree at tradeshows, or sharing images with the games press or providing the game to players, even in a free, beta setting, are not permitted until a license has been put in place.

Lease Licensees: While SpeedTree is being leased (as opposed to fully licensed), no revenue-generating use may be made of any version of the game featuring SpeedTree. Limited promotional uses are acceptable, however. For example, screenshots and movies of the game may be distributed via websites, at tradeshows etc., and playable demos may be given to publishers and to a small community of beta testers/players, as long as they are not charged for access. A game featuring SpeedTree may not be sold or used in any other way to generate revenue, however, until the final lease payment is made, which converts the lease to a full license.

Full Licensees: Any distribution or promotional use of SpeedTree-powered game content (screenshots, movies, demos, sale of game etc.) is fine, and even encouraged by IDV, as long as it is consistent with the terms of the license agreement.

NOTICE: The above description of distribution rights of game products and derivatives is not in any way a legal document and does not modify or negate any terms or any agreement in place between IDV and other organizations. Licenses between IDV and other parties vary, and may or may not conform precisely to the above description. In all questions of meaning and interpretation, the license agreement prevails. For any questions, please contact IDV directly at sales@idvinc.com