Xfrog Adds Six New Procedural Objects to Maya for Creating Organic Models

June 27, 2011 – Xfrog has added six new procedural Objects to Maya. By combining these with Maya components/objects you can create a wide variety of organic models and animations using organic procedures (based on some of the building blocks of Nature). Xfrog tools behave exactly like Maya components, so you can keyframe them and combine them with PaintEffects or Particle animations or use MEL Scripts to drive them.

Xfrog 5 Procedural Objects

• Branch Object creates multi-level branching structures with extensive parameters to allow you to give them a natural look and feel.

• Phyllotaxis Object arranges components on an abitrary surface of revolution, according to the rules of nature (golden section). It is, for example, used in the sunflower screenshot above to arrange petals and seeds.
 
• Hydra Object arranges components in user defined specialized circular patterns.
 
• Curvature Object creates Splines which can be used as a basis for naturally curved leafs or twigs.
 
• Variation Object allows you to use and multiply different Objects with the Branch, Phyllotaxis and Hydra Objects, for example you can use different leaves scattered throughout a tree, or any sort of variations that you need for higher realism.
 
• Tropism Object lets your spline-based objects or works created with the Branch Object, all bend towards a gravity or light point. e.g. all branches bending downward in a very specific way or reaching upwards towards light. keyframe this during Growth animations.
 
All the tools can be animated over time by varying their parameters, such as number of branches, gravitropism, phototropism, etc. A convincing flower can be built and animated very easily, or a tree can be modeled and grown. All of Maya animation curve-editing features can be used, as well as MEL.

Xfrog 5 is compatible up to Maya 2012. Users with Maya 2008 or 2009 receive a key for Xfrog 4.3 with purchase of Xfrog 5.

For more information, tutorials and a free 30-day trial, visit the Xfrog 5 for MAYA product page.

Xfrog is a world leader in organic plant modeling and organic and ecosystem software research and development. Latest credits include Avatar and Alice in Wonderland and clients include Disney, ILM and Digital Domain. The XfrogPlants Libraries are over 2,000 botanically accurate plant models created with Xfrog procedural software in 29 libraries and include detailed documentation in 7 languages. Xfrog Modeling Software exists as plug-ins for Maya, CINEMA 4D, and as standalone Windows Software (Xfrog 3.5).