Advanced Billboard System for 3D

The Advanced Billboard System (ABS) for 3D enables you to replicate the illumination falloff and dynamic shading of an intricately detailed 3D model of a plant or tree - all on a 2D planar surface.

The ABS consists of a set of shaders and bitmap image layers that combine to provide a richly detailed and dynamically lit final result not easily replicable using standard 3D scene lighting solutions.

Ideal for use as part of a medium to long-range backdrop of a 3D scene, the ABS has been designed as a superior alternative to standard billboards that have static illumination properties.

Billboards in 3D are bitmaps projected onto a 2D plane that is made to face the camera. With the color values being baked into the texture, the texels almost always retain their illumination levels relative to each other, irrespective of the position or intensity of light sources in the scene. One part of the texture won’t be shaded differently than another.

With the ABS, each texel takes into account a pre-assigned surface normal orientation, and, as a result, each texel is dynamically shaded with respect to the position, intensity and number of light sources. Resulting in trees that are always correctly illuminated by scene lights, with individually lit leaves and separately shaded branches.

Features

Single polygon with dynamically lit texels

More computationally efficient to render than an elaborately structured 3D model.

Leaf translucency

Accurately simulates leaf translucency when lit from behind.

Triple layer ambient occlusion

A method of simulating illumination falloff and shading developed specifically for plants and trees.

Dynamically shifting self-shadow

Softly transitions between baked shadow maps relative to a moving main light source.

Gamma-correct alpha compositing

Uses a linear workflow compliant compositing process to eliminate dark fringes at the edge of opaque portions of the bitmap.

Broad compatibility

ABS billboards can be generated from just about any 3D model of a plant or tree in any file format.

Get in touch

Drop me a line at info@maxanima.com

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