Unreal Engine 4.3 throws in SpeedTree for free
Originally posted on 20 June. Scroll down for updates.
Unreal Engine 4.3 will support SpeedTree natively when it ships next month, Epic Games has announced.
The move gives indie developers access to IDV’s system for real-time modelling and rendering of vegetation, used on AAA titles like Battlefield 4, Hawken and the upcoming The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
SpeedTree for free – sort of
If you’re on a standard $19/month Unreal Engine subscription, you get access to the SpeedTree runtime, which lets you buy plants from IDV’s online store and drop or paint them into your environments.
Each comes with LoDs and wind forces ready set up.
But to edit the assets further, you’re going to need IDV’s SpeedTree Modeler software, which will cost a further $19/month – not a lot in the grand scheme of things, but equal to the price of the engine itself.
Similar support in Unity 5
IDV also recently announced similar support for SpeedTree in the upcoming Unity 5.
Updated 17 July: Unreal Engine 4.3 is shipping, complete with its integration of SpeedTree. Subscribers get three free sample trees, and can buy more in the new UE4 Tree Store for $10 to $39 each.
Read more about SpeedTree for Unreal Engine 4 on IDV’s website
Watch IDV discuss SpeedTree in Epic Games’ Twitch stream
(Starts around 00:30:00 in the recorded stream for 19 June)