Forest Release Notes

Forest Pack 8.2.2 Release Notes

ForestSet Improvements

• Implemented support for ForestSet in 'Forest' type Areas.
• Enhanced efficiency of Object areas using ForestSet.
  • Instead of creating one large area using the geometry of all objects in the set, areas are now individually generated internally, one for each object.

Library Browser Improvements

• Included support for ForestLOD and ForestSet.
  • Note: This feature necessitates saving the library scene with Forest 8.2.2 or a later version.
• Added a new option in Library Browser -> Preferences -> 'Use unique names on imported objects'.
  • Default setting: Library objects are imported into the 'forest_templates' layer with a unique identifier, '_forest_library_XXXX'.
  • When enabled, this option allows users to disable the prefix and import objects using their original names.
  • Caution: Disabling this option may overwrite existing objects in the layer with the same name.

V-Ray Support

• Introduced support for V-Ray 5 in 3DS Max 2024.
• Reinstated support for V-Ray 3.6, previously removed in FP 8.2.0.

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the Forest object would be permanently disabled if Distributed Rendering in V-Ray was used with 'Use local host' unchecked.
• Resolved artifacts encountered when using high Resolution values (above 4096) in Object Areas.
• Added a previously missing message in the Library Browser when loading Forest Pro items in Forest Lite.

Forest Pack 8.2.1

• Changed the way that Forest handles texture paths:

  • In previous versions, all the libraries defined in the Library Browser were scanned by searching for a maps folder. Next, these folders are added to 3DS Max in Customize>Configure Project Paths>'xternal Files.

  • Now, only the built in library (Forest Library) is scanned. You can extend it to all libraries by unchecking Library Browser->Preferences->Only Built In Library.

  • Forest repeats the scanning process when the plugin is loaded. In addition, a button is added to Library Browser>Preferences to launch the process manually.

• Fixed: Forest Material renders completely black in V-Ray (broken in FP 8.2.0).

• Fixed: Forest quad menu is not available unless initialization script (forestpack.ms) is executed manually.

• Fixed: Color Management profile is reset to "unmanaged" in Max 2024, when using Forest.

• Fixed memory leak in Max 2023 and before when using Display->Mesh mode.

• Fixed: Distribution by Particle Flow generates duplicated items.

Forest Pack 8.2.0

• Added support for 3DS Max 2024.
• Added support for Arnold 7.2 in 3DS Max 2022 and above.
• Removed support for Mental Ray.
• Removed support for V-Ray 4.0 (if you use it, please upgrade to V-Ray 4.3).
• Force removal of old DLLs from the 3DS Max root folder.

Forest Pack 8.1.0

• Fixed shadow of trimmed elements in Edge Mode, when using a Surface as area, and rendering with V-Ray 6.10.02.
• Improved viewport behaviour when editing items on Custom Edit and rendering with V-Ray IPR.
• Fixed crash using animation modes and Corona Interactive Render.
  • Due to some limitations, animation modes with IR is available only in Corona 10 and above.
• Fixed: camera clipping is not updated on the viewport when the camera is deleted.
• Library import options are enabled only for libraries, not for folders.

Forest Pack 8.0.8

• New Effect function: 'fpTrimEdgeSpline(spline)'
  • Applies Edge checking (similar to Area->Edge mode) of the current item with the specified spline.
  • It works with any distribution mode, including Custom Edit and path.
  • It may be slow with large distributions, use it with caution. Also for performance reasons, it works at render time only.
• Added support of ForestSet for Object Areas. 
• Added 'Disable Set Content' to ForestSet. When enabled, Set content is ignored, working as an empty object.
• Fixed crash setting Object Area->Top Limit to zero.
• Fixed rare crash of multithreaded process computing exclude areas from other Forest objects.
• Fixed: Fake Shadows doesn't work in V-Ray.
• Fixed: Effect Name is not updated when loading from Library.

Forest Pack 8.0.7

• Added toolbar icon for ForestSet.
• Improved performance for animated Corona Proxies (Corona v10 and above).
• Fixed: using Interactive Renderers, object is always rebuilt with view changes, ignoring the parameter Camera->'Enabled on Viewport/IR'
• Improved updating of Forest objects with Interactive Renderers, not rebuilding them in some cases where it was not necessary.
• Fixed hangup using slow procedural geometries (such as GrowFX) shared between several Forest objects.
• Fixed potential crash using Collisions checking with unresolved XRefs.
• Fixed: 'Surface Area' is not updated in Area rollup when adding or removing Surfaces.
• Fixed: Forest Lister->Rebuild doesn't update for splines included in a ForestSet.
• Fixed behaviour of Undo/Redo of Paint Areas when painting is not activated.
• Library items are added to the Geometry List in alphabetic order.
• Added checking to prevent empty values in some text controls (as Name in Geometry List).

Forest Pack 8.0.6

Fixes

• Fixed crash in V-Ray in some special cases (i.e. using VRayDistanceTex with the Forest object).
• Fixed crash using ForestSet with interactive renderers.
• Fixed: toolbar is not restored to its latest position when Max is loaded.

Forest Pack 8.0.5

Fixes

• Fixed error computing distance from item to area (used in Falloff, Edge Mode and other features).
• Fixed behavior of nested areas in ForestSet.
• Fixed: Selected items on Custom Edit mode are not visible when using Display->Mesh/Proxy mode.
• Fixed potential issues with circular references of ForestSet.
• Fixed misspelled name in ForestSet object.
• Display->'Direct X Acceleration' is removed (it was not needed for recent Max versions).

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 8.0.4

New Features

• New helper plugin: ForestSet.
  • It works as a container for a set of objects, which can be assigned in Forest as Geometry, Surface or Spline.
  • For Geometry, a random item of the set is assigned as source geometry. For Surfaces and Splines, all items of the set are used as input.
  • It can also be used as input for Distribute by Reference/Path/Particle Flow.
  • Can get items from the list, or directly from layers. To add multiple layers, separate names by commas.
  • ForestSet accepts any scene object as input, but only compatible types are used in each case. For example, a Spline cannot be used as a surface.
  • Groups, ForestLOD and Forest objects are not supported as items.
  • It supports nesting (ForestSet within other ForestSet).
  • ForestSet can set Wireframe Colour to Icon, to distinguish it for different uses.

• Added Geometry->"Include Children" option.
  • When enabled, includes children objects of the source geometry, keeping their hierarchy.
  • Children hierarchy is handled internally as a group, but without a group object.
  • Because of technical limitations, child  items cannot be imported from the Library.
  • Geometry->"Keep Group" can be used with hierarchies ("Include Children" option)."Keep Group" is set to enabled by default.
  • Animation of the children is supported when using Forest Packs animation features
• Linked Areas
  • It lets you pick an area of another Forest object, inheriting their parameters.
  • For example, you could assign a Spline in a "master" Forest object, and use it as an area in other Forest objects, without reassigning the spline multiple times.
  • Parameters specific to each type of Area are inherited (as Spline/Object, Thickness, etc.), while common parameters (as Falloff) are local and can be modified.
  • Not all combinations may work. I.e. a linked "Object Area" can be used only as Exclude, not as an Include area.
  • To preserve UI space, the 'Add Multiple' button was removed, and replaced with the 'Add Linked Area' button. Now to add multiple areas, just click SHIFT + Add Area button.
• Linked Surfaces
  • Added a "Get from Forest" option. It lets you use all the Surfaces from another Forest object.
• Added support of Areas for UV Surface mode.
  Some limitations apply:
  • All areas are projected in a direction (X/Y/Z), according to the Area->Projection Axis parameter.
  • Area->"Distribution Map" parameters are not supported in UV mode.
  • Edge Mode requires a Spline or Paint area. It cannot be used directly over the surface.
  • Changing the Projection Axis in a non-empty Paint area may generate unexpected results. Always select Projection Axis before starting to paint.

Improvements

• Added Distribution by Path->Rand.Pos. to randomize position along the path.
• To make it easier to identify the status of a Forest object, the  'F' icon is drawn in different colours, depending on the error condition:
  • Error (no area, max.density, etc): Red.
  • No items, or hidden by Camera clipping: Yellow.
  • Other (new FP object, disabled): Orange.
  • This feature can be disabled setting useColoredIcon=0 in forestPack.ini (at C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\<max version>\ENU\en-US\plugcfg
• Added warning when loading a scene created with a later Forest version.
• Added a new button to rebuild selected objects to Forest Lister.
• Added 'Brush Size' to Areas->Paint.
  • It's same value of 'Max Size' in Painter settings dialog.
• Improvements to Forest Effects:
  • Added a selector to filter effects by geometry model, similar to Areas.
  • Added a new type of parameter: Spline.
  • Added new functions for spline checking. All of them work in 2D, using XY local plane (Z projection):
    • insideSpline(spline, pos): returns 1 if the specified position is inside the Spline, 0 if not.
    • distanceSpline(spline, pos): returns nearest distance in 2D from position to the spline.
    • nearestPosSpline(spline, pos): returns nearest point from position to the spline.
    • nearestTangSpline(spline, pos): returns the tangent of a nearest point from position to the spline.
  • Added new fpItem attributes:
  • surfMatID: material ID on Surface.
  • splineMatID:: material ID on Spline. Distribution by Path only.
• When rendering with V-Ray CPU User Properties of source nodes are inherited on instanced items.
• Added support for Vertex Color when rendering with Arnold

Fixes

• Fixed crash in ForestLod when Forest is not initialized yet (without any Forest object in the scene).
• Fixed rare crash in V-Ray with VRayMultiTexmap.
• Fixed issues in Library Browser with HiDPI screens.
• Fixed texture errors rendering V-Ray Alembic proxies.
• Fixed: Forest Effects Parameter Attributes are duplicated when the editor is opened multiple times.
• Fixed: Forest Effects name is overwritten when edited.
• Fixed: Forest Effects Texmap->Clear button doesn't work.
• Fixed: Forest Effects Environment variables cannot be used to define the Effects path.
• Fixed issues in Effects browser for paths with non-ascii characters.
• Fixed alignment of a single item when is part of a group.
• Fixed: Custom Edit with "Link to Surface" off, applies Random Z translation twice.
• Display->"Use Direct X" is removed and enabled by default.
•  Fixed: Distribution->Reference mode doesn't work well with mirrored references

.

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7.4.3

• Added support for V-Ray 6 (stable version).
• Fixed rare crash using Point-cloud mode with GrowFX objects.
• Fixed crash using geometry objects with name starting by '*'.
• "Distribution By Mesh"->"Match Geometry by Name" now randomizes the geometry for each face, if there are multiple matching names.
  .

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7.4.2

• Added support for V-Ray 6 beta (experimental).
• Fixed crash with recent releases of Laubwerk Plants.
• Distribution->Reference->'Match Geometry by Name' now works with 'Mesh Faces' mode, besides 'Pivot'.
• Fixed: LOD doesn't work with Reference Distribution modes.
• Fixed: Forest Lite's Surface buttons are disabled.

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7.4

New features and improvements

• Added support for 3DS Max 2023.
• Added support for Arnold 7.1 (MaxToA 5.2 and greater).
• Previous Arnold versions are no longer supported. You can upgrade to the latest release from here: https://www.arnoldrenderer.com/arnold/download/ (Arnold for 3DS Max)
• For 3DS Max 2022 and above, Forest Pack is now installed at C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\ApplicationPlugins, using the latest package format for plugins.
• The target folder for 3DS Max 2022 and above can be customized in the installer.
• Support for silent installation to render nodes has been added. (/S in the command line).
• The Installer detects if 3DS Max is running and can close it
• Added support to Corona Physical in Optimize Materials.
• New field for Forest Lister: Stats. It shows the Forest build time.
• By default this field is hidden. You must add it from the Lister configuration.
• Added support for regular expressions to Distribution->"Reference Objects"->"Match by Geometry Name". 
• Geometry->Name is used as regular expression, and reference object name as an input. 
• The match must be complete, not only for a part of the expression. For example, 'teapot001' matches with 'teapot.*', but not with 'teapot'.
• Distribution Map Channel is always set to 1 for new FP objects (previously it would inherit value of other FP objects in the scene).

Fixes

• Removed double-click behaviour for Forest Lister->Name field (which should allow rename), because it was not working well. Now it just selects the object.
• Fixed rare crash getting internal statistics.
• Fixed: Forest Color no longer working on non Forest objects.
• Fixed Edge Mode on Exclude splines when Distribution Map is rotated.
• Fixed: Forest Tools->"Enable before Start" doesn't work as intended.

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7.3.1

• Added Render Cache Size to log (General->Log Mode must be set to 'Debug').
• Added support for mirrored items in Distribution by Reference.
• Fixed: Distribution by Reference ignores the Pivot of the referenced object.
• Fixed Random Z traslation when using Distribution by Path and Surfaces.
• Fixed crash editing materials when V-Ray IPR is running.
• Fixed alignment when Custom Object is part of a group, but is used as standalone object.
• Modified behaviour of Name column in Forest Lister: single click to select FP object, double click to rename.

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7.3

New Features and Improvements

• Added Distribution->Reference->"Match Geometry by Name".
  • Assigns a specific item, matching the name of the referenced object with the names of the Geometry list.
  • For example, object "box001" will be matched with Geometry "Box". Uppercase and Lowercase are equivalent (case insensitive rule).
  • If there are multiple matches, a random Geometry from the matching items is assigned.
  • If none matches, the first Geometry in the list is assigned. To check matches easily, we suggest setting the first items in the geometry list as a 'Disabled' item with a recognizable name (i.e. 'none').
• Support for 3DS Max groups is rewritten from scratch. Now groups can be used in a more standard way, by checking the new Geometry->"Keep Group Hierarchy" parameter:
  • When disabled, items are scattered together (as before) each with its own transformation. I.e. Random Rotation rotates the item using its pivot, not the group pivot. Same when the item is placed over a surface. Also, items are excluded individually for camera clipping, exclude areas, etc.
  • Instead, when "Keep Group Hierarchy" is enabled,  a group is handled as a single unique entity (similar to the Max group behaviour).
  • By default "Keep Group Hierarchy" is disabled for existing scenes, but enabled when a new group is added to Geometry.
  • Now the group's Pivot is taken into account to place the item. If your existing scenes using groups are misaligned, please align the group pivot properly (usually moving Z to its base).
• Added support for VRayVolumeGrid objects.
• Added support for native light instancing in V-Ray.
  • Requires V-Ray 5.2 or greater
  • Lights can now be randomised using FP Colour or V-Ray multi-subtex maps
• Billboard templates are removed from the "forest_templates" layer. Now they are stored internally.
  • Billboards are now limited to simple planes (one to four faces). Other models are removed. If templates already exist in the layer (i.e created by previous Forest versions), they are removed when the scene is saved.
• Added compatibility with Arnold 7.
  • Previous Arnold versions are no longer supported. You can upgrade to the latest release from here
  • When Forest is not compatible with the current Arnold version, a warning message will be displayed.
• Restored the Camera parameter. It lets you assign manually a Camera for Limit to Visibility and Distance Falloff. 
  • When empty, the Camera is taken automatically from render view, as before.
• Distribution by Path uses path direction for Random Translation, instead of translating the item on XY plane.
• Display Proxy mode is set to "Pyramid" by default, instead of "Plane".
• When adding complex models, Forest suggests setting Display mode to 'Proxy', instead of Point-cloud as before. This is more efficient in recent Max releases.
• The default size for Distribution X/Y is increased from 10m to 100m., which is more suitable for a trees distribution.
• Added support for non-geometric objects to Library Browser. Fixed issues with scaled Custom Objects.

Fixes

• Fixed load of Library Presets using repeated objects in Geometry List.
• Fixed column width of list boxes (Geometry, Areas, etc) on HiDPI screens (requires Windows 10 or above).
• Fixed: VRayCryptomatte renders Forest objects in black colour.
• Fixed: colours generated by Forest Color are not consistent when scattering lights.
• Fixed error loading Library presets with Disabled/Template items.
• Fixed: Forest Lite doesn't support splines at different heights.
• Fixed Maxscript security error when closing Optimize Material dialog.
• Fixed: Areas->Force Open Spline doesn't work with Exclude areas.
• Fixed: Camera->Limit to Visibility and Distance Falloff doesn't work with Arnold renderer.
• Fixed: Render nodes using "3dsmaxbatch.exe" (as Royal Render) cannot run without a license.
• Fixed rare crash cleaning the Forest template layer, when the scene is saved. 
• Fixed: Library->"Import from 3DS Max files" would assign the wrong Max file, when importing from multiple scenes.

Forest Pack Lite/Pro 7

Scattering Lights

The Items List now accepts non-geometric objects, including lights, splines and more. There are several things you need to know, depending on the render engine you use. 

• V-Ray & Arnold. It's not possible to animate or change the distribution. Items are scattered as in frame 0.
• Corona Renderer & Octane. fully supported, no limitations.
• Other engines may be supported in the future.
• A 'Non Geometric Object' option has been added to the Geometry rollout. When enabled, the object is handled as a non-geometric object. Forest will try to instance it keeping the original format, instead getting a mesh. (For many objects this is not necessary and Forest will detect the correct format automatically). 

Colour Correction

• New colour correction tools allow the user to adjust Hue Shift, Saturation and Brightness for all "Forest Color" textures used by the object.
• The effects can be disabled for specific textures by turning off Apply Color Correction in a Forest Colour map.

New Libraries

Several new Libraries are available as follows:

• New Hedge Library of 89 presets. Two types are available, linear presets that distribute hedges along a spline, and Topiary presets that use a surface to create bushes of any shape. 
• New Stumps Library of 40 photoscanned assets. Optimised presets are also included for scattering over large areas.
• The3DGarden samples are now integrated into Forest Pack, creating a free and growing collection of high-quality plants. 

Animation 

• Animation modes are now supported in Corona.
• Scattering over animated UV Surfaces is improved to generate a more consistent result during the animation. 

Real time

• Supported by Unreal Datasmith.
• Supported by Project Lavina.
• Unity compatible, export through new Forest Tools options and import to Unity (using a new experimental plugin package available by clicking here.

Using References

Reference mode has been improved with the following features:

• Multiple Items per face.
• The ability to randomise each items position on the marker.
• The ability to filter markers by material ID.
• The ability to select multiple references from a scene using Max’s pin stack option.

Usability

• Added General->Settings->Use Single Rollout.
• When enabled, a single Forest rollout is open at time. Opening one rollout collapses the others.
• For 3DS Max 2017 and earlier, this feature works only clicking the rollout title, not using the contextual rollouts menu.
• The Creation window has been simplified and improved:
• Default with/height for billboards is removed.
• Custom Edit mode is removed. To create a FP object in Custom Edit mode, create as icon and next open the "Tree Editor" rollout as usual.
• The Geometry List can be populated from scene selection (first select objects in the scene, next create Forest object). If there are items selected both in a library and the scene, the library has priority.
• Two new ways to add items to the geometry list based on a scene selection.
• When creating a new Forest Object:
  1. Select items from the scene. 
  2. Go to the Create panel and click to create a Forest Object. 
  3. Ensure 'Populate From Selection' is checked. 
  4. Create a Forest Object as normal.
• Using Pin Stack:
  1. Click the "Pin Stack" icon below the Modifier panel.
  2. Select objects from the scene.
  3. Click the Geometry->Add button.
  4. Reselect the Forest object.
  5. Turn off Pin Stack.
• Default mode for Geometry List changed to "Custom Object". Also, the Pick button is enabled automatically when a new item is added.
• Camera rollout is reorganized and simplified.
• The 'Camera' parameter is removed. Now Camera data is fetched automatically from the active view/render, in a much more reliable way.
• To improve viewport performance, Camera features are disabled on viewport by default. You must turn on the "Enable on Viewport" checkbox.
• Fixed issues with Batch render when rendering from different cameras.
• "Use Environment Range" option is removed for LOD/Falloff.

Library Browser

The library Browser has been rewritten from the ground up to make it easier to develop new features in the future. This initial release adds the following improvements.

• New process to import objects/presets to the Library:
• Library Items are created from scene selection.
• Material Library and Max scene is generated automatically.
• Assets can be collected to a maps folder.
• Added toolbar option to open Library Browser.
• Improved search that finds matching items across all libraries and includes.
• New options added Library Browser→Settings:
  • 'Add maps to 3DS Max texture paths'. When enabled, Forest scans recursively all Library paths, searching 'maps' folders, and adding them to 3DS Max User's paths.  (this is the same option 'collectTexturePaths' defined in forestpack.ini).
  • 'Exclude Network paths'. If enabled, network paths are excluded the scan maps process.
  • Both options are enabled by default.

Forest Colour

Forest Color works on items instantiated by Forest Tools., to use it. 

•  Forest Color->Override must be on.
• Tint/Map works by Item only. Element mode is not supported.
• V-Ray GPU is not supported.
• Forest Color can even be used on non-Forest objects, with the same restrictions as items instantiated by Forest Tools.

Other Improvements

• Supports GBUFFER - object  ID in V-Ray.
• Added support for 'Instance ID' when using VRayUVWRandomizer and VRayMultiSubTex with Forest Pack.
• Improved randomness for other Distribution modes than "Image". Previous versions would create visible patterns.
• To keep the distribution of existing scenes, this is applied only to new FP objects.
• If you want to "upgrade" your FP object so it works as created with FP7, select it and run from Maxscript: $.trees.resetCreatedVersion()
• V-Ray now uses the materials assigned to each Custom Object, instead of the Automaterial.
• When there’s no surface applied, items are now aligned with the height of their spline.area. In previous versions the topmost spline area would be used. 
• Added optimization for Interactive Rendering (Corona and V-Ray), when using Viewport->Mesh mode.
• Now proxies and non-geometric objects are rendered using the V-Ray instancing engine (similar to VRayInstancer), instead of iToo functions.
• For other animation modes than 'Disabled' and 'Follow Animation', the old method is still used due to limitations of the VRayInstancer mode.
• Added TForestIntance::tintUVW to the Forest API.
• Updated the Material Optimiser tool.
  • Added support for Corona.
  • Added speed improvements when many items share the same material.
  • Added WIP support for adding Forest Colour maps to translucency inputs.

  • The .ini file now is saved in userscripts folder instead of program files so no admin rights are needed.

• Added support for picking multiple items from the Quad menu > Select tools.
  • Hold down Control to select multiple items.
  • Right-click on the Select button to select all. 
• Added Font selector to General->Settings. It affects only to custom Forest dialogs (as Library Browser, Effects, etc.).

• Improved UI responsiveness adding or updating multiple items of Geometry List.
• Added support for TyFlow in Distribution->Particle Flow mode.
  • In order to use it, you must turn on "Interfaces->Enable Particle Interace" in the TyFlow object.
• Fixed bug in Collisions Checking using geometries with different X/Y aspect ratio.
  • To keep distributions on existing scenes, the fix is applied only to new created objects.
  • If you want to "upgrade" your FP object, so it works as created with FP7, select it and run from Maxscript: $.trees.resetCreatedVersion().
• Updated UI performance for Geometry->Normalize/Randomize operations.
• Changed behaviour of 'Object ID' in V-Ray, to keep compatibility with previous versions:
  • The ID of the Forest object is used when is greater than zero. If not, the ID of the source Geometry.
• Updated Qt style to match better with 3DS Max style.

Fixes 

• Nested Forest objects in Corona no longer require 'Meshes' mode.
• Macros can now be used on all attributes of Library Items (such as object names).
• Motion blur now works again with distributions driven by particle systems.
• Fixed inconsistent distribution using exclusion of other Forest objects due to multithreading. 
• Switching between Paint Areas no longer disables the paint button if it was enabled.
• Distribution Maps path is always added to External Files->User Paths, even if the user selects 'No' to the Paths configuration dialog. 
• Adjusted default Distribution Units to 1x1 meter.
• Links to the documentation are now included for license error dialogs.
• Data dependent on UV coordinates is now preserved when switching to Custom Edit mode.
• V-Ray motion blur is now applied to non-animated Forest objects when Custom Object is used in other animated FP Objects. 
• Added workaround to avoid Mental Ray missing DLL errors loading Library items, or loading scenes which uses Forest presets. (only for Max 2017 and above).
• "lookat" parameter is renamed to "lookattarget" to avoid conflicts in Maxscript with the "lookat" controller.
• Fixed crash using Animation modes with interactive render modes.
• Added optimisation for Interactive Rendering (Corona and V-Ray), when using Viewport->Mesh mode.
• Fixed crash using Forest Color/Forest with Arnold + Active Shade.
  • Currently Color/Edge is not supported with Active Shade in Arnold. This fix just avoids crashing.
• Fixed wrong scale instantiating with Forest Tools when Display mode is set to Proxy.
• Fixed issues with Distribution Path/Particle modes and grouped geometry.
• License is released inmediately after closing Max, as well as at File->Reset/New events.
• Fixed Library Browser->Edit Item->Material/Object selector doesn't work when filename uses macros.
• Fixed updating issues with V-Ray interactive render mode.
• Fixed: License configuration is not loaded from enviroment variables.
• Fixed crash creating Forest object when there is not a license.
• Fixed bug checking texture paths using normal slashes, instead backslashes.
• Fixed: Distribution by Reference displays on viewport less items than intended, when using large meshes and Material ID filter.
• Fixed crash opening "Library Browser->Import Billboards" with an item selected.
• Fixed: V-Ray Selection Mask has no effect with selected Forest objects.

Forest Pack 7.0.6 Maintenance patch - released 09/03/2021

• Fixed several issues loading items from Library Browser.
• Fixed small margins editing Catalog names in the Library Browser.
• Fixed: Scene Explorer is closed before rendering non-geometric objects with some renderers.
  • Note: Scene Explorer is closed yet with Max 2015 and before. This is a workaround to avoid a crash which may happen with old Max versions.
• Distribution->Path / Reference Objects / Particle Flow parameters are not overwritten when loading Library presets.
• Camera->"Limit to Visibility" is updated on viewport only for Camera views.
• Fixed: Billboards are loaded with a wrong size from the Library Browser.
• Library Browser is reloaded when Unit's scene change. This is needed to show correctly the billboard units.

Forest Pack 7.0.7 Maintenance patch - released 12/03/2021

• Changed the way that V-Ray proxies are rendered. Now it uses the same method of FP6.
  • Previously render of proxies was delegated to V-Ray, in a similar way to VRayInstancer. But several problems were reported.
  • if needed, VRayInstancer mode can be forced yet in the configuration (forestpack.ini), setting handleVRayProxies = 0.

Library Browser:

• Several fixes for billboard edit:
  • Added missing Center and Z-Offset gizmos.
  • Dimensions are displayed correctly, according to the scene's units.
  • Fixed aspect ratio for non-squared thumbnails.
• Fixed wrong size of billoards loaded from library (not fully fixed in 7.0.6 patch).
• List of Objects/Materials in the import dialogs now are sorted alphabetically.
• Fixed crash deleting catalogs.

Forest Pack 7.0.8

• Fixed continuous updating of Interactive Render when using Camera->"Limit to Visibility".
  • This bug would also affect general performance when camera clipping is enabled on viewport.
• Fixed: Surface->UV generates different distributions on rendering nodes with different number of threads.
• Fixed: Distribution->Reference->By Mesh may generate different random values on rebuild.
• Library Browser: fixed gaps in catalog tree after removing items.
• Fixed error loading items from Evermotion catalogs.

Forest Pack 7.0.9

• Added experimental support for 3DSMax 2022.
  • Not tested yet. Please note we cannot provide support for this initial version.
• Fixed excessive build time computing collisions in FP7, compared with FP6.
  • This also would affect load/save time of scenes when Collisions is enabled on viewport.
• Fixed continuous updating of Corona Interactive Render with some scenes.
• Fixed render of non-perspective views in V-Ray using Camera->"Limit to Visibility".
• Camera->"Limit to Visibility"->"Enable on Viewport" now applies both to camera and perspective views.
• Fixed: Forest LOD is not updated rendering with V-Ray IPR.
• Fixed: Cloning with Shift+Drag in Custom Edit might not copy all items.

Forest Pack 7.10

• Added support for 3DS Max 2022.
• Added mode selector to Camera->"Enable on Viewport / IR".
  • It lets you choose what type of views trigger an update: Camera, Camera/Perspective or All Views.
  • This selector is global to all Forest objects, and saved with the configuration (forestpack.ini), not with the scene.
  • Regardless of this option, standard render (not Interactive Render) always uses Perspective/Camera views for "Limit to Visibility".
• When Interactive Render is locked to a specific viewport, Camera->Viewport updates are locked to that view.
• Library Browser->Zoom value is stored in user's settings.
• Fixed exportation to .vrscene of animated cameras when using "Limit to Visibility".
  • Besides the fix, this issue requires a V-Ray update. If it's not available, as workaround turn on Camera->"Enable on Viewport", before exporting.
• Fixed: Camera->"Limit to Visibility" with animated cameras is not properly updated on render nodes, when rendering with Scanine.
• Fixed crash of Distribution->Path mode with splines which include empty sub-splines (without any vertex).
• Fixed crash with Interactive Render when items are not displayed on viewport ('F' icon is shown), but items are properly generated for render.

Forest Pack 7.1.1

• Fixed crash editing items in Custom Edit mode while interactive render is running, and Display mode is set to Proxy.
  • This fixes the crash, but we encourage to not modify Forest objects while Interactive Render is active. It may lead to instabilities and problems.
• Fixed updating of camera clipping in Backburner render.
• Fixed crash when network license server port is empty.
• Fixed: Ocasionally Max 2022 doesn't initialize plugin rollups correctly.
• Fixed crash of Camera clipping with Exclude Areas of Forest objects in Custom Edit mode.
• Fixed: ActiveShade mode blocks the sub-object level.
• Fixed rare crash scattering objects with slow or complex modifiers.
  • Anyway, when possible we suggest to not apply modifiers in objects used by Forest, and collapse them to editable mesh. That should result in better performance and stability.   

Forest Pack 7.1.2

• Fixed rare crash in Max 2021/2022 the first time a Forest Object is added to scene.
• Fixed wrong object name ("Object") in Max 2022 Stack Modifier.
• Fixed V-Ray Velocity channel.
• Forest Color->"Get Color from Surface" now can be used with "Distribution->Reference->Mesh" mode. UVW coordinates are taken from the referenced mesh.
• Fixed: Search for Updates doesn't advise of new plugin versions.    

Forest Pack 6.3.0

• Added support for 3DS Max 2021.

Forest Pack 6.2.2

• Fixed crash in Forest Tools->Data Exporter.

• Added support for VRayProxy's "Expand # to frame number" option.

  • This mode allows the user to add a "#" in the file name to specify that the loaded proxy is a part of an animation sequence. V-Ray will then load the other frames accordingly.

• Fixed crash if Distribution Map parameter is null.

Forest Pack 6.2.1

• Added support for V-Ray 3.7.

• Distribution->Reference by Node->Pivot copies the G-Buffer ID of the reference node in Forest Effects->fpItem.userID
  Note: because a Max limitation, Forest object is not updated when ID changes. You must rebuild manually from Display->Build→Update.

• Fixed crashing bug with Mental Ray.

• Fixed: fpItem.tintMult is casted to integer when modified in Forest Effects.

• Fixed: the process to collect all "maps" folders and add them to Customize->External Files is broken.

• Fixed crash with Paint areas and huge coordinate values (i.e. using millimeters with large surfaces).

Forest Pack 6.2.0

• Added support for 3DS Max 2020.

• Fixed location of Forest Effects for Lite version.

Forest Pack 6.1.7

• Fixed crashing bug with Animation modes in V-Ray.

Forest Pack 6.1.6

• Fixed critical bug in multithreaded scattering processes.
• Added support for 3DS Max 2012, which was removed in FP 6.1.5.

Forest Pack 6.1.5

Improvements

• Added compatibility with V-Ray Next Update 1.
• Improved stability with V-Ray IPR and added several improvement, including:
  
  • Added support for Viewport IPR mode.
  • Items now can be edited on Custom Edit mode while using V-Ray IPR.
    
  • Forest Color's randomise by Element mode now works during IPR mode even when Display mode is set to Proxy.
    
  • Fixed a crash that occurred when hiding or isolating objects during a V-Ray IPR render.
    
• When rendering using IPR mode in Corona, Forest Pack objects no longer disappear in the viewports.
• Network Licenses are now released on New File and Reset events in Max.
  
• Improved scattering performance and memory usage with small/medium distributions.
  
• Improved performance when loading objects with high material ID values.
  
• "LibraryDir" and "EffectsDir" can now be defined using environment variables (ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_LIBRARYDIR, ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_EFFECTSDIR ). They accept a single path entry.

Fixes

• Removed support for 3DS Max 2012. Forest Pack 6.1.5 is compatible with Max 2013 to 2019.

• Fixed the alignment of the first item on closed splines when using Distribution by Path mode.
  
• Fixed Distribution by Path using spacing zero generates the maximum number of items defined on Display limits.
  
• Fixed an issue where animated Effects parameters were not updating correctly.
  
• Fixed an error that occurred when configuration is defined by environment variables, but the HKCU registry branch doesn't exist.
  
• Fixed performance issue loading objects with high material ID values.
• Fixed a crash that occurred when adding items in Custom Edit when Geometry List is empty.
• Fixed a bug computing the hierarchy of Elements in Custom Objects (used for Forest Color/Edge Mode).

Forest Pack 6.1.2

New Features and improvements

• With Distribution->Path, Reference and Particle modes, it's possible to assign a Surface keeping the item's Z position.
  • To do it, turn off "Non Image modes->Link to Surface" in the Surface rollup.
  • This mode is useful to use the "Color by Texture" mode of Forest Color.

Fixes

• Fixed: Items are not oriented correctly when using Distribution->PFlow->Align.
• Fixed errors in Lister when there are duplicated object names.
• Distribution->Path Distance is set by default to 1 meter, regardless of the scene's unit.
• "Surface->Custom Edit->Link to Surface" has been renamed to "Non Image->Link to Surface", since this parameter is used both in Custom Edit and Non-Image Distribution modes.
• Fixed: "Color by Texture" doesn't work in Custom Edit mode if "Surface->Link to Surface" is off.
• Fixed crash using Forest as a XRef Object.
• Fixed missing items when rendering Particle Flow distributions.
• Tree Editor is renamed to Items Editor in Settings dialog.
• Fixed slowdown evaluating heavy models with displacement maps (as Maxtree models).

Forest Pack 6.1.1

• Fixed bug in Collisions checking.
• Fixed rare bug which causes a continuous updating of the FP object, when using animated splines and the time slider is not zero.
• Fixed crash when applying a UVW Map modifier to the spline in Distribution->Path mode.
• Fixed: multiple selection is lost after changing any parameter in the rollup.
• Fixed: Density->Y Pixels is not greyed out when Lock Aspect ratio is checked.
• Fixed updating issue when switching between Paint Areas and painter is enabled.
  

Forest Pack 6.1.0

• Fixed crash in some machines when plugin is loaded.
  
• iToo Toolbars (both Forest and RailClone) can be disabled adding the following registry key:
  HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Itoo Software\DisableToolbars = 1 (DWORD)
  

Forest Pack 6 beta is now available for testing. Registered users of Forest Pack Pro can download the upgrade from the User Panel.

New Features

• Support for 3ds Max 2019
• Added support for Arnold 5.1 and MaxToA 2.0 in Max 2018 and 2019
  • Added support for "Physical Material" and Arnold "Standard Surface" in Material Optimiser. (The tool cannot convert to those materials, just can apply Forest Color/Edge and the optimisations)

• Support for V-Ray Next
  
• New memory management system. Scattering performance is increased up to 150% with large distributions.
• Updated UI

  • Added General->Settings icon. This button lets you to configure global settings for all FP objects, including:

    • Visible Rollups. Lets to hide Forest rollups from the Modify panel.

    • Disable Popups (moved from the General rollup).

  • Group Boxes are collapsible. State is global and saved between Max sessions.

  • Resizeable lists (as Geometry List). State is local to each Forest object and saved with the scene.
  • Added new Icon mode to Creation panel.that lets you to create an empty Forest object, and edit it later from the Modify panel.
    
  • Added item tooltip to the listboxes. Put cursor over an row to see the full item name.
    
  • Added "Select all Forest dependencies" to the quad menu to select the Forest object together with all its dependencies (e.g. geometries, areas, surfaces, etc).

  • The main configuration of the plugin can be defined using environment variables. See the documentation for more information.

• Added new Distribution modes (available from the Distribution rollup)
  • Image, the default mode in previous versions.
  • Using Reference objects, by Pivot point or Mesh faces.
  • Along a path.
  • From a Particle Flow.
    • Distributions from Particle Flow can be filtered by Event.

• Added the ability to Force open splines to use closed splines areas as though they were open using the Thickness parameter.

• Effects
  • Added attributes for Particle Flow distribution: particleAge, particleSpeed, particleFlowEventID, particleRotation and particleScale.
  • Added a generic property to the items in Tree Editor: User ID.
    
    • This value can be edited by the user and readed in Forest Effects, for any use.
    • Also it's used for some special purposes. For example, in Distribution->Path mode it stores the item counter along the path.
  • Added new transform attributes:
    • "fpItem.xrotaxis", "fpItem.yrotaxis", "fpItem.zrotaxis": rotation of Forest Item expressed as a system of 3 vectors.
  • New Parameter types: Texture maps and Curves.
  • Multiple effects per Forest object.
  • Added new Effect attributes for new paths mode:
    • distPathPos: Normalized position of item on path (Distribution by Path only).
    • distPathTangent: Tangent vector of path on item position (Distribution by Path only).

• iToo Software Update Manager

  • Universal manager for downloading, installing and managing Forest Pack and RailClone content.

  • Separates the library content from the application.

  • Download new libraries, presets and effects at any time.

  • Install from a network location for multi-user offices. Avoiding the need to download content multiple times.

• Libraries and Presets
• Added Arnold materials for all built-in libraries and presets
• Surface parameters are now imported from Library presets.
  
• New tree starter library - 30 new trees in 10 species.

• • New grass presets designed to work in layers. 26 variations.

• New vertical walls presets

• 13 new distribution maps.

• Added mechanism to search automatically the texture maps, and add them to "Customize->Configure User Paths->External Files".
  • The first time Forest Pack is used, it collects all folders with name "maps" in the Library paths (defined at Library Browser→Options).
  • These paths are added to the registry at HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\TexturePaths.
  • In a second phase, all paths defined in "TexturePaths" are added to External Files (this works in the same way that previous versions).
  • The process is executed silenty in render nodes, and can be disabled setting "collectTexturePaths = 0" and "checkTexturePaths = 0" in forestpack.ini.

Fixes

• Support for V-Ray 3.1 and 3.2 has been removed
• Forest Tools now disables FP objects using Display->Build->"Disable Object", instead setting Custom Objects to "Disabled", as before. This method is more suitable for the Forest Lister.
  
• Raised Distribution->Max.Density default value (from 20 to 40 mill.)
  
• Added Maxscript function: getSelected(). Returns indexes of items selected on Custom Edit mode (array of integers).
  
• Material->Forest Shader parameters are removed from the interface. These are used only for billboards in Mental Ray and if needed, you can modify them from Maxscript as: fastopac, tracedepth, opaclevel, selfillum, irradiance.
• Appended source name to Library objects imported in the "forest_templates" layer (i.e. "_forest_library_H4AXKAQ_birch_01").
  
• "Tree Editor" is renamed to "Items Editor". Replaced other references from "trees" to "items"
  
• Added Display->Point-cloud Style: Small or Large Dot. Value is global to all Max scenes.
• "Camera->Limit to Visibility" and "Look-at->On" are off by default.
• Improved stability with V-Ray IPR.
  • Improved viewport performance with Camera features.(When camera changes, Forest is updated only is some Camera feature is used).
• Main Forest folder is moved from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro" to "C:\Program Files\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro"
  
• Fixed: items dissapear when using Undo/Redo in Custom Edit mode
• Fixed: Items are not visible on viewport while using Interactive Render (both V-Ray and Corona).
  
• 32 bit versions and legacy plugins (Forest Pro 2.x) are removed.
  
• Fixed freezing bug when a nested FP object is used in more than one Forest.
• Fixed: "Geometry->Consolidate Materials" is always on, regardless of the checkbox.
• Fixed: surfaces are cleared when importing a preset from library.
• The "XRef Unit's mistmach" popup (shown when loading from library) can be disabled setting disableXRefPopups=1 in forestpack.ini, or from "General->Configuration->Disable Popups".
  • "General->Configuration->Disable Popups" will disable ALL Forest popus, not only this one.
  • Before turning off the popup, double check that "Rescale the XRef Objects" is on, as default option. If not, libraries will be not loaded correctly.
• Initial computing of Point-cloud now is multi-thread. That should improve a bit the load of heavy models.
• Effects
  • When fpItem.geomID is greater than maximum ID, result is the remainder, not the maximum value as before.
  • Fixed "controller returns invalid type" warning when a Controller Parameter is linked to a rotation control.
    
  • Fixed: Error reading constant values in expressions with regional settings which not use "." as decimal point.
  • Fixed: Z value of fpItem.areaIncNearest and fpItem.areaExcNearest now matches with item's Z position.  
  • Fixed: Parameter->Default range is limited to 0-100 for real and integer types.
• Fixed: "XRef Material->Override" option is ignored when building the Forest automaterial.
  
• Fixed: Changes in the Geometry List don't modify existing items in Custom Edit mode.
• Fixed updating issue with Color Swatch controls in PBStore.
• Fixed behaviour of Forest Lister when rollups order is changed.
• Fixed several issues of General->Presets. Now Areas, Surfaces and Effects are not saved with the preset.
• Fixed: Geometry->Color ID doesn't support Copy/Paste.
• Fixed crash loading nested library objects.
• Fixed: Items with high values of random Translation are placed outside of its area.
• Fixed: Effects Editor cannot load JPG thumbnails.
• Fixed: Both Point-cloud and mesh are drawn on viewport when Display->Render->Mode is set to "Meshes".
• Fixed: Tree Editor->Add inserts multiple items for LOD objects.
• Fixed: User toolbars using Forest actions are reset when Max is loaded.
• Fixed crash loading scenes with LOD linked to a XRef.
• Fixed: Camera in Deadline render jobs is not updated, when using "Camera->Auto assign to active view".
  NOTE: to make it work, be sure to select a Camera as current view, when render job is submitted to Deadline. It WILL FAIL if current view is a not a camera (as perspective, top view, etc.)
• Fixed issue with missing references when a library item is used both in the main and a XRef scene.
• Fixed crashing bug in V-Ray RT when Geometry items have not valid object assigned..
• Fixed missing User Paths in Library Browser->Options.
• Fixed crash rendering nested FP object without any material assigned.
• Fixed potential crash with animation maps returning negative values.
• Fixed freezing issue with nested objects and V-Ray IPR.
• Fixed bug in Effects expressions with functions returning vectors.
• Fixed freezing issue with V-Ray RT on IPR mode.
• Fixed: excluding areas from FP objects are not updated correctly in some renderers.
• Fixed: some parameters are not updated in the interface when are animated using Autokey.
• Fixed rare crash when Forest object is created.
  
  

This release includes the following bug fixes

• Fixed rare bug with items placed just in the edge of an area, which can cause endless loop.
• Fixed crash editing or loading Effects in Max 2018.
• Fixed: Error reading constant values in expressions with regional settings which not use "." as decimal point.

This release includes the following improvements and bug fixes

• Added support for V-Ray 3.6
• Added support for 3ds Max 2018
• Optimized render performance in V-Ray for opaque materials.
  • This optimization is not applied when using Areas->Edge mode.
• Fixed crash with Corona Interactive Render and Edge mode.
• Fixed animation bug with moving FP objects in Custom Edit mode (V-Ray).
• Windows XP is not longer supported.

Note: Mental Ray for 3ds Max 2018 is not supported in this build.

This release includes the following bug fixes.

• Point-cloud using color ID is gamma corrected.

• Fixed problems with Forest Tools (broken in v5.3.0).

• Removed dependencies from V-Ray in some library scenes.

This release includes the following bug fixes.

• Fixed an issue where billboards would not render using Forest Material with V-Ray.
• Fixed crash rendering with Redshift.
• Fixed crash with Forest Color and Corona interactive.

This release includes the following improvements and bug fixes.

• Added support for V-Ray 3.5.
• Added support for V-Ray 3.5 IPR mode. Several limitations are known:
  • Forest object is not visible in viewport while IPR is running (this will require major changes in the code and is postponed for a major release).
  • Camera clipping is not updated dynamically. To update it, click Display->Build or Build All.
• Added Forest Color support for V-Ray RT GPU (in collaboration with Chaos Group). Please see the video below for a demo of this new V-Ray 3.5 feature.
• Library->Filter checks if text exists in any part of the item's name, not only at the start.
• Forest Lister: Added range selection clicking with Shift, and Select All/None buttons.
• Fixed crash with missing VRayProxy assets.
• Fixed crash rendering multiple frames in Corona Renderer, when using Custom Edit mode and camera clipping.
• Fixed random issues with Editable Meshes in Max 2017, when used as Surfaces or objects.
• Fixed geometry issues with VRay proxies using "Flip Axis".
• Fixed empty entries in "Customize User Interface".

This release includes the following improvements and bug fixes.

• Improved Forest Effect to scatter items on displaced surfaces. The process is now simplified and surfaces can now be any shape before being displaced.
• Fixed bug which would create duplicate names with imported library objects (in 'forest_templates' layer).
• Fixed warning error in Octane with disabled Forest objects.
• Fixed Areas->Paint tool when using large brush on detailed areas.
• Fixed bug updating first frame rendered by a node on Backburner jobs (Mental Ray only)
• Added General->Log Level. Setting it to Normal/Debug, Forest generates extra information while rendering. Max log file is stored at:
  C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\<max version>\ENU\Network\Max.log
• Added log information when rendering with Mental Ray. Check it at "Rendering->Render Message Window", or in Backburner logs.
• Fixed rare crash in V-Ray with Fake Shadows.
• Custom Edit uses local axis of each item, instead axis of the Forest object.
• Fixed updating issue with Forest Edge.
• Fixed crash on Max close.
• Added support for long paths in registry configuration values.
• Fixed errors in Corona material library.

This release adds support for 3DS Max 2017 and V-Ray 3.4 and includes the following bug fixes.

• Added support for Max 2017.
• Added option to customize Font Size for the Lister (see Options).
• Actions of the Toolbar are available at "Customize User Interface" (within "Forest Pack" category).
• Forest Lister is sorted by object's name
• Fixed invisible objects in V-ray when using VRayPhysicalCamera with motion blur or PhysicalCamera.
• Fixed: Effects->Distance to area attributes don't return correct values at least that Area->Fallof is enabled.
• Fixed bug with Animation modes in Mental Ray.
• Fixed rare crash bug when using Animation modes and Display limits.
• Fixed crash when rendering without license.
• Fixed: Effects->dotprod function was decleared as vector instead real.
• Fixed: Toolbar placed out of screen and not visible (see Note 1).
• Fixed: Toolbar is not available after a Workspace change.
• Fixed: Effects->random generator doesn't return consistent values in Custom Edit mode.
• Fixed rare bug that would cause animated objects are not updated correctly.
• Fixed: in some cases Forest Exclude Areas has no effect after the first animation frame.
• Fixed: Forest doesn't update with changes of rotation or scale on Custom Objects, until scene is reloaded.
• Fixed bug with XRef scenes binded to a rotated object.
• Fixed updating issue with Effects using "max.time" property.
• All configuration keys defined at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE can be read alternatively from same branch at HKEY_CURRENT_USER.   This feature lets you to create custom installations using non-administrative accounts.

New Features

.

• Added support for V-Ray 3.3
  

  • • Forest Pack 5 benefits of the render performance improvements of V-Ray 3.2 and greater. In our tests speed gains were between 40% to 100% depending of the scene.

    • V-Ray 1.5 and 3.0 are not longer supported. Currently supported V-Ray versions are 2.x, 3.1, 3.2 and 3.3.

• Added a toolbar with shortcuts to: add FP object, add Forest LOD, Forest Tools and Forest Lister.
  
  

• Added a new Forest Lister
  
  
  • • This new tool simplifies the management of scenes that contain multiple Forest Pack objects.
    • It comprises a simplified interface allowing you to rename, enable/disable, hide/unhide, and select Forest objects, display useful information, and speed up editing properties.
    • For more details see the documentation.
      
      
• Forest Effects
  
  
  
  • • This new feature lets you to extend the functionality of Forest Pack by adding limitless possibilities for animation, random transform, colouring, etc.
    • Similar to a scripting engine, it's based on mathematical expressions which are applied to the Forest items.
    • Effects can be loaded from a from a library, importing them from individual files, or creating your own using expressions.
    • Exportable parameters and references are allowed, letting you to create an easy interface for end users.
    • See the documentation for full reference and examples.
      
      

• Added Areas->Edge mode for Mental Ray and Corona renderer.
  

  • • These renderers require to use "Forest Edge" (a new procedural texture map) in the opacity slot of ALL materials used by the Forest Object.

    • Forest Edge has no effect when used with other render engines.

    • Added support for "Forest Edge" in the Material Optimizer, so it can be applied with a single click in your scene or material library

• Distribution->Diversity Map and Clusters now recognize multiple models with the same color ID, handling them as a group with their own Probability values.

  • • To keep compatibility with existing scenes, this feature is applied only on new FP objects.

    • This feature is not compatible with Areas->Select models. In this case, the previous behaviour is applied (using only the first color ID match).

• Added new presets: Mulch and Rugs.
  
  

• Added support for V-Ray motion blur and velocity channel with animated objects (both proxies and meshes).
• Library presets can use nested Forest objects, but with several restrictions:
  • • Nested objects must use only area splines, not surfaces or exclusion objects.
    • Be sure there are no duplicate names in custom objects or areas.
• Added "Render quality" option to the library presets. Enables you to select simplified materials for faster render times.
  • • Currently available only for V-Ray materials.
    • It works by modifying standard materials using Maxscript. For example, in V-Ray it replaces VRay2sidedMtl by VRayMtl.
    • You can add your own materials procedures by editing the function "updateLibMaterial" in forestlib.ms. Please ask us on the forum for more details.
• Fixed Forest Color map names in Slate Editor.
• ForestEdge's opacity texture is applied correctly in Corona Renderer.
• Fixed distribution on Cluster using multiple items with same Color ID (new feature in FP 5, but bugged in previous version).

• Added "copyMaterialFromObjects" parameter to forestpack.ini. Set it to zero to avoid that material is copied to Geometry->Material when picking Custom Objects.

   forestpack.ini can be found at C:\Users\<user name>\AppData\Local\Autodesk\3dsmax\<max version>\ENU\en-US\plugcfg folder.

  
  
  

• Areas->Falloff global parameters and Transform->Probability curves are imported from library presets.
• Added Maxwell materials for Lawns, Leaves, Meadows and Stones presets.
• Auto generated materials are optimized, removing unused and duplicated materials. This is particularly useful for nested Forest objects.
  • • If your materials require the previous behaviour, this feature can be disabled by setting optimizeAutomaterial=0 in forestpack.ini

• Distribution->Max.Density range is raised to 999.

• All scattering limits (Distribution->Max.Density, Display->Max Items/Faces) can be disabled by setting the value to zero.

• Default Distribution Map is changed to "dense".

• Optimize Materials automatically replaces "Normal Bump" maps with VRayNormalMap.

• Improved memory usage rendering animations with Mental Ray.

• Max 9 to 2009 are not longer supported. Minimum version supported is Max 2010.

Fixes

• Fixed 'Zoom extent' behaviour with selected items in Custom Edit mode.
• Fixed: Forest LOD using Look-At target doesn't work without a camera assigned.
• Fixed: Distribution->Collision->Radius affects to Edge mode, even with collision checking disabled.
• Fixed continuous rebuild when using nested Forests with "Consolidate Materials" off.
• Fixed crash with VRayClipper.

• Improved hit-test viewport performance for mesh modes.

• Fixed Mental Ray error using Animation->Frame from Map.

• Fixed random crashing bug rendering with Mental Ray in Max 2016.
• Fixed solid color screen after cancelling a Corona render. 
• Fixed crash when navigating in viewport while Corona is rendering.
• Fixed crash using Corona interactive with Forest Color.
• Fixed duplicated IDs on Geometry list with Copy/Paste operations.
• Geometry List->Copy/Paste now copies the color ID correctly.
• Fixed bug with Areas->Object exclude->Top limit.

• Fixed rendering error with Mental Ray and Max 2016.

• Added support for Max 2016 and V-Ray 3.2.
• Areas->Edge/Size modes are properly affected by Geometry->Scale/Global Scale.
• Animation->time parameters are defined now as number of frames, instead time units. This solves a potential problem with Max 2016.
• Fixed: Animation->time parameters are converted correctly in PAL mode.
• Forest Seed parameter and Forest Color map percentages are animatable.
• Scene Explorers are closed before rendering with Mental Ray and restored once completed. This workaround fixes a rare crash of the Scene Explorer in Max 2015.
• Fixed: Forest Material->Tint doesn't work with V-Ray 3.x.
• Fixed memory leak in Mental Ray.
• Fixed potential crash usign animated objects.
• Fixed rare crash with Network licenses.
• Fixed version checking in MR shader.

• Fixed crash when using Edge mode with Exclude Fallof.
• Fixed crash with Mental Ray distributed rendering and Forest Color using Tint/Map by Element.
• Fixed Octane materials for Gravel presets library.
• When a material is loaded from the library, it's updated both in the Custom Object and Geometry->Material. That fixes updating problems with Octane presets.
• Increased limit of Animation->Samples from 20 to 999.
• Removed Mental Ray warnings when using IRay.

Changes between 4.3.6 and 4.3.5:

•  Fixed random rendering bug after deleting Forest objects or resetting the scene.

 Changes between 4.3.5 and 4.3.4:

• Fixed potential crash rendering XRef'd materials in V-Ray.

Changes between 4.3.4 and 4.3.3:

• fixed crashing bug with nested Forest objects.
  
  

New features and changes:

• ForestLOD (Level of Detail). 
  • A new type of object, "ForestLOD", is used to define levels of detail. Once created, assign it as Custom Object in Forest. 
  • Visibility triggers by distance to camera or screen size.
  • Support for billboards and geometry.
  • Custom materials.
  • LOD properties can be adjusted in Camera rollout. 
• New Area->Boundary Checking mode: Edge.
  • This mode creates clean edges automatically, regardless of the geometry used.
  • Specially designed for grass distributions, lets you to use clumps of any size, solving problems as this.
  • Currently this feature is supported only in V-Ray and Generate distribution mode (not Custom Edit). For non supported renderers, Point mode will be used instead.
  • Clicking Area->Edge with Left Ctrl enables preview on viewport (Points cloud mode only).
• Added Areas->Z Offset.
• Added Areas->Limit by Surface Material ID.
• Areas->Falloff Affect is separated into Density and Scale values.
• Added Forest Tools->Data exporter to XML files.
• Added General->Disable Pop-ups: turns off all suggestions and warning messages, except critical errors (this option is global and persistent).
• Geometry->Get Size from Library is removed and enabled by default.
• Geometry->Global Size parameters are removed, although they are accessible by Maxscript ("globs¡ze", "width", "height")
• Geometry->Use Object Dimensions is replaced by local Scale parameter.
• New Display->Proxy model: Arrow (non-symmetrical)
• Added Display->Disable Object.
• Forest Tools->Instantiate copies User Properties, Object ID and wireframe color from the source object.
• Display->Use DirectX is changed to global and persistent value
• Installer supports multiple Max versions.
  
  

Library:

• 16 new presets: Gravel, including detail and large scale models.
• Added materials for Corona Renderer.

Fixes:

• Fixed: Distribution->Mapping Channel is reset to zero the first time scene is loaded.
• Fixed crashing bug using Undo after a Surface delete.
• ixed animation and point-cloud issues from objects with zero size at frame 0.
• Added Undo support for several operations in Geometry rollout (as Clear buttons).
• Fixed problem of Exclude areas with Inverted Falloff Curves.
• Fixed issues with Distribution->Diversity Map and UV Surfaces.
• Fixed rare problem related to missing Surfaces on load.
• Fixed minor issues in Maxscript functions.
• Fixed potential crashing bug on Forest cloning.
• Forest Color ignores status of Override checkbox when using Tint by Element.
• Added Undo support to Geometry->Copy/Paste operations.

• Fixed minor issues with Forest Color and Mental Ray.
• Fixed random crash with points-cloud mode in Max 2015.
• Fixed: Library->Import actions work only if there is an item selected.

New features and changes:

• Library Browser can import and attach multiple items from a Max file, setting * as object name.

Fixes:

• Fixed picking of sub-objects with Max 2015 and Custom Edit mode.

New features and changes:

• Added support for Max 2015
• Improved V-Ray render performance on many-core machines.
• Improved viewport peformance using animation modes.
• Forest Lite can be collapsed to editable mesh.

Fixes:

• Fixed: Forest Tools->Delete was not working

New features and changes:

• "Meadow", a new library that includes over 30 wild grass and flower presets.
• Support for V-Ray 3.0 final.
• Support for Corona Alpha 6, including Forest Color.
• Translation X/Y range can now be defined using min/max values.
• Translation can be controlled using maps.
• Added Transform->Probability map (for translation, rotation and scale). When enabled, the map is used as a probability value for the random range (black: no random, white: full random range)
• New Animation mode: "Frame from Map", uses a map to define the absolute frame within a Start/End range.
• Diversity Map can use its own texture, independent of the Distribution Map.
• New scattering algorithm for UV Surfaces, which allow to deform the surface without changing the density of the distribution. To preserve compatibility with old scenes, existing Forest objects use the old algorithm.
• Inverted falloff curves can be used at same time with including and excluding areas.
• In Custom Edit mode, items are placed in the highest surface when there are several of them stacked.
• "Tree Editor->Add Items" mode is set by default to "Random".
• "Material Optimizer" can be applied to the material library.
• Forest Tools uses a more descriptive name for the generated items.
• 2D Library items are compatible with VRay 3.

Fixes:

• Fixed random crash cloning Forest objects.
• Fixed crash in V-Ray when using billboards and camera motion blur.
• Fixed: Presets are loaded as XRefs, instead merged in the scene.
• Fixed several issues in the Library Browser.
• Custom Edit items are properly positioned when rescaling scene units.
• Fixed look of "Areas->Pick Models" dialog when resized.
• Fixed rare crash in Forest Color when modified from Maxscript.
• "VRay not compatible" message is shown only one time and doesn't crash Max.

• Added support for V-Ray 3.0.
• Improved Thea Render materials.

• Fixed error picking objects (areas, custom objects), that would produce unexpected behaviours.
• Fixed rare error editing paint areas.

• Fixed error picking objects (areas, custom objects), that would produce unexpected behaviours.
• Fixed rare error editing paint areas.

• Added support for VRay 3.05.03 beta.
• Fixed rendering error in Octane, when there is not a Custom Object assigned in Geometry List.

• Fixed error on scene save after rendering, when using Mental Ray and nested Forests.
• Fixed potential crash using exclusion area from a Forest object that uses Custom Edit mode.
• Fixed right menu on Library Browser when there are not items selected.
• Fixed potential crash using presets of billboards.

• Density/Scale falloff and Boundary Checking for Surface areas (without creating an auxiliary spline).
• Added Surface->Randomize Stacked. Allow to randomize items that are aligned on the same XY position, along stacked surfaces.
• Added right-menu selector for Custom Objects, Surfaces and Areas.
• Added Display->Update All. Rebuilds all Forest objects.
• Added RGB Level for diffuse maps to Material Optimizer.
• Added support for VRay 3.0 beta.
• Added support for VRay 1.5 in Max 2013.
• Added Max 2014 to the installer.
• Increased limits of Transform->Translation
• Forest Tools assigns Object ID from the Forest object to the instances.

Library

• Added Preset materials for Octane and Thea Render.
• Some library models (daisy and white clover) were to big. They have been scaled to a more natural size.
• Added support for Laubwerk Plants catalog add-on (to be released soon).
• Right click on Creation Panel->Library button clears current selection.
• Presets now can use library materials. Each material of the preset is replaced by a material from the library with same name.
• XRef import is disabled by default for Preset models. This behaviour can be overriden editing manually the XML definition file (property xref=1).
• XRef materials always are merged in the scene, regardless of the Library Browser settings.
• The templates layer now keeps a single copy for each plant model. Scenes created with previous versions (from 4.0), are automatically optimized when saved with Forest 4.1.
• Fixed: error loading preset if exists in the scene a Forest object with same name as used in preset.
• Added support for labels and thumbnails at library level.

Fixes

• Fixed major viewport slowdown when using animated VRay proxies.
• Note: By efficiency reasons, now Forest doesn't update automatically if you modify a Custom Object and this is animated. Use Display->Update to reload them.
• Point-cloud colors are gamma corrected.
• Point-cloud mode is suggested for Laubwerk objects.
• Fixed bug with nested Forests when inner object is on Custom Edit mode.
• Geometry->ID Color are properly updated after cloning.
• "Add Multiple" selectors (Custom Object/Area/Surface) now accept geometric objects created from splines.
• Fixed updating issue when two o more areas share a same spline or object.
• Fixed crashing bug using Tree Editor when object is empty ('F' icon).
• Fixed items rotation when using Forest in XRef scenes with "Bind" option.
• All Maxscript functions that have size as parameter, now accept zero to use the default item size (Custom Objects only).
• Uninstaller doesn't remove installed catalog add-ons.
• Fixed crash when assigning Custom Objects directly from the templates layer.
• Fixed crash using Octane material converter.

• Rotating items on Custom Edit now uses the Max center mode (Pivot Point, Selection or Transform Coordinate Center).
• When switching from Generate to Custom Edit, it is possible to exclude items hidden by Camera clipping.
• Library Standard materials are simplified. Now grass presets can be used directly on Maxwell, or easily converted to other engines.
• Camera->Auto Assign to Active View->Only Before rendering parameter is removed.
• Added Camera->Auto Assign to Active View->Apply to Look-At.
• Fixed: Deleting thousands of items in Custom Edit mode was too slow.
• Fixed: VRay exception in Forest Color when rendering animations.
• Fixed: Rare error loading grouped items from the Library.
• Fixed: Crashing bug when changing Geometry->Template.

• Fixed bug that would, in some cases, create continuous updating loops in Max.
• The Presets texture path is added to the Max configuration. Now Forest adds atomatically all paths listed in the following registry key:
  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\TexturePaths
• 3D Models are properly loaded from the library in "Merge" mode, not as XRef.
• Added compatibility for Maxwell plugin 2.7.24. Note: This is now the lower version supported.
• Maxwell render visibility flags are used.
• ForestLite / ForestPro macros are available in Customize->Customize User Interface (for toolbars and others)
• Fixed materials of Wild Grass Presets
• Fixed crash when the distribution map cannot be loaded.
• Material->Fast Opacity is put back for compatibility with previous scenes (removed in 4.0.1)

• Render

  • Added native support for more render engines: VRayRT, Maxwell Render, Arion, Octaneand Thea Render.
    • Forest Color and other tint modes are not supported on the new engines.
    • Be sure your render software is upgraded to the latest version.
    • Support for these engines is experimental, please report any problem that you find.

  Library Browser

  • Added 3D models of grass, flowers and stones.
  • Added Ready-to-use Presets. Some of them include two versions: detail (for small areas), and large (using clumps, optimized for large areas).
  • Note: all models of the library include materials for Scanline,Mental Ray and VRay, not for other engines.
  • Added support for models organized in separate meshes or groups. Forest attachs all elements in a single mesh when importing.
  • Commonly used options have been moved to the main window: Material handling, Merge/XRef, etc.
  • Added render engine selector for libraries that support multiple materials.
  • Classic 2D Library is not installed by default. It is available from the installer as "Legacy Library".

  Geometry List

  • Support for groups in Custom Objects.
    • This mode is useful to scatter groups of plants, preserving their composition. For example, sets of flowers or grass.
    • It works nicely used together Distribution->Diversity->Clusters.
    • Elements of a group are handled as individual items once scattered, both for the boundary checking and surface placement. This also has a great impact on the number of items generated, be care when scattering groups with many objects.
    • Don't use groups for objects that must be handled an unique object (for example a tree). In this case, use a single mesh as before.
    • Groups must be assigned using the name selector. Max doesn't support "pick" groups from the scene.
  • Added compatibility with Laubwerk Plants.
  • Added multi-select support. Now it is possible to edit or delete multiple items at once.
  • Added lock aspect ratio button to Geometry->Width/Height.
  • Geometry->Material is not longer a required parameter. If not defined, the material of the Custom Object is used.
  • Forest automaterials are generated using random names, to avoid duplicates.
  • Optimize Material works on the custom object material if Geometry List->Material is not defined.

  Display

  • Points-cloud now uses a simulated shading mode, to improve 3D look. Use the slider to define the shading factor.
  • Added global and local density parameters for Points-cloud.
  • Nested Forest objects (as clumps of grass) don't require to set anymore Render->Meshes mode (VRay and Mental Ray only)

  Camera

  • Custom Look-at targets, independent from the Camera.

  Surfaces

  • Added Density/Scale falloff curves by Slope.

  Tree Editor

  • Added three creation modes: selection, random and sequence. These modes also works with the Creation Tools.
  • Added separate model selector for "Add Items".
  • Added Properties->SubItem. Defines the subitem index when the item belongs to a Group.
  • Transform->Store Values and Re-Seed are moved to Tree Editor->Properties. Re-Seed now works only over the selected items.

  Other fixes and changes

  • Class name is renamed from "Forest_Pro_3" to "Forest_Pro". Be care to modify your Forest scripts, if you have them.
  • Material->Fast Opacity was obsolete and has been removed.
  • Transform Rotation X/Y default value is set to -5/+5.
  • Increased default values for Distribution Map->Max.Density and Display->Render->Max.Items (20 Mill. and 1 Mill. respectively).
  • Fixed: VRay proxies using non-ascii characters fail to load in Max 2013.
  • Fixed: Areas->Select Models works with Diversity->Match Color ID and Clusters.
  • Fixed: Updating issue when a Custom Object is converted to Editable Mesh.
  • Fixed: In some cases, render engine is not correctly identified when using F9 to render.
  • Fixed: Animation samples are not properly updated, when using random or maps.
  • Fixed minor issues of Optimize Material when using multi-subs.
  • Fixed: Forest auto-material would create empty materials in the multi-sub.
  • Fixed undo text in some procedures with areas.
  • Texture maps are not longer used to get color for Points-cloud, only material Diffuse color.
  • Fixed: Geometry List->Color ID is gamma corrected.
  • Fixed: Distribution Map was not visible to Asset Tracker in Max 2009 and older.