Forest Pack Installation Files
This guide describes the directory structure of Forest Pack and how to customize it. We will use a default Forest Pro installation, in Forest Lite some files may be different.
Directory Structure
We define [forestdir]
as the folder where you installed Forest Pack (C:\Program Files\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro by default
) ,
[maxdir]
is your main 3DS directory, and [librarydir]
as the location of librarys (C:\Users\[username]\AppData\Local\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\
by default).
[forestdir]
Contains the following files in the root directory:
File | Description |
---|---|
Forest Pack Pro. | Shortcut to the Forest Pack web page |
forest_reference.html | Shortcut to the online reference manual |
install.log | Installation log file |
licenseMode.exe | License mode setup wizard |
licpanel.exe | License manager |
uninst.exe | Uninstaller for Forest Pack |
The setup program also creates the folder structure shown below in [forestdir]
.
Folder | Path |
---|---|
Distribution Maps | [forestdir]\distmaps |
Image Formats | [forestdir]\imageformats |
Billboard Geometry | [forestdir]\geometry |
The setup program creates libraries using the folder structure shown below in [librarydir]
.
Folder | Path |
---|---|
Forest Effects Files (.eff) | [librarydir]\effects |
Library | [librarydir]\lib |
Library Maps | [librarydir]\maps |
Material Libraries | [librarydir]\matlib |
The plugins and shaders for VRay and Mental Ray are copied to the 3ds Max directories as follows (Note only one of Lite or Pro plugins should be installed for each Max version):
Folder | Path |
---|---|
3DS plugin Lite | [maxdir]\plugins\ForestPackLite.dlo |
3DS plugin Pro | [maxdir]\plugins\ForestPackPro.dlo |
3DS Legacy plugin (optional install) | [maxdir]\plugins\ForestPackPro2.dlo |
Maxscripts | [maxdir]\scripts\ForestPack\forest_utils.ms |
[maxdir]\scripts\ForestPack\optmat.mse | |
[maxdir]\scripts\startup\forestpack.ms | |
Toolbar Icons | Max 2010- 2012: |
[maxdir]\ui\Icons\fptoolbar16i.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui\Icons\fptoolbar24a.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui\Icons\fptoolbar24i.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui\Icons\fptoolbar16a.bmp | |
Max 2013 - 2017: | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Icons\fptoolbar16a.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Icons\fptoolbar16i.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Icons\fptoolbar24a.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Icons\fptoolbar24i.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Iconsdark\fptoolbar16a.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Iconsdark\fptoolbar16i.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Iconsdark\fptoolbar24a.bmp | |
[maxdir]\ui_In\Iconsdark\fptoolbar24i.bmp | |
User Interface Files | [maxdir]\ForestQT.dll |
[maxdir]\QtCore_Itoo_4.dll | |
[maxdir]\QtGui_Itoo_4.dll | |
[maxdir]\QtXml_Itoo_4.dll | |
[maxdir]\QtSolutions_MFCMigrationFramework-Itoo.dll | |
VRay shaders | Several [maxdir]\ForestVRay###.dll , usually one for each V-Ray major release. Note: some files may not exist depending of the Max and VRay versions |
MR shader library | Max 2010 and before: [maxdir]\mentalray\shaders_autoload\shaders\FShader3.dll |
Max 2011 and 2012: [maxdir]\mentalimages\shaders_autoload\mentalray\shaders\FShader3.dll | |
Max 2013 and newer: [maxdir]\NVIDIA\shaders_autoload\mentalray\shaders\FShader3.dll | |
MR shader descriptor | Max 2010 and before: [maxdir]\mentalray\shaders_autoload\include\FShader3.mi |
Max 2011 and 2012: [maxdir]\mentalimages\shaders_autoload\mentalray\include\FShader3.mi | |
Max 2013 and newer: [maxdir]\NVIDIA\shaders_autoload\mentalray\include\FShader3.mi |
The following entries are created in the Windows Registry:
If the plug-in doesn't find the keys in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, it searches the same values on HKEY_CURRENT_USER.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro | |
---|---|
MainDir C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro | [forestdir] is defined here |
UseLicServer 0 | 0 to use Stand-alone license, 1 for Network license |
LicservHost (host or ip) | License server hostname, undefined for automatic search |
LicservPort 16720 | Protocol port number, by default 16720 |
TexturePaths (key) | Texture paths |
LibraryDir (key) | Library paths |
In Forest Pack 6.1 and above you can disable the
iToo Toolbars (both Forest and RailClone) by adding the following registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software | |
---|---|
DisableToolbars = 1 (DWORD) | 1 to disable the toolbars, 0 to enable them |
All commercial Itoo Software products use also additional keys for the licensing management:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Licenses | |
---|---|
LicenseDir C:\ProgramData\Itoo Software\Licenses | Forest Pro license is stored here |
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Licenses\Products | |
---|---|
Forest Pack 9 | One entry for each Itoo Software product |
In a Windows 64 bit version, these registry keys are duplicated in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node
Unattended Installation
From Forest Pack 3.9.2 and above, the setup program supports unattended installations using the following parameters:
/?
See available parameters/S
Enable silent installation/MAXVER=[max2013-32, max2013-64, max2014-64, max2015-64, max2016-64, max2017-64, max2018-64, max2019-64, max2020-64, max2021-64, max2022-64, max2023-64, max2024-64]
/MAXDIR=[3dmax installation path]
/LICMODE=[rendernode, network, stand-alone]
/LICHOST=[License server host]
/LICPORT=[License server TCP port]
/SHAREDFOLDER=[network path for shared files]
ForestPackPro.exe /S /MAXVER=max2013-64
Network Rendering
You can install Forest on your renderfarm computers using the setup program, or copying the files manually. In Forest Pro select "Render slave node", in Forest Lite use default installing option
For a manual installation, these are the required files:
Type | Files |
---|---|
Plugin and shaders | As described in the plugin and shaders table (DODO - FIX LINK) |
Distribution Maps | from C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\distmaps\images , copy them to any shared texture folder |
Tree textures | all textures from C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\maps and your custom textures, when used |
If you use Presets or other elements of the Library, they must be visible by the render nodes. Use the Asset Tracker to locate the texture maps and XRefs used by the scene.
From version 4.0.2, Forest configures automatically in the render nodes the paths listed in the registry at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\TexturePaths. These are the paths included by default by the installer:
Paths |
---|
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\distmaps\images |
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\maps\HShadows |
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\maps\Standard |
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\maps\Classic |
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\maps\presets |
C:\Program Files (x86)\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\lib\free models\hqplants free\maps |
All these files can be installed on network paths if you configure Max to use them (as shared plugins, Mental Ray shaders and textures). For details, see:
Autodesk 3ds Max Help -> Customizing the User Interface - > Configure Paths .
Is it possible to modify the sub-objects of a Forest object from MaxScript?
Yes, but only if the Forest object is in "Custom Edit" mode. there is an interface named "trees" for using it provided by MaxScript. You can see all the functions included witd showinterfaces($forest01)
. these are some of them:
Add a tree in position p (local coordinates), using width, height and geometry ID values
<Forestobject>.trees.create p:<point3> width:<float> height:<float> geomid: <integer>
$forest01.trees.create p:[50,50,0] width:10 heigth:10 geomid:1
Delete the tree at position n in the array
<Forestobject>.trees.delete n:<integer>
$forest01.trees.delete n:0
Modify the properties of the tree at position n (width, height, geometry ID, random seed)
<Forestobject>.trees.edit n:<integer> width:<float> height:<float> geomid:<integer> seed:<integer>
$forest01.trees.edit n:0 width:10 height:10 geomid:1 seed:123456
Returns the number of trees of the object
<Forestobject>.trees.count()<integer>
$forest01.trees.count()
Move the n-th tree to the position p
<Forestobject>.trees.move n:<integer> p:<point3>
$forest01.trees.move n:0 p:[50,50,0]
Set the rotation of the n-th tree (angle in degrees)
<Forestobject>.trees.rotate n:<integer> angle:<float>
$forest01.trees.rotate n:0 angle:45
Configuring the plugin using environment variables
From Forest Pack 6 onwards it is now possible to configure the main attributes of the plugin using environment variables instead of registry keys. To do this e
ach registry key used in the configuration can be replaced by a variable, replacing non-alphanumeric characters with underscores (_
).
For example: for HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\MainDir
, you would define the variable ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_MAINDIR
The minimum variables to run Forest Pack are the following:
For Network licenses:
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_MAINDIR=C:\Program Files\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_LICENSES_LICENSEDIR=C:\ProgramData\Itoo Software\Licenses
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_USELICSERVER=1
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_LICSERVHOST=192.168.1.20
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_LICSERVPORT=16720
For Stand-alone licenses:
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_MAINDIR=C:\Program Files\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_LICENSES_LICENSEDIR=C:\ProgramData\Itoo Software\Licenses
- ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_USELICSERVER=0
For Libraries
ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_LIBRARYDIR=C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\lib
For Effects
ITOO_SOFTWARE_FOREST_PACK_PRO_EFFECTSDIR=C:\Users\[user name]\AppData\Local\Itoo Software\Forest Pack Pro\effects
- If you define variables in a .BAT file, be sure to not include any space either side of the '=' symbol, or it will not work (this is a known Windows issue).
- Environment variables are used only by the Max plugin. Other tools as the License Manager still require configuration registry keys at the moment.
- If both registry keys and environment variables are defined, the variables have precedence over keys (priority order is Variables->HKLM->HKCU).