Ivy Generator

This function can be used to generate realistic ivy tendrils that spread out along an assigned geometry, for example. It can also be used to generate branching structures that can be used for other purposes. Leaves and tendrils or branches can be activated separately. Realistic leaf textures for an ivy plant are also available via the Asset Browser.

Examples of the use of Ivy Generator for the production of plants or branches. The direction of growth and the adhesion of the tendrils to a geometry can be varied individually, as the two examples on the left show.

Basic implementation of the Ivy Generator

As with Asset Capsules, you can use the Ivy Generator as a Node in the Node Editor or drag it directly from the Asset Browser into the Object Manager. The latter has the advantage that, for example, materials can be assigned directly and the combination options with other generators or deformers are simplified.

If you have dragged the Ivy Generator from the Asset Browser into the Object Manager, an ivy vine appears in the Viewport which mainly hangs downwards. This is due to the gravity acting by default and the lack of an assigned geometry on which the tendril can climb upwards, for example. In the IVY tab of the generator, you will find an assignment field for a Surface object into which you can drag a polygon object from the Object Manager. It is advantageous to use a geometry with as few polygons as possible, as a collision calculation is used for the tendril, which can take longer if many polygons are checked. If certain areas of the assigned geometry should be excluded for the ivy, e.g., so that the windows on a building are not covered, you can also define a polygon selection of the assigned geometry for Selection String. The ivy can then only grow on the polygons defined as selections.

Finally, the position of the ivy generator itself also plays a role, as this marks the origin of the ivy, i.e., the point at which the tendril grows out of the ground. The rotation of this object also plays a role, as the tendril initially grows in the positive Y direction of the object axis system.
As a rule, you therefore place the Ivy Generator on the lower foundation of a building, for example, in the immediate vicinity of the wall on which the plant is to grow and rotate the Ivy object so that its Y-axis points in the desired direction of growth.

If the ivy should not grow randomly but along a predefined direction, a Spline Guide can also be assigned, i.e., a simple spline object that specifies the direction of growth, or a target object can be defined.

In this example, a spline was used to define the spread of the ivy on the rock face. The video also shows that the growth of the ivy can be animated.

The Ivy Generator also creates its own selections to which you can restrict materials for the tendrils and leaves. You can find out more about this in the section on the object's Selections settings.