For modelling I used 3D Studio Max. With Milkshape or Anim8or it is (with a few little variations) also possible without problems. Who need help in using Milkshape should have a look at the tutorial "Lowpoly modellieren" (only in German available).

broad-leafed tree 1

The idea is to work with background pictures of trees. Of course it is possible to create a trunk and extrude the branches out of it. But to bring them in form is not so easy. There are other possibilities to model with MAX up to plugins for plants (for example Treestorm by Onyx for 3D Studio Max). But many users work with free tools like Milkshape. That's why I try to achieve everything with simple methods.

I am using two background pictures. They are created with the tree generator of Bryce, but you could also use a painting or a photograph. It is no problem if on the pictures not all branches are visible like here. The important thing is that the trunk is full visible and if possible a few of the main branches.

I start to circumscribe the shape of the trunk and its two lowest branches with the spline tool. If you're using Milkshape you could now place vertex points along the shape. How many branches you include is your decision. I will only include two in this example to save faces.

Select the finished spline. Click at it with the right mouse button and select CONVERT TO EDITABLE SPLINE at the appearing window. The shape marked by the splines is now a net of faces. With Milkshape you now have to connect all the vertices to faces.

Now we'll extrude the created faces. We do that to create the depth of the trunk. I am using two segments. The width is approximately the thickness of the trunk. We have now defined the future basic shape of the trunk and the main branches as a sexangle. That's enough. Who wants to have rounder looking trunk has to use a higher amount of segments. Now align the model in the side view on the background image, if it isn't already there. You can now create the mapping coordinates (see next picture). Without mapping coordinates the MDL exporter won't work. www.conifiles.de/maxexport4.zip

Next step: Giving the tree the sexangle shape. Selevt in the side view the middle vertices (red points) with the EDIT MESH modifier. They interfere in this step and will therefore be hidden with the HIDE option.

Now return to the FRONT viewport. With simple movement of the outer points we create the sixangle. The next right picture shows the beginning at the trunk. Select and move always two points together. You can do that by pressing and holding the left mouse button for creating a select rectangle around a point. Every points in this rectangle will be selected. Because they are one after another you can only see one point. Now it should be clear why we hid the middle points previously.

That's how it looks at the end of this step. Now unhide the hidden points with the button UNHIDE ALL right next to the HIDE button.

Now adjust the tree to the background and make the main branches more realistic. That can also be achieved by moving vertices or by scaling like you can see in the next picture. The red selected points are equal scaled to left and right.

In order that the branches remain at the angled points equal in their profile, select all points at this place and rotate them like the next picture shows.

To align the branches also in the side view select every vertices of one branch und move them together. Then deselect the points which won't altered anymore und move the others again. Go on until you have a result similar to the one in the left picture. The tree has not its shape to two sides. On the next page we'll proceed with the texture.

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