Hey guys, I'd like to show you a quick tutorial on making a basic tree in sketchup using alpha channels for a cs object. You will need GIMP, www.gimp.org and google sketchup: www.sketchup.google.com

Note, this is just a basic way, there are many other advanced ways I could show you but just for beginners to sketchup this should do fine.

1. I first found a nice tree, make sure it has a good outline.



2. Erase as much of the background as you can. I just did a rough job, but when doing it take your time.



2a. Then use the color picker and select the white bits.

3. Right click on the selection them hit color, then color to alpha. A box like this should come up.



4. You now get this.



5. Open up sketchup and draw a square, which should fit the tree. Apply the tree as a texture, and if you have made the square too big and the tree applys say a corner as well as the whole tree, just draw a line on the bad bits and erase it.

5a. Now texture the other side, make it a component and hit rotate, hold ctrl for another copy and rotate it 90 degrees.



6. Now rotate the whole model, by 45, then 22,5m 11.25, 5.6125 degrees until you are happy with it.

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Done! Remember, this is just a basic way. When we colored it to alpha, that just means were made a transparent layer.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial, any problems or questions or feedback are all welcome

Callum.

I like people to model the trunk themselves because It looks more realistic when it's 3D.

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Can you render the model without the lines?

I like people to model the trunk themselves because It looks more realistic when it's 3D.

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Can you render the model without the lines?

Yes. Rendering doesnt put the lines in. As for the trunk, i agree too as it will look better rendered.