Gears of War 2, Call of Duty 3, Saints Row 2, Unreal Tournament 3 and the list goes on. What is common between these Masterpieces of gaming is the programming package that supports them. SpeedTree is name behind the fame of these games. SpeedTree is one of the most important and prominent name in the world of gaming. SpeedTree is produced by Interactive Data Visualization, Inc. (IDV). Interactive Data is famous for many such softwares like Eye-sys and middleware. Basic function of SpeedTree is to provide the Modern day gaming with virtual foliage in real time. Simulation of Modern gaming is also based on SpeedTree. All the biggies of the gaming world has license with SpeedTree like Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and PC. Most of the game genre’s are uses this feature like racing, first person shooter, Fantasy, military, adventure, MMORPG, and sports.

On an interview for famous gaming magazine Gamasutra.com Director of Interactive Data Visualization SpeedTree origin was because of lack of indemnity in the service of the 3^rd party plug-ins in the market they were using. Maiden version of the SpeedTree CAD ( CAD stands for computer-aided design) was developed by Interactive Data Visualization for a real-time golf simulation game. However, after some time golf projects backers pulled out due to some reasons. But IDV polished the SpeedTreeCAD project and produced it as a 3D studio max component for an animated architectural rendering. After some time IDV refined yet another product SpeedTreeMAX for retail. Just after this event IDV went on to produce the real time version SDK version as a commercially successful product. They never looked back after that.

SpeedTree’s basic component includes SpeedTreeRT (RT standing for “real-time”) a software development kit (SDK) written in C++ whose Source code is available to the licensees. Its basic function is to get itself fitted into a larger graphical engine. Now the SpeedTree software handles the rendering of trees and foliage alone. Like this, the specific product’s engine incorporates these into a larger and managed environment. SpeedTreeCAD is the main feature of the SpeedTree Network. It is basically a Windows-based specialized modeling tool created specifically for creating and editing the foliage. In return, SpeedTree permits many specifications such as bark texture, gravitational influence, branch length, branching angles and then a generated from that information. Trees created by SpeedTreeCAD are comparatively less detailed, and mostly used for prerendered or real time display. Plug-ins for famous 3D Studio Max and Maya Modeling Programs; SpeedTreeMAX and SpeedTreeMAYA are also provided by IDV.

SpeedTree is licensed with PC and next generation console titles in a wide variety of range. After SpeedTree was launched in February 2002 and SpeedTreeRT got its first license in December 2002 for The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion. Most of the developers in gaming world you can think of let them be small or giant SpeedTree is licensed with all of them. Few of the developers SpeedTree working with are: Activision, Microsoft Game Studios, Gearbox Software, THQ, Ubisoft, Rockstar Games, Real Time Worlds, Cryptic Studios, Electronic Arts, Eidos Interactive, and many more. SpeedTree is also licensed as a middleware partner with both PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. SpeedTree also formed many partnerships with gaming giants. Like SpeedTree is partnered with Epic Games in order to integrate the software with Epic’s Unreal Engine 3 one of the most famous game engine of the world. Other partnerships formed by SpeedTree are the Gamebryo engine by Emergent Game Technologies, the Vision Engine by Trinigy, Multiverse Network, BigWorld Tech and OGRE open-Source rendering engine by Torus knot. SpeedTree is associated with more than 76 games of the 7^th generation gaming world. SpeedTree is winner of many awards including MT2 top 100 award, which SpeedTree is winning for last 6 years.

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