E-On Software Tools by Bentley

Overview

• Announcement: Bentley has made their E-On set of tools free.
• Company Info: Bentley is an infrastructure and engineering software company known for tools like Lumen RT.
• Tools Overview: E-On software includes Vue and Plant Factory.

E-On Tools

Vue

• Used for creating landscapes and environments.
• Competes with tools like Twinmotion and Lumion.
• Features include height maps, procedural landscapes, and ecosystem painting.
• Installation: Install plugins for Maya, Unreal Engine, 3ds Max, Cinema 4D, and LightWave.

Plant Factory

• Focuses on realistic plant creation.
• Integrated with Vue for ecosystem management.
• Includes a plant catalog.

How to Access

• Tools are available on a new platform since the old site is unreachable.
• Download: Go to the Bentley website, accept terms, and choose desired version (Windows/Mac).

Technical Details

Installation and First Use

• Navigation: Industry-standard (Alt + mouse buttons for orbit, zoom, and pan).
• Creating Landscapes: Use height maps, procedural terrains, and sculpting tools.
• Texturing: Apply landscape textures and paint directly.
• Effects: Add surface details, erosion, noise, global effects like pebbles and rocks.

Ecosystem and Vegetation Tools

• Painting: Use Eco-painter to paint various plants and ecosystems.
• Catalog Access: Load additional plants from the plant catalog.

Advanced Features

• Animation: Use the animation wizard for camera paths, object animations, etc.
• Rendering: Supports both NPR and traditional rendering, including Cycles.
• Exporting: Export scenes as FBX, Alembic, or USD files.

Practical Use Cases

• Examples: Adding water bodies, clouds, different planetary bodies, and vegetation.
• Customization: Adjust properties like terrain types, water, clouds, and vegetation settings.
• Animation Example: Animate camera paths through landscapes.

Recommendations

• Export animations to other DCC apps for final rendering.
• Use real-time rendering settings to see immediate updates.

Conclusion

• Exciting opportunities for environment artists and developers.
• Future-proof with industry-standard exports and real-time rendering capabilities.
• Upcoming content on Plant Factory for detailed plant creation guidance.