Solutions

There are over 60,000 plants in the Burpee library and no library can cover all of your needs. That’s why Digital Element and its plant mechanics will make custom plants for you!

You can contact either of these two plant mechanics with a specific request:

Dimitri Habich habichd@home.nl

Mehndi mehndi@mehndistudios.com

or you can speak to Digital Element’s staff at sales@digi-element.com or by calling our offices. If you can supply all of the requested materials, a plant from Digital Element can cost as little as $200! Remember these plants are not static models – you can algorithmically generate thousands of variations with just one plant!

What we need from you:

• Plant Common Name
• Plant Scientific Name
• A picture of the plant (if possible)
• Area of the world where the plant originates
• Habitat (desert, tropical, etc.)

If you have easy access to the plant in question, then three specific pictures will increase the quality of what you receive:

• A close up (2’ or 2/3rd m away) of the trunk
• A close up (1’ away or 1/3rd m away) of some leaves – both front and back
• A picture of how the leaves are arranged and attached on the branches

Problem:

You’re working on a bid for redesigning a city street and you need to show a tree line on an avenue. The picture that’s needed to be matched was taken from 30’ above the ground.

Traditional Solution:

The solution without Verdant – you would go out with a ladder and take pictures of a tree somewhere close to the correct angle, then mask out the backgrounds, which is difficult with trees, then paste that one tree, bill boarding it several times. This would have been a three hour process, including setup.

Verdant Solution:

Within five minutes of loading Verdant you have the trees at the right angle with shadows added. Each tree looks slightly different and they were easy to place. You spend another ten minutes adjusting the leaves to give it the right seasonal look. After saving some new presets, because you like the trees you created and might want them for later, you’re done.

Problem:

You are out in Arizona and there are only a few types of plants that you need to work with. You use them over and over. Unfortunately, no one makes these plants for the regular 3D tree packages.

Traditional Solution:

Although other components are in 3D, you would have to resort to clip art for these plants. You’ll need a library that’s pretty large and it’s a case of “best fit” matching.

Verdant Solution:

For $199 per plant you have one of Digital Element’s partner designers create all eight plants you use most. The rest you might get later. You supplied a few pictures of each plant at a couple of ages and they even asked you what kinds of variables you would like to be able to modify. Now 80% of my work is done for me and Verdant is the perfect tool.

Problem:

You like to heavily modify my photos and you want plant and tree elements, but you don’t want to learn a 3D package.

Solution:

Verdant lets you have all the power of placing virtual plants and trees without learning how to manipulate a 3D scene. You scale, rotate, and place the plants and trees relative to the picture – not in a 3D tool’s workspace. You make most of your modifications thereafter in Photoshop itself.

Problem:

I need to add some foliage to a scene with a lot of lighting needs.

Solution:

Verdant allows you multiple light sources – any and all of which can be colored. You control the intensity and whether they cast a shadow. A simple graphic interface controls the light direction.

This is a an example of 4′ x 8′ panface illuminated sign made by Darcy Baker.

Darcy’s Signs
Eureka Springs, AR.

Problem:

I want alien plants and trees – a really unique look.

Solution:

You can use Verdant’s Variator to randomly create plants and trees, even cross-breeding plants and trees with different variations. You are not limited to things that look like they are from Earth. Here are some examples of some of the really different plants and trees produced using the very capable Verdant.

Problem:

I’m working with Poser and I don’t want to learn another full 3D package, but I want some plants and trees and I need variety.

Solution:

Verdant offers ease of use and variety – not to mention being a lot less expensive than 3D packages. You can take any picture and modify it in Photoshop with Verdant quickly – there is also a lot of power to give you detail over the type of plant you want to make.