Place foliage on predetermined positions, obtained from external file

[Janos_Koplos]

Dear all,

I would like to place specific plants or foliage groups on predermined positions, which are read from a file (in csv or whatever format), preferably using a blueprint. The positions are obtained from a ecological model, whose results I would like to visualize.

Is that possible in Unreal Engine and how do I do that? I already have imported the landscape and linked the textures to data on water flow rate (it is a salt marsh ecosystem)

Thanks, J.

[GreylockDev]

Look into importing weight maps with terrain data. Then look into procedural foliage and how it can mask based on landscape paint layer .

[IronicParadox]

@Janos_Koplos

Dear all,

I would like to place specific plants or foliage groups on predermined positions, which are read from a file (in csv or whatever format), preferably using a blueprint. The positions are obtained from a ecological model, whose results I would like to visualize.

Is that possible in Unreal Engine and how do I do that? I already have imported the landscape and linked the textures to data on water flow rate (it is a salt marsh ecosystem)

Thanks, J.

In theory, you could turn the csv into a datatable. Make a blueprint that reads each entry of the data table and spawns a static mesh actor in the places specified. You’d obviously want to add in some random rotation on the z axis and maybe a random +/- 5-10 degrees in the x/y axis.

It won’t be super efficient, but it will work.

[jonimake]

Doesn’t the foliage tool just essentially place Hierarchical Instanced Static Mesh components in the world?