Simple Tree Tools 3.0 targets artists who want tree and plant generation to behave like the rest of a Houdini graph: parameter driven, non-destructive, and easy to rewire when a shot brief changes at 6pm.

The toolset runs in Houdini 20.5 or later. The supported editions depend on the license tier and include FX, Core, Indie, Apprentice, and Education. In day-to-day use, the pitch is straightforward: generate species with controls that stay editable, shape plants with growth responses, and keep the whole thing inside a network you can hand to the next person without a sacred PDF explaining which button not to touch.

Procedural generation, but with plant brains

The feature list leans hard into procedural generation. The tools aim to generate any species of tree with non-destructive, parameter-driven controls, covering everything from small plants to large trees.

Plant shaping focuses on environmental response through tropisms. The named list includes Gravitropism, Phototropism, and Thigmotropism, with several others also mentioned. For art direction, growth can be guided using guide curves or vector fields.

If you live in the Houdini tag archive, this sits comfortably in the same mental drawer as other procedural effects tools: the value comes from staying editable until the last responsible moment, not from making a single perfect hero tree once.

Scan extension nodes for the trunk people

3.0 also includes scan extension tools aimed at hybrid workflows: scanned trunks, procedural branches, and a bridge between them.

Two nodes are important: Scan Initialize and Scan Stitch. The stated goal is to seamlessly extend scanned geometry and blend procedural branches onto high-resolution trunks with physical and UV-mapped transitions. That matters for asset teams that already keep a scan library but still need variation and shot-specific dressing without resculpting every new silhouette.

If your environment’s pipeline already leans on library assets and a sprinkle of procedural dressing, this positions the tool neatly inside CGI environments work, where consistency and iteration speed beat heroic one-offs. Test your scan handoff carefully, though, because any workflow that mixes geometry sources can surprise you in UVs, scale, and downstream exporting.

Wind, growth, and the licensing reality check

Licensing and commercial use come with unusually plain language. The toolset uses one-time purchase licensing with no subscriptions or recurring fees, and purchases cover all v3.x updates delivered automatically through Gumroad. Future major versions such as v4.0 may require a separate purchase, with a discounted upgrade price mentioned.

The FAQ states you can sell models, renders, asset packs, game assets, and film work created with the tools if you only hold a Limited Commercial license. You cannot redistribute the tool’s own HDA files. The Non-Commercial tier restricts use to personal learning and non-revenue work, and it ships as .hdanc files, which forces Houdini into non-commercial mode when those nodes exist in a project.

If you buy a paid license while staying on Houdini Apprentice, the FAQ states it does not remove export restrictions. The tool does not alter your Houdini license limitations, so you need to match your tool license to your Houdini license to avoid unpleasant surprises in prodution.

Support runs through email (nirfse3d at gmail.com) – refunds generally are not offered due to the digital nature of the product, with an invitation to reach out if a serious issue appears. As always, treat new tools like new plugins: build a small test scene, push it through your actual export path, and only then let it into a network that people depend on.

Pricing and tiers

Pricing has four tiers: The Non-Commercial tier is free and a good way to test the tools. The Limited Commercial tier costs $99 and targets hobbyists and freelancers with annual revenue under $100k USD. The Full Commercial tier costs $229 and targets hobbyists and freelancers with annual revenue above $100k USD. A Studio tier costs $1,299 and is described as a site-wide studio license. So, for the big players, not as little ones.

The plugin also has file type differences by tier. Non-Commercial uses .hdanc. Limited Commercial uses .hdalc. Full Commercial uses .hda. The Studio tier also lists .hda.

Individual licenses allow installation on up to two personal machines for a single user. The Studio license covers unlimited installs within a single facility.

https://simpletreetools.com
https://nwestfelt.gumroad.com/l/SimpleTreeTools-v3

The post Simple Tree Tools 3.0 goes procedural first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

For Momo (2025), director Christian Ditter, Ratpack Film Production and RiseFX took on the challenge of reimagining Michael Ende’s timeless tale for a new generation — without losing its quiet melancholy or handmade charm. Based on the 1973 novel and following in the shadow of the 1986 adaptation, Momo centres on an orphan girl who must battle the soulless Men in Grey, who stealthily take over her city and steal time.

Michael Wortmann, who worked on films such as Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Black Panther (2018) and Red One (2024) brings Hollywood scale experience to Momo. As VFX Supervisor at RiseFX, he led the team through a 16-month production cycle, delivering more than 280 shots with a crew of roughly 50 artists – merging blockbuster techniques with a grounded, naturalistic aesthetic in this German production.

Creative Directions

DP: How jarring was it to go from the adrenaline-soaked action comedy Red One to the timeless, melancholic world of Momo?

Michael Wortmann: Well, these two movies might not seem to be much alike on the first look but if you think about it they do have a lot in common. Both movies address a wide audience, they fall into the genre fantasy and they both deal with the timeless topic of who we spend time with. The surreal set extensions are a fantasy but keeping a lot of things grounded in the real world is key to make the story relatable to the viewer.

DP: Momo comes with serious nostalgia baggage, both from the book and the 1986 movie. How much of that legacy influenced your take? And how did you decide what to preserve, what to reinvent, and what to toss out with the Men in Grey’s cigars?

Michael Wortmann: The goal was clear from the beginning: we are not doing a remake, we really want to upgrade Momo and make a 2025 version of it. So this was not about nostalgica but really updating all the elements of the story to make them relatable to a new generation that didn’t grow up with the old movie. So dolls became Bibibots, cigars became inhalers, there’s grey women now and so on. Still, we tried not to lean into science fiction too much because essentially Momo is a tale. Director Christian Ditter had all these wonderful ideas when he wrote the script and this really translated into the design of the film.

DP: The realm of the Men in Grey and the Source of Time are gorgeous, especially that giant pendulum over the water. How did those concepts evolve visually? How many iterations did they go through before locking in the final design?

Michael Wortmann: The golden dome is one of the pivotal moments in the book and the movie as well. It took a while to figure it out and there were a lot of options discussed. The description in the original book was a cave like place so we started looking into actual caves in Croatia.

During preproduction it became obvious that we wouldn’t be able to make a cave shoot happening so we got creative about it. We discussed all kinds of ideas, minimalistic approaches like a black void just shoing a water surface with Momo and the flower of the hour. We also discussed shooting in an LED Stage but we felt this is not the right approach for our movie. Momo is essentially shot entirely on location so we were worried that LED stage shots would look unnatural.

So on one weekend, while we were still shooting our director went to a beach in Split and found that little half moon shaped bay –  and we all knew this is the place! So we started developing concepts which developed a bit over time. We started with antique ruins but ended up with a more naturalistic design reelected in a dome made from driftwood as our director felt that this place needed to be more organic. We worked closely with concept artist Francesco Corvino who depicted style frames for this environment.

DP: How much of the final look was premeditated versus discovered? Were there moments where someone said, “Wait, this actually looks better upside down,” and you just rolled with it?

Michael Wortmann: We tried to plan as much as we could but on the visual effects side we had to develop some things to make things look really appealing. For example in the Neverlane we were facing problems because the whole set and the set extension were sandstone color. So we started introduce lensflares which were artificially rgb colored so they resemble rainbow colors. They weren’t the true look of the lenses we used but they helped a lot in making the shots not look monochromatic.

DP: Momo has this delicate balance of realism and magic and  it never tips too far into fantasy. Was there a guiding visual rulebook or “Momo physics” that defined what could exist in that world?

Michael Wortmann: We agreed with the director that anything in our Momo world is grounded in reality. Time being frozen is a thing, it is something we can show without being non-physical. Even the dissolves of the greys are based on their colors, non-gravity and the pink color of the flour of the hour – they come across like fairy dust but in essence they are organic and real in terms of the story.

DP: In terms of look development, what role did RiseFX play in setting the tone?

Michael Wortmann: There was a little concept art that was done before we shot the movie and then we had Francesco working on concepts together with the director after the shoot. But there were still a lot of things left for us to figure out so we did a lot of design work on this one. The look through Momo’s glasses, the design of the future city, the Neverlane set extensions, the time vault and the screen during the judgement scene, just to name a few.

Technical & Pipeline

DP: Let’s talk about scale. When did Rise actually start on  Momo? How long did production run, how many artists were involved, and roughly how many shots were completed?

Michael Wortmann: We started on Momo in January 2025 and we finished in May 2026, so it was a long one. I think we had a crew of 50 artists working on our show over time and we completed 280 shots, which is the majority of work. 

DP: The reel shows full-CG environments, set extensions both “normal” and “fantastic,” time-freeze sequences, particle sims — basically a buffet of VFX challenges. How did the team manage such variety without losing track of what’s real, what’s magic, and what’s due Tuesday?

Michael Wortmann: I am working with an experienced team that I know for years so I can completely rely on them helping me navigate through the storm. As I was on set supervising the shoot and in direct touch with the director and producer so I had a lot of background knowledge of what we needed to do.

DP: The USD-based multishot pipeline was pushed forward, I assume – how exactly did that work in practice these days? Were there multiple vendors, and how did you keep asset exchanges from turning into a Kafka novel?

Michael Wortmann: No, this was not as crazy as it sounds. Our pipeline is well established and it all worked out as planned. We pushed pretty much all shots through our pipeline: Maya, Houdini, Karma rendering and Nuke.

DP: Which shots were the biggest technical headaches, and how did Rise solve them?

Michael Wortmann: I think the golden dome shots were really challenging, both creatively and technically. We needed to match the beach including water sims, caustic renderings and all that, the asset was extremely heavy with all the wooden structures. Finally we needed this weird lighting setup where the center of the scene is in bright light but towards the end of the set we wanted night. We tried to sell the sunlight in the plates as the light coming down onto the pendulum and I think that worked beautifully.

Creature Feature: Cassiopeia the Turtle

DP: Let’s talk about Cassiopeia, everyone’s favourite turtle and possibly the calmest on-screen actor in cinema. How much research went into her design and movement?

Michael Wortmann: When we started I was told Cassiopeia is an animatronic build and that we only need to take care of her letters. I was curious but when I saw the first tests I knew we would need to help so we ended up with a good combination of animatronic and cgi shots here. We had all kind of hybrid shots where we just replaced the feet or touched up the rig underneath her shell. Chris Creatures did a great job and she really looks cute. Some closeups are especially incredibly well working, the animatronic had two versions, one that could move around and one that was slightly bigger and had a full facial rig. The only thing she basically can’t do is walk like a real turtle so that’s when we had to fully replace her.

DP: Be honest: did anyone at Rise actually have a turtle at home they brought in for research? And if yes, how long did the motion capture session take? And how is RiseFX’s policy towards pets in the office?

Michael Wortmann: Haha, we do have that occasional dog coming in but like always no animals were harmed during making this movie!

DP: The film’s Cassiopeia clearly isn’t a real turtle, not just because of the writing on her shell (D’uh). She moves with agency, emotion, even purpose. How much of that is biologically plausible, and how much is, well, pure storytelling?

Michael Wortmann: I think we went modest when it comes to unnatural behaviour, Michael Ende wrote Momo in Italy and had turtles in the garden of the place where he stayed. That’s why she is mostly natural and also why she doesn’t speak. I really like the mix of a natural turtle but then being spiced up with fantasy colors, she is way to blue for a real turtle.

DP: There’s a fine line between an anatomically accurate turtle and an expressive one. How did the animators find that sweet spot — especially when Cassiopeia smiles (something turtles, tragically, do not do)?

Michael Wortmann: Anatomically turtles cannot smile but her mouth shape really helps. Most facial expressions are not a result of one thing moving but if you open your mouth while you close your eyes a bit it makes the whole face suddenly resonate and allows to read an emotion. Animating the flower petals was much more difficult because that animation really is just about translating an object in space while still transporting a message.

DP: If you had to define Cassiopeia in one word what would it be?
Michael Wortmann: (Classic) Sidekick!

Wrap-Up

DP: If you were to start Momo again from scratch (same script, same crew, same turtle) what would you do differently, either creatively or technically?

Michael Wortmann: Well, there’s always that one shot you are not super happy with but overall we really managed to deliver a very consistent and high quality of vfx work. This was a german production and even though we had a decent budget we had to manage things efficiently in order to make this movie really look as big as it should. Everyone in Germany want to finally do these big, cinematic movies – I think we did one.

DP: What lessons or tools from Momo will Rise carry forward into future productions, apart from the obvious “saving time to spend time” mantra, which seems to apply to pipelines, not to artists?

Michael Wortmann: After this we have done another step into a direction where we can provide the full scope of VFX, not only in terms of content but also in terms of supervision and production support. Momo was always about taking all the experience and knowledge and make it possible to shoot a big looking movie on set without impacting the production as little as possible. There’s hardly greenscreens, no LED stage, everything is real and onset, thats’s why it looks so good. There’s a reason why the directior Christian Ditter and me both own a copy of “Making of The Creator”. 

DP: Finally, what’s next for you and for Rise FX?

Michael Wortmann: Welcome to the Hunger Games! I’m working on the new installment, titled “Sunrise on the reaping” – stay tuned, It’s going to be good!

The post Momo: Of Time, Turtles, and Technical Wizardry first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.

Planetside Software has doubled down on updates for its terrain generation and sky creation tools, Terragen 4.8 and Terragen Sky, catering to artists who want both worlds and skies under their control. These releases focus on features that combine automation with user control, enhancing workflows across VFX, CGI, and digital production.

Terragen 4.8: Faster Previews, Flexible Exports

Terragen 4.8 is a refinement-focused release, emphasizing smoother workflows and broader compatibility. The highlight? GPU-accelerated 3D Preview now works with AMD and Intel GPUs, bringing real-time responsiveness to scene adjustments. While the core renderer remains CPU-based, this update ensures faster interaction during complex terrain edits, regardless of your GPU brand.

The update also includes support for exporting 3D cloud volumes, allowing volumetric clouds to be rendered in external tools. This makes it easier to integrate Terragen’s detailed skies into pipelines without additional tweaks. In short, you can export your clouds and let another renderer handle the heavy lifting—a great option for artists looking for flexibility.

Planetside hasn’t forgotten about legacy users, either. Support for Windows 7 is still alive, with several bugs ironed out for stability. Prices for Terragen 4.8 remain unlisted, but more details are available on the Planetside Software website.

Terragen Sky: Paint the Clouds Your Way

The spotlight, however, shines on the Terragen Sky update, which introduces a long-requested feature: direct cloud painting. This tool allows artists to manually shape and position volumetric clouds, moving beyond the constraints of procedural algorithms. From delicate wisps to dramatic storm clouds, this update brings precision and artistry directly into the sky-creation process.

Cloud painting works seamlessly with Terragen’s existing workflows, ensuring compatibility while expanding creative possibilities. Additionally, real-time visualization within the 3D Preview lets artists see their adjustments instantly, cutting out the guesswork and making the process much smoother.

Planetside’s approach here is clear: empower artists to blend procedural efficiency with manual control. For those who’ve ever felt limited by auto-generated skies, this update is a breath of fresh air—or, perhaps, a puff of perfectly sculpted cloud.

Pricing for the Terragen Sky update also hasn’t been specified (It is a Beta, after all), but you can learn more on the Planetside Software website.

Caution: Test Before You Fly

While both updates bring exciting new capabilities, it’s essential to evaluate their stability before deploying them on critical projects. Features like GPU previews, 3D cloud exports, and cloud painting sound innovative, but production artists know simplicity and reliability are the true heroes of any workflow.

For detailed announcements, visit the full write-ups on Terragen 4.8 and Terragen Sky.

The post Terragen 4.8 & Sky Update: Shaping Clouds and Worlds first appeared on DIGITAL PRODUCTION and was written by Bela Beier.