Procedural Breaking 3D Objects

The underlying physics technology is versatile enough to break many things, not only tree trunks. It is just a matter of setting up the assets. For the examples below we will concentrate on tree trunks, though. 

Sample File

cut_shape.max - tree example 

sample_tree.max breakable cut out - example 

General Setup in 3d applications

 

• For the Trunk Material (!), turn on "physicalize" in the Material Editor. Set the Parameter for the physics to "default".

 

Important: Remove any proxy physics objects from parts you want to be breakable (i.e. trunk) 

 

• create a predefined mesh in an extra cgf file, which is used to "cap" the broken parts.

Setup in Sandbox Editor

• In the Sandbox material editor, the trunk's material surface type needs to be set to "mat_wood_breakable".
• The surfacetype defines the predefined mesh used to cap the tree trunk. The location and name of this mesh is stored in the surfacetype script.

 

• Breakable trees need to be placed as vegetation objects.

 

Debugging

• apply enough force to the object to break it. in Crysis explosions from rocketlaunchers or grenades were sufficient to check the functioanlity.