Tutorials

In 2022 we released the first season of our Ask iToo livestreams. In these well-received monthly broadcasts, we answered a selection of the most interesting questions sent in by our users in the preceeding 30 days. In fact, over the course of the year, we tackled over 80 queries live on air.

We've listed the main topics below. If you'd like to watch the answer to one of the questions just click on the month of broadcast and it'll take you straight to the correct section on YouTube. 

We'll be continuing these sessions in 2023, so if you have a question you'd like to see answered. Just drop us a message and let us know! 

Forest Pack

• February How to blend scattered objects with a surface more convincingly
• February How to use Forest Pack and Forest Color to create a patterned metal chain curtain
• February How to increase the density of a scatter in Forest Pack without changing the distribution pattern
• March How to create a gradual transition between two adjacent scatters
• March How to layer one FP object on top of another (eg leaves on gravel)
• March How to control the probability of the Tint By Gradient feature
• March How to get objects to follow a spline in map-based distribution modes
• March How to use custom Proxy Display objects in Forest Pack?
• April Understanding the improved name matching when using FP's reference mode
• April Using Item editor as a more eficient Proxy Cache mode in Forest Pack
• April How to create a lily pad and lotus flower preset
• April How to unlock X and Y rotation in item editor mode when a surface is assigned
• April How to use Edge mode in Corona 
• April How to animate the presets that ship with Forest Pack
• April How to create a carpet with a custom pattern
• April How to create crazy-paving combined with grass
• April How to scatter on displaced geometry in Forest Pack
• April How to scatter leaves under trees
• May How to use Corona Decals with RailClone and Forest Pack
• May Tips for making day-to-day work faster
• May How to quickly add assets to the library browser and share them on a network
• May How to easily colour correct multiple plants in a scatter
• May Using Forest Pack with Chaos Vantage
• June Support for V-Ray 6 in Forest Pack and improvements to reference mode
• June How to combine RailClone and Forest pack to create a unique grasscrete pattern
• July How to use Forest Pack for Ivy
• July How to scatter Forest Pack onto a RailClone object (for example to create planters)
• July How to create a fake circle packing effect in Forest Pack
• August How to create a zen garden with raked gravel using Forest Pack
• August How to create realistic grass variations on a lawn in Forest Pack
• August How to scatter inside a volume with Forest Pack
• September How to link Forest Pack to RailClone to add trees to planters on pavements
• September How to animate objects inside a group and scatter them with Forest Pack
• September How to change materials based on altitude in Forest Pack
• September How to create a stadium audience by scattering a crowd along splines in Forest Pack but maintain access areas
• November How to use Forest Sets
• November How to populate Forest Sets from a layer
• November How to scatter and animate linked hierarchies
• November Hoe to use spline areas with UV Surfaces
• November How to use Forest Pack 8's new Effects presets
• November How to use Forest Pack 8's Linked Areas feature
• November How to use the Autumn Leaves presets
• December Creating tinsel and garlands with Forest Pack
• December Animating a crop havesting effect with Forest Pack
• December Converting a scene to winter by adding snow effect using FP and materials
• December Converting instances in a scene to a Forest Pack object

RailClone

• February How to create a parametric warehouse with RailClone
• February How to use markers on clipping splines to change a RailClone object's parameters
• March How to use Megascans Modular building assets with RailClone
• March How can I create buildings in RailClone that include floor plates and internal walls
• March How to solve issues when the A2S extend to spline option doesn't follow surfaces correctly
• April How to use the new build time feature added to RailClone and Forest Pack Lister
• April How to use more than one Spline object in RailClone
• May how to use Corona Decals with RailClone and Forest Pack
• May How to model handrail corners that change angles in two directions
• May How to inherit sizes in nested generators to make things like doors and windows.
• June An overview of the new features in RailClone 5.2.3
• June how to optimise styles to place more edge loops on curved sections
• June How to align a RailClone style to the normals of an underlying surface
• June How to model a corrugated sheet metal roof
• June Combing RailClone and Forest pack to create a unique grasscrete pattern
• June How to create a procedural post and rail fence (plus some advanced randomisation tips!)
• June How to create a twisted surface effect
• July How to create randomised wooden shingle cladding
• July How to randomly rotate nested generators (for example to add roofs to tower buildings)
• July How to scatter Forest Pack onto a RailClone object (for example to create planters)
• July How to distribute and randomise circular tables, chairs and place settings in RailClone
• August How to model a parametric footbridge in RailClone.
• August How to slide an array around inside its clipping spline (for example a ceiling)
• August How to create a procedural facade using the Morpher modifier and RailClone in 3ds Max
• August (Re the previous question) How to use a noise map instead of selecting using intersecting geometry
• September How to clone houses that use RailClone roofs
• September How to link Forest Pack to RailClone to add trees to planters on pavements
• September How to create procedural festoon lighting with RailClone
• September How to model a procedural facade with a curved top
• September How to cut holes in multiple sides of a building in a single RailClone object
• September How to maintain vertical alignment in adaptive deformation mode 
• September How to model a complex morphed facade using just sequence and mirror operators
• December How to animate Christmas lights
• December A primer on using Marker Data and IDs
• December How to parameterise modular desks and randomise items on the surface