Acknowledgments
About the Book and Author
Chapter 1 Introduction
Chapter 2 Planning and Gathering References
Chapter 3 Creating GroundCover
Chapter 4 Setting up in Unreal Engine
Chapter 5 Photogrammetry Explained
Chapter 6 Creating a Tree Procedurally
Chapter 7 Setting up a Wind Material
Chapter 8 Building a Scene
Glossary
Index
Biography
Chico Spans embarked on his journey into the industry in 2010, dedicating four years to his studies at Grafisch Lyceum Utrecht. After this education, he worked at Sticky Studios for a year, contributing to projects for renowned clients such as Warner Bros. and Disney.
His educational journey progressed at Breda University of Applied Sciences, where he seamlessly blended academic endeavors with freelance vegetation work on PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG). This endeavor proved fruitful, as the game soared to become one of the best-selling PC games, generating over $14 billion in revenue and selling 75 million units in software sales.
Expanding his horizons, Chico relocated to the UK and joined Playground Games to work on Forza Horizon 4. The title earned critical acclaim, winning a BAFTA award and a stellar score of 92 on Metacritic.
A new chapter unfolded as Chico pursued a career as a Vegetation Artist at Ubisoft Massive, where he worked on the highly anticipated Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, which, upon release, was seen as one of the best-looking games of the year.
At the time of writing this book, Chico is employed at Epic Games, which is commonly known for Fortnite and creating the Unreal Engine. Within the company, Chico is actively engaged in various internal initiatives, pushing the boundaries of technology and elevating the quality of photorealistic plants and trees.
Beyond his professional pursuits, Chico is a Mentor at Vertex School, providing guidance and coaching to diverse students. He has also developed a comprehensive Vegetation course, available on the school’s website.
Chico’s extensive experience in the industry, spanning nearly a decade and with a specific focus on vegetation art for the past six years, positions him as a qualified author for this book.
As a frontline innovator, he continually pioneers new techniques aligned with the latest technology. Drawing from personal and professional experiences, Chico brings a wealth of knowledge to guide and mentor individuals within the industry.
