"we are close with Vue, we speak every few months and we have discussed both the possibility that we would release some libraries in Vue format and also an export to Vue format." stewart mcsherry Xfrog.Com ***************************************************** Very happy to get this email from Stewart McSherry of Xfrog. If Vue isn't going to issue new plants of their own, having at least some other new options would be a great start. It would be ideal if these plants were sold Ala Carte (using an old American expression ((heh)) That is, as a single plant or smaller bundles. This would make specific plant categories more affordable to more people. I think everyone would benefit from this. Send your emails to Vue and Xfrog to encourage this so we can get some really good new accurate, high-quality plants!

I think this would be a great idea. I am all for it.

I agree - great idea. As a recent purchaser of XFrog, I read with concern that version 4 will be released as a plug-in, as this seemed unlikely to be available for use inside Vue. I have not been able to discover whether there will also be a free-standing release of version 4. AThis announcement of a possible "export to Cue" format is encouraging. Any clarification of the relationship between the two applications in the future would be welcome. (I have tried posting this on the XFrog forum, but received no replies.)

hopefully, any plants you might buy won't have the machine-code/email registration problem that makes reinstalls of xfrog such a pain

diplomatically this statement reads like "we have discussed that several times but haven't found a solution". Hope that's too pesimistic!

I agree - this really sounds like a diplomatic put-off. I am a professional programmer. Since xfrog exports to 3ds and to obj, it should not be a big task to develop an exporter function for Vue, or to create a function that xfrog would sell, that would allow for conversion of their pre-made trees for Vue. It is a much more substantial task for the Vue people to create a plug-in that would read the xfrog tree file format directly. And, it would cost a fair amount - so there's probably not a real incentive on the Vue end. On the other hand, while Vue's own tree generator is an absolute marvel (faster than greased lightning, wonderful random seed process, etc.), they do really need to add some more basic tree types, or something. There are more than a million tree species. Vue is coming into wider use in the world. But we can only do so much with leaf transparencies, and we've just about exhausted that facility. The inability to have a decent bamboo tree form is holding up sales in Japan, as nearly as I can tell. (Vue's "bamboo" looks a lot more like poor cane grass than bamboo.) OK, just an opinion. But it doesn't sound good - this response you received. Personally, I think we need to go purchase xfrog, and maybe one competative set of products I've located for specialty items. (The bamboo generator costs as much as xfrog pro, but its a marvel.) Its probably important to tell both Vue and Greenworks that there is demand for compatibility between their products. Xfrog can do something about this more cheaply than can e-on software, but I wouldn't hold my breath.

I don't see it happening, personally. Since XFrog can export 3ds and obj and Vue can import same, I don't see a financial incentive for either company to devote the time, energy, and most of all money to customize their respective programs towards the other. Maybe it would help get the point across to Eon about more plants for the plant/tree generator if we emailed them to request it; if lots and lots of users requested more plants directly to them, and Eon saw it could make them some $$ (or Euro), perhaps they would work on some new plant bundles.

Cinema 4D does have a free importer plug-in for xfrog plants. So, it can be done.

Of course it can be done - if you have a software concept allowing plug-ins! And if you are willing to ignore your own developments and pay for others. One point how easy import filters are. Since i have Vue on my Mac i ask for an import filter for Vue's own format to be able to open Vue 3 objects, materials etc. Not possible because of different memory concepts was the answer from E-on. Maybe that is not true but maybe it is. Who knows.

It probably is true, wabe. And, you make a good point about the underlying architecture for the software - it has to be intended (and developed) to support plug-ins. However, in this case, Vue already has the basic import functions, and xfrog already has the basic export functions - so, we know at least one set of the file format conversion processes exist. I'm not really kicking about about this. Looking at this thread you can see how many of us are really interested. Rather small market, no?