(continued from previous page) ...consoles are you able to run an entire environment in one, continuous, streaming world? If not, how is the world set up?

Kevin: How the levels of a game are set up is up to the developers, but
SpeedTree is compatible with any approach.

PSU: Are game developers able to add their own textures to the tree creation to create more realistic trees or for example "alien" trees?

Kevin: Absolutely. The Windows-based SpeedTreeCAD application enables users
to import textures and vary countless other parameters to get exactly the look they want, whether an earthly species or something more exotic. To demonstrate this versatility, IDV has included some very bizarre "species" in the library. Many of them are visible here.

PSU: I see you are currently licensing to the Unreal Engine 3.0, are there any other game engines or companies you license too?

Kevin: We have established both formal and informal partnerships with many engine developers, including Epic Games, Emergent, BigWorld, Trinigy and Multiverse. Look for more partnership announcements soon, but in the meantime, many SpeedTree users have completed their own integrations of SpeedTree into dozens of in-house and commercial game development tools.

PSU: Can your trees react to the environment, example: wind, shadowing, impacts, ect.?

Kevin: SpeedTree's ability to respond to such local events as helicopter rotor wash, for example, have made the software a key feature of an Army helicopter training system. There are also impressive lighting options. But because SpeedTree includes an SDK, the behavior of the foliage is ultimately under the control of the developer.

PSU: Are you looking forward to the launch of the PS3?

Kevin: Indeed! We can't say too much at this point, but there are going to be some great-looking forests on that console.

PSU: What are some of the best features that everyone should know about SpeedTree?

Kevin: Outstanding realism and efficiency, amazing wind effects, a real-time SDK and a versatile and the simple to use tree modeling application.

PSU: Anything else you would like to add about SpeedTree or PS3 developments?

Kevin: We hope the industry-wide adoption of SpeedTreeRT speaks for itself. Thanks very much for the great questions!

We here at PSU would like to thank Kevin Meredith once again for sharing his expertise and providing insight into SpeedTree.