SpeedTree is a foliage-creation middleware. It is used in The Elder Scrolls : Oblivion. Ok, it’s not java and it’s not free, but it does look god damn good so I thought I post a link.
Yeah… swoon… hmm…
“Foliage-creation middleware”… I love this industry! ;D
Donwload the demos from the Speedtree site and play them. The tech is nice but they use billboards a lot and it can get hugly sometimes.
Damn it, I was going to write one of those. If only I’d got around to it…
As the levels of detail engines can display increases there is going to be a growing need for content-creation tools because it will increasingly not be viable to have enough model-makers to dedicate to every rock, tree, flower and leaf in the world.
It might be interesting to have a terrain feature generation engine under MIT licence / or BSD licence.
they were showing it at the GDC 2 years ago and I was distinctly unimpressed. the salesman was a bit annoyed when I said “yeah, so what? it’s only some onboard T&L in the foreground and billboards in the distance”.
“but it looks really good, and you can have a hundred trees or more!”
“and? I’m writing games, dude, not forest simulators. And, anyway, I can do a pretty good tree simulator myself. HOW much did you say you were charging again?”
“…”
Anyway…I’m guessing they’ve improved it considerably since then?
LMAO! That’s harsh! Funny, but harsh!
I am guessing door-to-door salesmen only visit you…once 
[quote]As the levels of detail engines can display increases there is going to be a growing need for content-creation tools because it will increasingly not be viable to have enough model-makers to dedicate to every rock, tree, flower and leaf in the world.
[/quote]
Yes it’s going to be interesting to see how tools will evolve and what will be creating for the artists(level designer, modelers, texture,…).
This is most likely the case since it is being included in most new engines; Unreal on down…
It’s so advanced their site even quotes PC Gamer from the future!