What it does
GrowFX builds trees, grass, flowers and climbing plants using editable rules in 3ds Max. Branch and leaf structures can react to scene objects, follow splines and change over time. It also exports vegetation to Unreal Engine through FBX files and Pivot Painter 2 textures. A one-time purchase includes 12 months of GrowFX 2.x maintenance, after which the installed version keeps working.
Meta mesh joins trunks and branches into one surface, smoothing their junctions. Object reaction changes a plant's path around other scene objects, while Object slice trims growth to a shape. For stems with a prescribed route, Spline direction can interpolate between guide splines.
Growth animation can use dependencies instead of separate keyframes for every part. The Affects mechanism lets one parameter drive another, such as branch length following tree height. Instanced geometry supplies custom leaves, flowers or fruit and can inherit their materials.
An Individual licence covers one user on two computers. Corporate options cover five or ten users; Site licensing is limited to one company in one office and requires a static external IP address. GrowFX 2.x includes 12 months of maintenance from first activation. The installed software continues working after maintenance expires, but later updates are no longer included.
Maintenance can be renewed annually. Taxes are extra. Non-interactive 3ds Max render nodes do not need separate GrowFX licences.
Strengths
- Viewport Lines mode and path-percentage controls reduce displayed plant detail.
- Surface maps can control plant distribution density and height.
Watch out for
- The modeller depends on 3ds Max and is not a standalone application.
- New updates require an active maintenance period.
Best for
- 3ds Max artists designing custom vegetation
- Artists preparing plant growth and Unreal Engine wind assets
Sources
- GrowFX | Procedural Plant Modelling and Animation (Oct 28, 2026)
- GrowFX Features (Oct 28, 2026)
- GrowFX FAQ | Licensing and Maintenance (Oct 28, 2026)
- Buy GrowFX | Licence Types (Oct 28, 2026)