Static Mesh Skewing

Okay, so the short version is, IS there away to ANIMATE a MESH in engine with something like a SKEW or STRETCH that relys on a noise map panning across the map.

Long version is why:
I essentially want to have a bunch of trees (i’m working in low poly atm) and I want them all to move together like they’re blowing in the wind, sort of like grass. Only I didn’t want to animate the trees themselves as they’d all move independently and it’d look unrealistic. The end goal is something Like Godus (bad game I know but its the only reference I have) Just focus on the trees:

I know roughly how I’m going to do it: have a noise map that pans across the field and have the displacement/skew or whatever rely on that. Its just the actual application of it that’s messing me up. I’d be grateful for any help… and advice. Or any ideas anyone has how to achieve the same effect.

You can achieve this effect using nothing but the materials, there’s a built in function for wind that will also work for other meshes if setup correctly it could easily work for the effects you are trying to achieve. Are your trees a single material or is it split into multiple materials (like bark, leaves, etc)?

Something like this could work:

Yeah, they’re separate materials, (only two Bark and leaves) would it work better if they were one? I’ll give it a go and report back! cheers.

Well as one material it would all move together, with separate materials each would move independent of the other which probably wouldn’t look right, never tested with multiple materials really so I would be interested in seeing the outcome. By the by those values should be adjusted it may not have much effect at first until you play with the values some.

I’m assuming that it determines it off the UV map right?

Basically, it creates a ripple effect from the top down (top will move further than the bottom of the mesh). Did you try it out yet?

So ermm… yeah (sorry for the late reply, out of the country) and… well i have no idea what the hell’s going on XD (https://vimeo.com/208017662) It… sort of works. Just… not in the right way. The material is exactly the same as yours just a green base colour. I haven’t UV mapped them yet (coz i’m only working with basic assets) and thats the only thing i can think of thats affecting it, but then if i DO UV map them… won’t all the faces of the objects move independently rather than one object?

Yeah the objects need to be UV’d, the material uses the UVs to add the effect. If you overlap your UVs it may do that but not if you UV them correctly. The material applies the effect long the V coordinate or |^ this way (sorry can’t type an arrow lol) and the U coordinate is this way → if that helps you with your layout.

Have a look here at the material in action with trees and grass: Wind Applied to Trees and Grass with UVs - YouTube