Unity (NYSE: U), a system for creating and operating real-time 3D content, has acquired Interactive Data Visualization Inc., creator of SpeedTree, a suite of vegetation modeling and environment creation products for architecture, games and visual effects. Video games such as Horizon: Zero Dawn, Call of Duty: War Zone, The Witcher 3 and Assassin’s Creed: Valhalla have used SpeedTree to assist in their environment creation.

“Creating natural, organic-looking environments is currently a costly and labor-intensive process,” said Ralph Hauwert, senior vice president, Research & Development, Unity. “If you’re pursuing a high level of detail and realism, the process of manually creating one tree – not to mention a forest – can take upwards of four months. With IDV’s SpeedTree suite of products part of the Unity product ecosystem, we can now offer creators native authoring workflows for creating real-time, rich, organic environments.”

SpeedTree has previously received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award from the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences for its contributions to modern cinema and an Engineering Emmy Award for its impact on the television industry.