Tree Modeling with Real Tree-Parts Examples

IEEE Trans. on Visualization and Computer Graphics

Ke Xie¹                 Feilong Yan¹          Andrei Sharf³          Oliver Deussen⁴          Hui Huang^2,1*          Baoquan Chen^5*

¹Shenzhen VisuCA Key Lab / SIAT      ²Shenzhen University     ³Ben Gurion University        ⁴University of Konstanz      ⁵Shandong University

Figure1：Using tree parts from our data-base (left) we model a complete detailed ficus (mid), and increase its realism with geometric texture and foliage (right). The two zoomed images show the geometric complexity of the generated tree using only few tree-cuts.

Abstract

We introduce a 3D tree modeling technique that utilizes examples of real trees to enhance tree creation with realistic structures and fine-level details. In contrast to previous works that use smooth generalized cylinders to represent tree branches, our method generates realistic looking tree models with complex branching geometry by employing an exemplar database consisting of real-life trees reconstructed from scanned data. These trees are sliced into representative parts (denoted as tree-cuts), representing trunk logs and branching structures. In the modeling process, tree-cuts are positioned in space in an intuitive manner, serving as efficient proxies that guide the creation of the complete tree. Allometry rules are taken into account to ensure reasonable relations between adjacent branches. Realism is further enhanced by automatically transferring geometric textures from our database onto tree branches as well as by guided growing of foliage. Our results demonstrate the complexity and variety of trees that can be generated with our method within few minutes. We carry a user study to test the effectiveness of our modeling technique.

Overview

Figure 2：Interactive modeling sequence of a Populus tree. Tree-cuts from a real tree are selected and placed in space (a) leading to a temporal trunk model (b), to which the user adds more cuts yielding a full tree model (c). Lobes are scribbled to guide the foliage growth in the final tree (d).
 

Results

Figure 3：Interactive foliage modeling. Main branches computed from user tree-cuts (a) are enhanced with user sketched lobes (b). In the lobe volume we grow twigs in a recursive manner for 4 iterations (c). Tiny branchlets and leaves are added to twigs endpoints (d).

Figure 4：Modeling of Bonsai (top) and Cercis (bottom) trees from given 2D photographs. Left-to-right, the 2D photograph, input tree-cuts, full tree structure and with foliage.
 

Acknowledgments

We thank all the reviewers for their valuable comments and constructive suggestions. We are grateful to Jianwei Guo for his help on tree rendering. This work was supported in part by NSFC (61522213, 61232011, 61502471), 973 Program (2015CB352501), Guangdong Science and Technology Program (2015A030312015, 2014B050502009, 2014TX01X033), Shenzhen Innovation Program (JCYJ20151015151249564, CXB201104220029A), National Foreign 1000 Talent Plan (WQ201344000169), Leading Talents of Guangdong Program (00201509) and the Israel Science Foundation.

Bibtex

@ARTICLE{Tree2016, 
   author={Ke Xie, Feilong Yan, Andrei Sharf, Oliver Deussen, Hui Huang, Baoquan Chen}, 
   journal={IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics}, 
   title={Tree Modeling with Real Tree-Parts Examples}, 
   volume = {22},
   number = {12},
   pages = {2608-－2618},
   year={2016}, 
}

Downloads