3D Tree Models Research Articles

Compressing 3D Trees With Rendering Efficiency Based on Differential Data

Trees or forests are indispensable and ubiquitous in virtual outdoor environments. Artists usually use high polygon counts to construct detailed 3D tree models to increase realism. However, large memory spaces are required, and considerable computation power is used for rendering. This paper proposes a compression method for 3D tree models to achieve rendering efficiency with less memory space and high visual fidelity of trees simultaneously. Trees are clustered using automatic K-medoids clustering method, and each member tree in the cluster can be reconstructed based on the representative tree with differential data. An abstract representation of an ordered rooted tree for each tree model is introduced, and the similarity between trees was measured using the modified tree edit distance. Moreover, an LOD priority for each component was associated to facilitate the LOD mechanism by considering the contribution to the visual perception after rendering. For accelerating rendering, GPU was exploited to benefit the LOD mechanism, and the geometry instancing facilitates the rendering for component instances shared among member trees. The effectiveness of compression was tested using four sample forests. As demonstrated by the experimental results, our method can save substantial memory space, retain the visual fidelity of the reconstructed trees, and accelerate the rendering.

A novel method to model trees for building daylighting simulation using hemispherical photography

The ability to simulate the effect of trees on natural light performance in buildings is contingent upon accurate simulation of light passing through the canopy. Accurate simulations require some assumption of leaf angle distribution (LAD) to compute canopy gap fractions. The ellipsoidal LAD can very closely approximate real plant canopies. The method requires calculation of leaf area density from observed distribution of gap fraction as a function of zenith angle. Two sets of Neem trees were studied (small and large). Hemispherical image acquisition and analysis for both groups was carried out to measure gap fractions. The results helped to develop a 3D tree model that was used to simulate the effect of tree interception of daylight. The illuminance levels were simulated under the tree model and the output results were validated against actual measurements using MBE and RMSE techniques (small trees: MBE = 0.33, RMSE = 0.20; large trees: MBE = 9.68, RMSE = 2.02).

Corrigendum: Models of 3D crown structure for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula pendula) grown in mixed forest

The interplay between plant structure and functioning determines vital plant characteristics, such as the efficiency of light capture by the foliage, and thus continuous efforts have attempted to include plant architecture in plant growth models. We constructed two crown structure models enabling the generation of 3D trees using simple tree measurements as input for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and silver birch (Betula pendula Roth.), boreal species growing in mixed stands. The data for the models were obtained from sample-based digitizing of 3D crown architecture accompanied by characterizations of stem, branch, and foliage volumes and biomass. A set of equations was used to predict local crown characteristics on the basis of local predictors and tree-level input variables such as tree height, crown height, diameter at breast height, and the degree of competition. The 3D tree model was realized within the LIGNUM tree modelling framework. Comparison with data showed that the model adequately predicts ...

Easy modeling of realistic trees from freehand sketches

Creating realistic 3D tree models in a convenient way is a challenge in game design and movie making due to diversification and occlusion of tree structures. Current sketch-based and image-based approaches for fast tree modeling have limitations in effect and speed, and they generally include complex parameter adjustment, which brings difficulties to novices. In this paper, we present a simple method for quickly generating various 3D tree models from freehand sketches without parameter adjustment. On two input images, the user draws strokes representing the main branches and crown silhouettes of a tree. The system automatically produces a 3D tree at high speed. First, two 2D skeletons are built from strokes, and a 3D tree structure resembling the input sketches is built by branch retrieval from the 2D skeletons. Small branches are generated within the sketched 2D crown silhouettes based on self-similarity and angle restriction. This system is demonstrated on a variety of examples. It maintains the main features of a tree: the main branch structure and crown shape, and can be used as a convenient tool for tree simulation and design.

Modeling and generating moving trees from video

We present a probabilistic approach for the automatic production of tree models with convincing 3D appearance and motion. The only input is a video of a moving tree that provides us an initial dynamic tree model, which is used to generate new individual trees of the same type. Our approach combines global and local constraints to construct a dynamic 3D tree model from a 2D skeleton. Our modeling takes into account factors such as the shape of branches, the overall shape of the tree, and physically plausible motion. Furthermore, we provide a generative model that creates multiple trees in 3D, given a single example model. This means that users no longer have to make each tree individually, or specify rules to make new trees. Results with different species are presented and compared to both reference input data and state of the art alternatives.

Models of 3D crown structure for Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) and silver birch (Betula pendula) grown in mixed forest

The interplay between plant structure and functioning determines vital plant characteristics, such as the efficiency of light capture by the foliage, and thus continuous efforts have attempted to include plant architecture in plant growth models. We constructed two crown structure models enabling the generation of 3D trees using simple tree measurements as input for Scots pine ( Pinus sylvestris L.) and silver birch ( Betula pendula Roth.), boreal species growing in mixed stands. The data for the models were obtained from sample-based digitizing of 3D crown architecture accompanied by characterizations of stem, branch, and foliage volumes and biomass. A set of equations was used to predict local crown characteristics on the basis of local predictors and tree-level input variables such as tree height, crown height, diameter at breast height, and the degree of competition. The 3D tree model was realized within the LIGNUM tree modelling framework. Comparison with data showed that the model adequately predicts the distribution of biomass into different crown components as well as the distribution of foliage within the tree crowns. The applicability of the simulations is at its best when examining Scots pine and silver birch trees growing on medium fertile mixed stands in Finland.

Development of a model of the coronary arterial tree for the 4D XCAT phantom

A detailed three-dimensional (3D) model of the coronary artery tree with cardiac motion has great potential for applications in a wide variety of medical imaging research areas. In this work, we first developed a computer-generated 3D model of the coronary arterial tree for the heart in the extended cardiac-torso (XCAT) phantom, thereby creating a realistic computer model of the human anatomy. The coronary arterial tree model was based on two datasets: (1) a gated cardiac dual-source computed tomography (CT) angiographic dataset obtained from a normal human subject and (2) statistical morphometric data of porcine hearts. The initial proximal segments of the vasculature and the anatomical details of the boundaries of the ventricles were defined by segmenting the CT data. An iterative rule-based generation method was developed and applied to extend the coronary arterial tree beyond the initial proximal segments. The algorithm was governed by three factors: (1) statistical morphometric measurements of the connectivity, lengths and diameters of the arterial segments; (2) avoidance forces from other vessel segments and the boundaries of the myocardium, and (3) optimality principles which minimize the drag force at the bifurcations of the generated tree. Using this algorithm, the 3D computational model of the largest six orders of the coronary arterial tree was generated, which spread across the myocardium of the left and right ventricles. The 3D coronary arterial tree model was then extended to 4D to simulate different cardiac phases by deforming the original 3D model according to the motion vector map of the 4D cardiac model of the XCAT phantom at the corresponding phases. As a result, a detailed and realistic 4D model of the coronary arterial tree was developed for the XCAT phantom by imposing constraints of anatomical and physiological characteristics of the coronary vasculature. This new 4D coronary artery tree model provides a unique simulation tool that can be used in the development and evaluation of instrumentation and methods for imaging normal and pathological hearts with myocardial perfusion defects.

Sketch-based Simple 3d Tree Modeling

Sketch-based Simple 3d Tree Modeling

BLOOD FLOW IMAGING

The objective of this study was to investigate the clinical applicability of navigated blood flow imaging (BFI) in neurovascular applications. BFI is a new 2-dimensional ultrasound modality that offers angle-independent visualization of flow. When integrated with 3-dimensional (3D) navigation technology, BFI can be considered as a first step toward the ideal tool for surgical needs: a real-time, high-resolution, 3D visualization that properly portrays both vessel geometry and flow direction. A 3D model of the vascular tree was extracted from preoperative magnetic resonance angiographic data and used as a reference for intraoperative any-plane guided ultrasound acquisitions. A high-end ultrasound scanner was interconnected, and synchronized recordings of BFI and 3D navigation scenes were acquired. The potential of BFI as an intraoperative tool for flow visualization was evaluated in 3 cerebral aneurysms and 3 arteriovenous malformations. The neurovascular flow direction was properly visualized in all cases using BFI. Navigation technology allowed for identification of the vessels of interest, despite the presence of brain shift. The surgeon found BFI to be very intuitive compared with conventional color Doppler methods. BFI allowed for quality control of sufficient flow in all distal arteries during aneurysm surgery and made it easier to discern between feeding arteries and draining veins during surgery for arteriovenous malformations. BFI seems to be a promising modality for neurovascular flow visualization that may provide the neurosurgeon with a valuable tool for safer surgical interventions. However, further work is needed to establish the clinical usefulness of the proposed imaging setup.

M3 a New Software to Quantify Blood Vessels in Three Dimensions Examined in the SEM / ESEM which also Allows to Render 3D Models of Vascular Trees

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2009 in Richmond, Virginia, USA, July 26 – July 30, 2009

Realistic simulation of plant based on geometry parameter

Plants play an important role in the natural scenery of landscape. Unfortunately, due to the high level complexity of the structure of plants, simulating tree becomes extremely difficult. The paper used fractal recursion algorithm to construct the 3D tree model whose parameters were variable. We took advantage of texture mapping, simulated shadow and made use of Bezier surface to enhance the sense of reality of the project. A test example of blooming in a tree created solely by OpenGL graphics library was provided to show the feasibility of the algorithm.

Obtaining the three-dimensional structure of tree orchards from remote 2D terrestrial LIDAR scanning

In recent years, LIDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors have been widely used to measure environmental parameters such as the structural characteristics of trees, crops and forests. Knowledge of the structural characteristics of plants has a high scientific value due to their influence in many biophysical processes including, photosynthesis, growth, CO 2-sequestration and evapotranspiration, playing a key role in the exchange of matter and energy between plants and the atmosphere, and affecting terrestrial, above-ground, carbon storage. In this work, we report the use of a 2D LIDAR scanner in agriculture to obtain three-dimensional (3D) structural characteristics of plants. LIDAR allows fast, non-destructive measurement of the 3D structure of vegetation (geometry, size, height, cross-section, etc.). LIDAR provides a 3D cloud of points, which is easily visualized with Computer Aided Design software. Three-dimensional, high density data are uniquely valuable for the qualitative and quantitative study of the geometric parameters of plants. Results are demonstrated in fruit and citrus orchards and vineyards, leading to the conclusion that the LIDAR system is able to measure the geometric characteristics of plants with sufficient precision for most agriculture applications. The developed system made it possible to obtain 3D digitalized images of crops, from which a large amount of plant information – such as height, width, volume, leaf area index and leaf area density – could be obtained. There was a great degree of concordance between the physical dimensions, shape and global appearance of the 3D digital plant structure and the real plants, revealing the coherence of the 3D tree model obtained from the developed system with respect to the real structure. For some selected trees, the correlation coefficient obtained between manually measured volumes and those obtained from the 3D LIDAR models was as high as 0.976.

Single image tree modeling

In this paper, we introduce a simple sketching method to generate a realistic 3D tree model from a single image. The user draws at least two strokes in the tree image: the first crown stroke around the tree crown to mark up the leaf region, the second branch stroke from the tree root to mark up the main trunk, and possibly few other branch strokes for refinement. The method automatically generates a 3D tree model including branches and leaves. Branches are synthesized by a growth engine from a small library of elementary subtrees that are pre-defined or built on the fly from the recovered visible branches. The visible branches are automatically traced from the drawn branch strokes according to image statistics on the strokes. Leaves are generated from the region bounded by the first crown stroke to complete the tree. We demonstrate our method on a variety of examples.

Image-based tree modeling from a few images with very narrow viewing range

Creating 3D tree models from actual trees is a task receiving increasing attention. Some approaches have been developed to reconstruct a tree based on a number of photographs around the tree, typically spanning a wide viewing range. However, due to the environmental restrictions, sometimes it is quite difficult to capture so many acceptable images from so many different viewpoints. In this paper, we propose a tree modeling system which is capable of reconstructing the 3D model of a tree from a few images with very narrow viewing ranges. Because only a few images are required to generate the model, our system has the distinct advantage of fewer environmental restrictions, resulting in the extended usability and flexibility for real applications.

High‐quality image matching and automated generation of 3D tree models

Image matching is a key procedure in the process of generation of Digital Surface Models (DSM). We have developed a new approach for image matching and the related software package. This technique has proved its good performance in many applications. Here, we demonstrate its use in 3D tree modelling. After a brief description of our image matching technique, we show results from analogue and digital aerial images and high‐resolution satellite images (IKONOS). In some cases, comparisons with manual measurements and/or airborne laser data have been performed. The evaluation of the results, qualitative and quantitative, indicate the very good performance of our matcher. Depending on the data acquisition parameters, the photogrammetric DSM can be denser than a DSM generated by laser, and its accuracy may be better than that from laser, as in these investigations. The tree canopy is well modelled, without smoothing of small details and avoiding the canopy penetration occurring with laser. Depending on the image scale, not only dense forest areas but also individual trees can be modelled.

Low-density lipoprotein concentration in the normal left coronary artery tree

BackgroundThe blood flow and transportation of molecules in the cardiovascular system plays a crucial role in the genesis and progression of atherosclerosis. This computational study elucidates the Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) site concentration in the entire normal human 3D tree of the LCA.MethodsA 3D geometry model of the normal human LCA tree is constructed. Angiographic data used for geometry construction correspond to end-diastole. The resulted model includes the LMCA, LAD, LCxA and their main branches. The numerical simulation couples the flow equations with the transport equation applying realistic boundary conditions at the wall.ResultsHigh concentration of LDL values appears at bifurcation opposite to the flow dividers in the proximal regions of the Left Coronary Artery (LCA) tree, where atherosclerosis frequently occurs. The area-averaged normalized luminal surface LDL concentrations over the entire LCA tree are, 1.0348, 1.054 and 1.23, for the low, median and high water infiltration velocities, respectively. For the high, median and low molecular diffusivities, the peak values of the normalized LDL luminal surface concentration at the LMCA bifurcation reach 1.065, 1.080 and 1.205, respectively. LCA tree walls are exposed to a cholesterolemic environment although the applied mass and flow conditions refer to normal human geometry and normal mass-flow conditions.ConclusionThe relationship between WSS and luminal surface concentration of LDL indicates that LDL is elevated at locations where WSS is low. Concave sides of the LCA tree exhibit higher concentration of LDL than the convex sides. Decreased molecular diffusivity increases the LDL concentration. Increased water infiltration velocity increases the LDL concentration. The regional area of high luminal surface concentration is increased with increasing water infiltration velocity. Regions of high LDL luminal surface concentration do not necessarily co-locate to the sites of lowest WSS. The degree of elevation in luminal surface LDL concentration is mostly affected from the water infiltration velocity at the vessel wall. The paths of the velocities in proximity to the endothelium might be the most important factor for the elevated LDL concentration.

Development of an auxiliary system for the execution of vascular catheter interventions with a reduced radiological risk; system description and first experimental results

Vascular catheterization is a common procedure in clinical medicine. It is normally performed by a specialist using an X-ray fluoroscopic guide and contrast-media. In the present paper, an image-guided navigation system which indicates a path providing guidance to the desired target inside the vascular tree is described with the aim of reducing the exposure of personnel and patients to X-rays during the catheterization procedure. A 3D model of the patient vascular tree, reconstructed with data collected by an angiography before starting the intervention, is used as a guide map instead of fluoroscopic scans. An accurate spatial correspondence between the body of the patient and the 3D reconstructed vascular model is established and, by means of a position indicator installed over the catheter tip, the real-time position/orientation of the tip is indicated correctly. This paper describes the system and the operational procedures necessary to use the proposed method efficiently during a catheter intervention. Preliminary experimental results on a phantom are also reported.

Image-based tree modeling

In this paper, we propose an approach for generating 3D models of natural-looking trees from images that has the additional benefit of requiring little user intervention. While our approach is primarily image-based, we do not model each leaf directly from images due to the large leaf count, small image footprint, and widespread occlusions. Instead, we populate the tree with leaf replicas from segmented source images to reconstruct the overall tree shape. In addition, we use the shape patterns of visible branches to predict those of obscured branches. We demonstrate our approach on a variety of trees.

Approximate image-based tree-modeling using particle flows

We present a method for producing 3D tree models from input photographs with only limited user intervention. An approximate voxel-based tree volume is estimated using image information. The density values of the voxels are used to produce initial positions for a set of particles. Performing a 3D flow simulation, the particles are traced downwards to the tree basis and are combined to form twigs and branches. If possible, the trunk and the first-order branches are determined in the input photographs and are used as attractors for particle simulation. The geometry of the tree skeleton is produced using botanical rules for branch thicknesses and branching angles. Finally, leaves are added. Different initial seeds for particle simulation lead to a variety, yet similar-looking branching structures for a single set of photographs.

Approximate image-based tree-modeling using particle flows

We present a method for producing 3D tree models from input photographs with only limited user intervention. An approximate voxel-based tree volume is estimated using image information. The density values of the voxels are used to produce initial positions for a set of particles. Performing a 3D flow simulation, the particles are traced downwards to the tree basis and are combined to form twigs and branches. If possible, the trunk and the first-order branches are determined in the input photographs and are used as attractors for particle simulation. The geometry of the tree skeleton is produced using botanical rules for branch thicknesses and branching angles. Finally, leaves are added. Different initial seeds for particle simulation lead to a variety, yet similar-looking branching structures for a single set of photographs.