Modeling a tree (the easy way)

Like so many things in life, I have discovered after days of work that there is an easier way to do something. That's right, my irritatingly complex description of how to model a tree has been rendered obsolete in 48 short hours. Ok, it was obsolete when I started -- I just didn't do my homework before I set to modeling.

What's the easier method, you ask? It's called Arbaro. It's an open source tree generation program based on a paper by Jason Weber and Joseph Penn outlining an algorithm for computer-generated trees. It's platform-independent. It's free.

Here are some images of trees created with the same algorithm.

I downloaded Arbaro and played around with it for about 30 minutes. Parts of it that are less than intuitive, but some helpful diagrams and more-or-less hidden documentation provide a little guidance. Regardless, this is the kind of program that invites exploration, so I don't mind some healthy trial and error.

Besides generating 3D meshes for trees, it also creates automatic UV maps, which are required for texturing. The UV maps aren't perfect, but they're a good starting point.

Lest you think this is turning into a blog solely about trees, I would like to declare an end to this brief series on vegetation. Next up: rocks and stones. Just kidding. Maybe.