Nature or Simulation?

Visualization and Explorative Data Analysis Group, Institute of Computer Science, University of Jena; in cooperation with Ubisoft Düsseldorf

Imitating nature is popular in the modern computer game and movie industry. For this simulation of a tree, PhD student Simon Lieb used knowledge from biology to achieve the most realistic result possible. The approach taken here to control growth through light sources and available space is called "Space Colonization Algorithm". This was extended by biological components and generated by using  methods from computer graphics. Results of this work can be used, among other things, to simulate the effect of environmental factors on plant growth. In addition, the research serves to illustrate biological processes, that can not only be observed, but modified by each single parameter.

© Simon Lieb

Nature or Simulation?

Visualization and Explorative Data Analysis Group, Institute of Computer Science, University of Jena; in cooperation with Ubisoft Düsseldorf

Imitating nature is popular in the modern computer game and movie industry. For this simulation of a tree, PhD student Simon Lieb used knowledge from biology to achieve the most realistic result possible. The approach taken here to control growth through light sources and available space is called "Space Colonization Algorithm". This was extended by biological components and generated by using  methods from computer graphics. Results of this work can be used, among other things, to simulate the effect of environmental factors on plant growth. In addition, the research serves to illustrate biological processes, that can not only be observed, but modified by each single parameter.

© Simon Lieb