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Easy modeling of realistic trees from freehand sketches

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Abstract

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.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Image Processing Center, School of Astronautics, Beihang University, Beijing, 100191, China

    Jia Liu & Zhiguo Jiang

  2. NLPR-LIAMA, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China

    Jia Liu, Hongjun Li & Xiaopeng Zhang

  3. College of Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Hongjun Li

Authors
  1. Jia Liu
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  2. Zhiguo Jiang
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  3. Hongjun Li
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  4. Xiaopeng Zhang
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaopeng Zhang.

Additional information

Jia Liu received her MS in Measurement and Control from Yanshan University in 2006 and her PhD in computer applications from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Science in 2010. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in School of Astronautics, Beihang University. Her research interest is 3D shape modeling and rendering.

Zhiguo Jiang received his MS in 1990 and his PhD in 2005 in pattern recognition and intelligent systems from Beihang University. He is currently a full professor in Beihang University. His research interests include image processing and 3D reconstruction.

Hongjun Li received his MS in Mathematics from University of Science and Technology Beijing in 2003 and his PhD in computer applications from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2012. He is currently an associate professor in Beijing Forestry University. His research interests include computer graphics and geometric analysis.

Xiaopeng Zhang received his MS in Mathematics from Northwest University in 1987 and his PhD in computer science from the Institute of Software, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), in 1999. He is a full professor in the Sino-French Laboratory LIAMA and National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition at the Institute of Automation, CAS. His main research interests are computer graphics and pattern recognition.

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Liu, J., Jiang, Z., Li, H. et al. Easy modeling of realistic trees from freehand sketches. Front. Comput. Sci. 6, 756–768 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-012-1295-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11704-012-1295-8

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