Modeling Dense Inflorescences
Abstract
Showy inflorescences - clusters of flowers - are a common feature of many plants, greatly contributing to their beauty. The large numbers of individual flowers (florets), systematically arranged in space, make inflorescences a natural target for procedural modeling. This thesis presents a suite of biologically motivated algorithms for modeling and animating the development of inflorescences, each sharing the following characteristics: (i) the ensemble of florets create a relatively smooth, tightly packed, often approximately planar surface; (ii) there are numerous collisions between petals of florets; and (iii) the developmental stages and types of florets each depends upon their positions within the inflorescence. A single framework drives the floral canopy's development and resolves the collisions. Flat-topped branched inflorescences (corymbs and umbels) are modeled using a florets-first algorithm, wherein the branching structure self-organizes to support florets in predetermined positions. This suite of techniques is illustrated with models from several plant families.
Description
Keywords
Botany, Computer Science
Citation
Owens, A. R. (2017). Modeling Dense Inflorescences (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca. doi:10.11575/PRISM/26942