6 Editing Trees

New in Bryce 5 is the ability to create organic tree shapes. This lets you add realistic or 'fantasy' trees to your scenes. You can then customize your trees in the Tree Lab by assigning materials, controlling the shape of trees, and more.

Trees have four essential components: the overall shape, the trunk, the branches, and the foliage. How these elements are shaped and organized around each other defines the appearance of the tree.

The overall shape of trees varies greatly between species. In general, trees have several feet of trunk before they begin to branch out, and the branches eventually form a crown. The shape of the tree can vary greatly within these criteria. For example, the sugar maple has an almost spherical silhouette; a poplar tree has a cylindrical shape that tapers to a point at the top; and conifers such as pine trees have a triangular shape.

The width of the trunk generally indicates the age of the tree; however, different species of trees have different widths when mature. A birch tree, even when quite old, will not have as wide a trunk as an oak tree of the same age. The texture of the trunk can also be a good indicator of the species or age of the tree; the trunk generally becoming coarser with age.

The characteristics of branches, such as their thickness, how the branches are arranged on the trunk, how they are positioned relative to each other, and how they are affected by gravity can also vary greatly between species. For example, a weeping willow tree has branches that begin growing upwards from the trunk but are so thin that gravity bends them towards the ground, giving the tree a distinctive, drooping appearance. Some species of conifers have symmetrically spaced and sized branches, giving them a very geometric appearance.

Finally, the foliage of the tree is probably the most obvious indicator of species. Species of trees have greatly varying leaf shapes and colors. Oak and ginkgo trees are both easily recognized by the distinctive shape of their leaves.

The variations in trees are virtually limitless. You need only look at the wide variation found in nature for inspiration when creating and customizing trees in Bryce.

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