Reynolds, Daniel T.Laycock, Stephen D.Day, Andy M.Ian Grimstead and Hamish Carr2013-10-312013-10-312011978-3-905673-83-8https://doi.org/10.2312/LocalChapterEvents/TPCG/TPCG11/001-008This paper proposes a technique to use virtual trees created with an industry recognised modelling tool. Initially the skeletal structure is extracted and processed to generate a continuous mesh suitable for high quality, real-time rendering and simulation. Utilising the inherent hierarchical structure of botanical trees, the bone system is calculated from existing, low quality geometry. Once an ordered skeleton is available, a low resolution surface is created around the form as a single continuous mesh providing smooth, continuous connections where branches diverge, avoiding artefacts introduced by overlaid surfaces. Creation of the vertices relative to the skeletal structure ensures no miss-classification in assigning bone influence, allowing for realistic animation and effective mesh refinement introduced dynamically using GPU based techniques.Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS): I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modelling- I.3.7 [Computer Graphics]: Three-Dimensional Graphics and Realism-