| Environmental factors play an essential role in the development of plants. Specifically, the initial shape of a plant axis may be modified by mechanical and physiological factors. From a mechanical perspective, the bending of an axis results from external forces that are applied to it, such as the force of gravity. From a physiological perspective, curvature change of an axis may be initiated by a tropic influence [18]. In this thesis, a biomechanical model of axis shape that is affected by mechanical and physiological processes is developed. The model is suitable for realistic synthesis of plant images in computer graphics applications, and is implemented using the L-system methodology [41] which provides a theoretical framework and software environment for developing plant architectures. The model of axis shape is extended from individual axes to branching structures, and is extended to include collisions between plant elements and between an axis and mechanical obstacles. |
