OntoPlant: An integrated virtual plant software package for different scale applications

OntoPlant is a virtual plant software package, which has been developed at Spatial Information Research Center of Fujian in Fuzhou University since 2002. The purpose of the software package is to provide an integrated software solution to realistic plant modelling, real-time scene rendering, growth simulation and applications at different scales from individual, stand (population, community) to landscape. Its key components are ParaTree, LSTree, VisForest, and ForestSIMA. The software package is implemented with VC++, OpenGL Graphics standard, while ForestSIMA is also based on ArcGIS ArcObjects developer kit. ParaTree and LSTree are core of OntoPlant. They are used to build individual plant model. ParaTree combines geometric modelling and parameterized modelling. The shape characteristic of tree organ is depicted with a group of parameters, the values of parameters can be edited by interactive graphical parameter curve component tool. This tool provides friendly interface and intuitive interactive means, namely, what you see is what you get. The ParaTree can simulate realistic 3D plants at any age or season by modifying the parameters, pruning the tree. It is adaptive to simulate the architecture of tree. It doesn't require users to have much knowledge of biology. While the opposite is true for LSTree. LSTree is based on the theory of L-systems, which is faithful to the plant morphology and the physiological growth process. This system makes it possible to model the development of plants with efficiency and flexibility as a process of string rewriting. VisForest is a software platform for creating and editing 3D scenes. It allows the fusion of geospatial data (terrain, images) with 3D objects (plants and house) in a georeferenced environment, definition of 3D scene component, distribution density and form of plants. The ForestSIMA is an application designed to assist in landscape level analysis and planning of forest ecosystems by automating the tasks of stand projection, graphical and tabular summarization, stand visualization, and landscape visualization. Its current and potential applications include plant modelling, growth simulation, assisted design and resource management in botany, ecology, applied plant sciences (horticulture, agriculture and forestry), landscape design, entertainment (games, films, and animations), military simulation and education.