What Is It? TREEMAKER is a graphics program that generates random pictures of trees.  After thinking about it for a while, I decided that a simple recursive routine was all I needed to make a tree shape. When you think about it, each branch is just a line with some other lines coming off of it. Those lines ("child" branches) are in turn, exactly the same thing- another line with more lines coming off of it.   "Treecursion"

Make A Tree How long should it keep branching?  Child Branches  Min: Max:   Children branches are this much thinner  Min: Max:   Children branches are this much shorter  Min: Max:   Max. degrees (left or right) children can branch  (The pre-entered values are for an oak-like tree.)

How To Use It

• "How long should it keep branching?"

The "end" of a branch is determined by three things- if the children would be of 0 thickness, if the children would be of 0 length, or if the tree has branched as far as you'll let it (this ensures we never branch "forever" because the branches aren't getting any thinner or shorter).
See "...thinner" and "...shorter" below.

 

• "Child Branches"

This determines how many times one branch can split (fork). If you entered "1" for the min. and max., you'd get a wriggley, branchless stick. If you entered really high numbers, you'd get something like broccoli.

 

• "Children branches are this much thinner"

If you want your tree to get thin very quickly, enter high numbers. If you want it to get thin very slowly, enter low numbers.

 

• "Children branches are this much shorter"

This is similar for "...thinner" above, but these values control how much shorter "child" branches are compared to their "parents."

 

• "Max. degrees (left or right) children can branch"

If you enter a low number, the tree will remain tall. If you enter a number above about 50, you'll get windy trees that may even end up branching underground (where you can't see them)!