The Algorithmic Beauty of Plants (1990) [pdf]

Early in my university days, I was studying for a test in the science and engineering library. Restless, I wandered around and pulled some books at random looking for a distraction. I found this book, and poof! My study time vanished. I started learning OpenGL just so I could try some of these things. At the time, I thought "algorithms" were something I'd always be bad at, but playing with the ideas in this book helped blunt that fear a…

There is also "The Algorithmic Beauty of Seaweeds, Sponges and Corals" (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-662-04339-4), and, my personal favorite in the series, "The Algorithmic Beauty of Sea shells" (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-540-92142-4). I really enjoyed reading the latter last year, because it does a great job slowly building up. By the end, I felt like I didn't just understand the models, but also how the author found them. I can recognize these patterns in nature, and figure out…

I love L-Systems. I somehow obtained a couple of VHS tapes in the 90s when I was a kid of early computer graphics, and was really taken by the generative artists — like Karl Sims. This was also the heyday of big bookstores like Borders, and I’d spend hours in the “Computers” aisle, where I found “Advanced Animation and Rendering”, which covered L-Systems. These are fun things to code because they can surprise you. Even when you understand the rules…