Online design

[RNbonsai]

Hello,

I've looked around quite a bit and haven't found anything. Is there a website that allows you to build a bonsai? With wiring shaping maybe even growing.
I was thinking something g that I could use to do things to trees and then speed the growth rate to see potential outcomes?

Does this exist anywhere? I think it'd be very interesting.

Thanks

 

[jk_lewis]

By "build a bonsai" I assume you mean electronically. I'm not at all sure why anyone would want to do this. The tree isn't real, so whatever you do with or to it wouldn't have any meaning to actually working on something live.

 

[barrosinc]

a simulator would be nice...

 

[GGB]

ha I've totally looked for this same exact thing before. I think there might be an "app" thing for smart phones but it seemed cheesey. I guess the world of bonsai never crossed over with video game simulators and computer nerds.

 

[fredtruck]

But, it's a great idea. I don't know of any, but it's a great project for someone who programs.

 

[jk_lewis]

But, it's a great idea

Sorry, but why? What do you have when you are done? A picture? What do you physically learn what (and how) to do? Isn't a real plant a better teaching experience. A better aesthetic experience. Better for your head?

 

[fredtruck]

Not necessarily. With a simulator, you can play without risking damage to a tree. You can get the aesthetics down. This is why jet airline pilots have to train every so often in simulators for the planes they fly or for new, improved models. You crash, no harm done. You break a branch on a bonsai simulator, no harm done. And experienced pilots do crash, so it's best to do it on a simulator.

To make such a simulator would require a massive amount of programming I have to say. It won't happen tomorrow, due to economics. A simpler one, with no specifics to a species, with only generic descriptions for a pine tree, a maple tree, etc., would be a much less massive a project. Still won't happen tomorrow, but it's a hot idea.

 

[Anthony]

One of older ideas was just using - clay
If need be armature will hold a more complex pose.
Good Day
Anthony

 

[ColinFraser]

It's an interesting idea, and it seems to me there would be two ways to do it.

First, something like @fredtruck 's flight simulator suggestion. It would require huge amounts of work to even approach an approximation of reality. Such an effort might answer some of @jkl 's questions, but would be inordinately expensive and impractical for a niche hobby market. The flight industry, on the other hand, well it's obvious why they spend that kind of time and money on simulators.

The other implementation would simply be a game, like those silly "tamagotchi" electronic pets: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamagotchi
This implementation would be cheap and easy for an app/game developer, and could even become a fad like the pets, but it would have as much bearing on real bonsai as an electronic dog does on my Scottish Terrier.
EDIT: I should add, there's nothing wrong with it being a game with no practical bonsai application. It might be a fun "time-killer" for some folks, and it might even interest a few in checking out the real deal (karate kid anyone?) . . .

 

[ColinFraser]

Just checked apple's App Store. There are two bonsai games, one of which appears to be very much like my second suggestion:

And one of which seems to be more of a puzzle game, but using a growing "tree"

 

[RNbonsai]

I can't find that make a bonsai one?
I guess ideally it would be hyper realistic. But more practical would be the general type options, pine maple ect. I think it'd be fun and you could learn

 

[M. Frary]

I believe there are apps for Android operating systems too.

 

[Cypress187]

I was thinking about making a bonsai game, but it's very difficuilt to make graphics for it

 

[fredtruck]

I agree that a game would be an ideal place to start, but even so, it's a very big project.

 

[ColinFraser]

I can't find that make a bonsai one?
I guess ideally it would be hyper realistic. But more practical would be the general type options, pine maple ect. I think it'd be fun and you could learn

It might be iPad only; that's what I was browsing on.

 

[RNbonsai]

It might be iPad only; that's what I was browsing on.

Darn, I'm on a cracked screen iPhone. If done well it could also bring more people into bonsai.

My tech skills are even worse than my bonsai skills and other than appreciating it I don't have much interest in learning.

Did you try that bonsai app though?

 

[sorce]

Just met a dude who has done a couple big games.

I thought about this before too and think it a wonderful idea.

Thanks SIM Bonsai.

Sorce

 

[ColinFraser]

Did you try that bonsai app though?

I did - you can read more about it here: http://bustoutsolutions.com/portfolio/the-ordway-gardens
It was developed for iPads installed in the Ordway Japanese Garden.

It's pretty limited. It generates a random arrangement of limbs/foliage on one of three kinds of tree. You then tap to cut pieces off, but that's all you can do - there's no growing, ramification, care, etc.
Here's a screen grab:

 

[fh05]

http://algorithmicbotany.org/TreeSketch/

 

[RNbonsai]

Tree sketch looks super cool, it's ipad only though