Modeling trees in Aurora is simple, yet powerful. You can easily create a new tree in the Site section of the Design tab. First, click on the Draw Tree icon in the right hand toolbar. Then click, hold, and drag to draw the tree in the CAD viewport.
Aurora will automatically estimate the height of the tree based on the diameter of the circle you draw. You can refine modeled trees by clicking on the tree you want to edit and making adjustments in the menu on the righthand side of the page.
If LIDAR data is available for your project, Aurora will also automatically estimate the diameter and height of each individual tree. Read more about this in our Fit Trees to LIDAR article.
You are able to edit the following parameters:
- Shape: You can select from Sphere and Cone
- Height: The total height of the tree
- Crown Diameter: The width of the tree's crown
- Crown Height: The height of the tree's crown
- Trunk Width: The width of the tree's trunk
Aurora models shading from trees in your site. You will see this effect in the irradiance map, as well as in the production estimates produced by Aurora's simulation engine.