ShapeGenetics: Using Genetic Algorithms for Procedural Modeling

• Published in: Computer graphics forum Vol. 36; no. 2; pp. 213 - 223
• Main Authors: Haubenwallner, Karl, Seidel, Hans‐Peter, Steinberger, Markus
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.05.2017
• Subjects: Categories and Subject Descriptors (according to ACM CCS); Computer graphics; Computer simulation; Constraint modelling; Convergence; Genetic algorithms; I.3.5 [Computer Graphics]: Computational Geometry and Object Modeling —Geometric algorithms, languages, and systems; Markov analysis; Markov chains; Modelling; Monte Carlo simulation; Optimization
• ISSN: 0167-7055; 1467-8659
• DOI: 10.1111/cgf.13120

In this paper, we show that genetic algorithms (GA) can be used to control the output of procedural modeling algorithms. We propose an efficient way to encode the choices that have to be made during a procedural generation as a hierarchical genome representation. In combination with mutation and reproduction operations specifically designed for controlled procedural modeling, our GA can evolve a population of individual models close to any high‐level goal. Possible scenarios include a volume that should be filled by a procedurally grown tree or a painted silhouette that should be followed by the skyline of a procedurally generated city. These goals are easy to set up for an artist compared to the tens of thousands of variables that describe the generated model and are chosen by the GA. Previous approaches for controlled procedural modeling either use Reversible Jump Markov Chain Monte Carlo (RJMCMC) or Stochastically‐Ordered Sequential Monte Carlo (SOSMC) as workhorse for the optimization. While RJMCMC converges slowly, requiring multiple hours for the optimization of larger models, it produces high quality models. SOSMC shows faster convergence under tight time constraints for many models, but can get stuck due to choices made in the early stages of optimization. Our GA shows faster convergence than SOSMC and generates better models than RJMCMC in the long run.