Cross Section
Shape flattened stems, lenses or angular profiles with a closed Bézier contour. Choose a preset, edit tangents and control how the cross section follows each branch.
Explore Cross Section →
Procedural vegetation for Maya
ZenGrove
Shape the growth. Keep every possibility.
Build trees, roots, vines and modular plants inside Maya with 45 procedural nodes. Art-direct branching, guide growth with curves and forces, add your own foliage and prepare LODs, materials and game exports — all from an editable graph.
Early Access · pay once€39.90
Planned full 1.0 release price€79.90
Permanent single-tool license · VAT may apply
Shape custom profiles. Find settings faster.
A new modifier, more ways to branch and a clearer settings panel. Explore the latest additions to ZenGrove’s 45-node library.
Find a setting instantly
Type in Search properties to narrow the selected node’s controls. Its title and search stay visible while you scroll; matching advanced settings open automatically.
See the updated UI →Split into more branches
Choose two continuations for a welded fork, or three and more for a main continuation with side shoots. Shape their transition with the new Bend Smoothness control.
Explore Split →Control where branches grow
Use Count Variation, Distribution Profile and Scale Profile on Branch and Twigs to vary each layer, concentrate growth along its parent and shape the size of new branches.
Explore Branch profiles →Open the illustrated node reference → · Click any UI image to open it at full size.
From a single stem to a system of your own.
Build the structure, shape how it grows and choose how it becomes geometry. Global and local seeds make variations repeatable; the source graph stays editable as the plant takes shape.
01Build the botanical structure. Place whole trees with Tree Root, then arrange stems locally with Trunk. Combine branches, twigs, roots and two-way and multi-way Splits, and refine Random, Parallel, Alternating, Opposite or Whorled branching.
02Start from your curves. Capture Maya curves as live growth guides. Use Spline Growth for tube-based forms or Spline Segment Growth to repeat your own mesh assets along a branch.
03Direct growth with forces. Combine Linear, Point, Vortex and Gravity Force. Attract or repel growth, steer it around a target axis and control strength, range and falloff where supported.
04Respond to the scene. Collision guides growth around captured Maya surfaces; Self Collision constrains it against procedural branches. Contact Hull stops selected centerlines at their first forward Hull hit and lets you shape the contact radius.
05Refine the silhouette. Bend, curl, twist, sag, smooth or add noise. Shape radii with Taper and Radius Profile, edit tube contours with Cross Section, trim length or prune branches, and choose which part of the hierarchy to affect.
06Make the foliage yours. Capture weighted Maya assets for leaves, flowers or other details. Volume Scatter fills a volume or its surface; Leaf Volume keeps foliage attached to branches inside a volume. Leaves and Leaf Volume can also reduce leaf overlaps in static builds.
07Prepare surfaces and detail. Control resolution, arc-length UV mapping and bark, cap and foliage materials. Add semantic vertex colors and plan structural LODs for lower-detail outputs.
08Keep the workflow reusable. Find node settings with the property search and organize the graph with frames, comments and reroute knots. Save .aoveg files, preview with geometry budgets and cancellation, then build Maya geometry or export a game asset.
09Start from a modeled trunk. Mesh Trunk analyzes paths inside your Maya mesh so branches and foliage can grow from it while the source mesh keeps its shape. Roots can attach to generated branches, not directly to the imported trunk.
010Add wind and motion. Dynamics brings timeline-driven branch sway, gusts and leaf flutter with controls for strength, speed and the parts that respond.
Different plants. The same connected workflow.
View full image ↗ Trees, roots and foliage together
Compose a complete plant from separate growth and foliage layers. Adjust its proportions and seed without rebuilding the graph from scratch. Maya viewport and graph shown.
View full image ↗ Botanical branching, deliberately shaped
Use branching patterns, angle profiles and scale to explore structured forms such as this fern study. Small parameter changes reshape the silhouette.
View full image ↗ Your meshes become the growth
Spline Segment Growth repeats captured assets along the final branch. Combine modular segments, Split and ordinary branches for bamboo-like or stylized plants. Maya viewport study shown.
View full image ↗ A graph you can return to
Shape a Lens cross section in the updated workbench. The node title and property search stay above the scrolling settings, with preview details tucked into an expandable panel. Save the editable graph as an .aoveg file.
45 nodes. Room to build your own recipe.
Every node below is available in the editor. Select a node to see its Maya view and learn what each setting does.
Generators10 nodes
Modifiers18 nodes
Forces4 nodes
Constraints2 nodes
Dynamics1 nodes
Assets7 nodes
Outputs2 nodes
Utilities1 nodes
Frames and comments are additional editor tools, not part of the 45-node count.
A Maya asset. A game export. The same source.
Keep the authored graph and choose the resolution, surface data and delivery format for the next stage of your workflow.
Build at the detail you need.
Use lightweight curve previews while shaping the plant, then build tube meshes, segment assets and foliage together. Resolution controls support uniform density or fixed counts. Geometry budgets and cancellation keep builds deliberate.
Carry the surface work with you.
Set arc-length UVs for tube branches, separate cap charts and bark, cap and foliage materials. Asset-based geometry retains supported source UVs and materials. Foliage Normals and Vertex Color add dedicated surface controls.
Prepare a complete handoff.
Plan structural LODs with branch and foliage reduction. Game Output supports texture atlases, UV remapping, dilation, ORM packing, material consolidation, FBX and metadata for your pipeline.
LOD works from procedural structure rather than a generic mesh-reduction pass. Check exported materials, shaders and scale in your target engine.
A clear picture of Early Access.
What does ZenGrove cost now, and at release?
The current Early Access price is €39.90 once. The planned price for the full 1.0 release is €79.90. The crossed-out amount identifies that future release price, not a former selling price. VAT may apply.
Is version 1.0 already released?
No. The current public version is 1.0.0-beta.2, an Early Access beta on the way to the full 1.0 release. Test it in your workflow and keep backups of production scenes.
How do I install and buy it?
Download the free AO.Hub, install it in Autodesk Maya and sign in. Choose ZenGrove in the Hub to purchase the permanent single-tool license and manage installation and updates. You do not need to buy the complete suite.
Can I use my own meshes and curves?
Yes. Curve Input captures Maya guides for spline growth. Asset Collection captures weighted geometry for Leaves, Asset Scatter and Spline Segment Growth. Segments repeat and align along successive spans of the branch; they are not continuously deformed through every curve sample.
What stays editable, and what should I check?
The graph stores nodes, settings, connections and seeds, and can be saved as an .aoveg file. Build Maya geometry from that source when needed. Branch and root grafts use blended overlapping shells; they are not a guarantee of one welded, watertight mesh. Check topology and exports for the needs of your project.
Author once. Keep shaping the result.
01 · Establish the structureStart with a preset or connect Tree Root and generators to Output or Game Output. Set a seed for reproducible growth.
02 · Find the silhouetteShape branching and curves, combine forces and constraints, then refine length, radius and deformation.
03 · Add your surfacesCapture your assets, distribute foliage and set normals, UVs, materials and vertex colors.
04 · Choose the deliveryPreview at a lighter resolution, build the Maya result or realize LODs and package a game export.
Get ZenGrove before the release price changes.
Start at €39.90 during Early Access. The planned price for the full 1.0 release is €79.90. Buy once for a permanent single-tool license, with installation and updates managed through AO.Hub.
Early Access · pay once€39.90
Planned full 1.0 release price€79.90
Permanent single-tool license · VAT may apply
Current version: 1.0.0-beta.2. Requires Autodesk Maya and a free AO.Hub account. Early Access software: keep production backups. VAT may apply.