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ZenGrove

Built to move. Down to the last leaf.

Overview

Built to move. Down to the last leaf.

The ZenGrove 1.0.0 reference: 52 nodes, 907 settings and short WebM demos. Explore Look At asset orientation, GameDynamics, joint previews, skeletal export and per-leaf random vertex colors. Requires AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later.

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Tree Root

Sets the name, overall size and starting positions of your trees. Place whole trees at a point, on a grid, around a ring or across an area; the connected Trunk node adds its own stems at every origin.

Reference: ZenGrove 1.0.0 · 22 October 2026 · 22 settings. Requires AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later.

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Tree

Whole trees, then stems

Tree Root places the tree origins; Trunk repeats its complete local stem pattern at each origin. Three tree origins with two trunks each make six stems. Global Scale affects both plant size and placement distances. Curve Input’s captured curves are not duplicated by Tree Root placement.

Controlled variation

Placement Radius and Angle Randomness vary the origin arrangement. Position Randomness X/Y/Z offsets origins in local tree units before Pattern Rotation. Global Seed and Seed Offset keep the layout repeatable. Legacy Cluster preserves placement from older graphs.

Watch the Tree Root settings tour

Current Maya controls, including conditional settings. Each view stays on screen for one second (three views take three seconds); pause or choose a group to inspect it.

The video loads when you play it. Readable still views and explanations follow below.

Setup

Tree Root node with its setup settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Setup · Open image for full size
Tree Name

Gives this tree, collection or output a recognizable name.

Default: ZenGrove Tree

Origin X

Moves the tree's starting point along world X.

Default: 0

Origin Y

Moves the tree's starting point up or down along world Y.

Default: 0

Origin Z

Moves the tree's starting point along world Z.

Default: 0

Placement

Tree Root node with its placement settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement · Open image for full size
Placement

Chooses where whole trees begin. Point keeps every instance at the same origin. Grid makes rows and columns; Radial places origins around a ring; Random spreads them across a rectangle. Legacy Cluster preserves the arrangement from older graphs.

Options: Point · Grid · Radial · Random · Legacy Cluster

Default: Point

Instance Count

Sets the number of independent tree origins in Point, Radial, Random and Legacy Cluster modes. Grid uses Count X multiplied by Count Z instead. Every origin receives the full pattern made by the connected Trunk node.

Available when Placement is Point or Radial or Random or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 1

Position Randomness X

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local X, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Y

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Y, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Z

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Z, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Pattern Rotation

Rotates the grid, ring or random arrangement around the Tree Root origin on the ground plane. It moves the origins without choosing new random positions. Use the Trunk node's Pattern Rotation to rotate its local stem arrangement and growth directions.

Default: 0

Scale

Tree Root node with its scale settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Scale · Open image for full size
Global Scale

Changes overall tree size, including the spacing of its starting points.

Default: 1

Advanced

Tree Root node with its advanced settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Advanced · Open image for full size
Seed Offset

Chooses another repeatable arrangement in Random mode. Keep the same seed and placement settings to reproduce the positions.

Default: 0

Placement (1)

Shown example: Placement = Radial.

Tree Root node with its placement (1) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (1) · Open image for full size
Placement

Chooses where whole trees begin. Point keeps every instance at the same origin. Grid makes rows and columns; Radial places origins around a ring; Random spreads them across a rectangle. Legacy Cluster preserves the arrangement from older graphs.

Options: Point · Grid · Radial · Random · Legacy Cluster

Default: Point

Instance Count

Sets the number of independent tree origins in Point, Radial, Random and Legacy Cluster modes. Grid uses Count X multiplied by Count Z instead. Every origin receives the full pattern made by the connected Trunk node.

Available when Placement is Point or Radial or Random or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 1

Radius

Sets the radius of the ring of tree origins. Zero places them all at the center. Global Scale also scales this radius.

Available when Placement is Radial.

Default: 3

Radius Randomness

Per-instance radius variation. 0 is unchanged; 0.25 varies the radius by up to +/-25%. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Available when Placement is Radial or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 0

Angle Randomness

Per-instance angular deviation in degrees around the radial or cluster pattern. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Available when Placement is Radial or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 0

Position Randomness X

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local X, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Y

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Y, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Placement (2)

Shown example: Placement = Radial.

Tree Root node with its placement (2) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (2) · Open image for full size
Position Randomness Z

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Z, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Pattern Rotation

Rotates the grid, ring or random arrangement around the Tree Root origin on the ground plane. It moves the origins without choosing new random positions. Use the Trunk node's Pattern Rotation to rotate its local stem arrangement and growth directions.

Default: 0

Placement (1)

Shown example: Placement = Random.

Tree Root node with its placement (1) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (1) · Open image for full size
Placement

Chooses where whole trees begin. Point keeps every instance at the same origin. Grid makes rows and columns; Radial places origins around a ring; Random spreads them across a rectangle. Legacy Cluster preserves the arrangement from older graphs.

Options: Point · Grid · Radial · Random · Legacy Cluster

Default: Point

Instance Count

Sets the number of independent tree origins in Point, Radial, Random and Legacy Cluster modes. Grid uses Count X multiplied by Count Z instead. Every origin receives the full pattern made by the connected Trunk node.

Available when Placement is Point or Radial or Random or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 1

Size X

Sets the full width of the random placement rectangle in X. The area is centered on the Tree Root origin and follows Global Scale.

Available when Placement is Random.

Default: 6

Size Z

Sets the full depth of the random placement rectangle in Z. The area is centered on the Tree Root origin and follows Global Scale.

Available when Placement is Random.

Default: 6

Position Randomness X

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local X, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Y

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Y, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Z

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Z, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Placement (2)

Shown example: Placement = Random.

Tree Root node with its placement (2) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (2) · Open image for full size
Pattern Rotation

Rotates the grid, ring or random arrangement around the Tree Root origin on the ground plane. It moves the origins without choosing new random positions. Use the Trunk node's Pattern Rotation to rotate its local stem arrangement and growth directions.

Default: 0

Placement (1)

Shown example: Placement = Legacy Cluster · Instance Count = 2.

Tree Root node with its placement (1) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (1) · Open image for full size
Placement

Chooses where whole trees begin. Point keeps every instance at the same origin. Grid makes rows and columns; Radial places origins around a ring; Random spreads them across a rectangle. Legacy Cluster preserves the arrangement from older graphs.

Options: Point · Grid · Radial · Random · Legacy Cluster

Default: Point

Instance Count

Sets the number of independent tree origins in Point, Radial, Random and Legacy Cluster modes. Grid uses Count X multiplied by Count Z instead. Every origin receives the full pattern made by the connected Trunk node.

Available when Placement is Point or Radial or Random or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 1

Cluster Radius

Sets how far the extra origins spread from the first origin in Legacy Cluster mode. This preserves the earlier cluster layout when opening older graphs. Global Scale also scales this distance.

Available when Placement is Legacy Cluster and Instance Count is greater than 1.

Default: 3

Radius Randomness

Per-instance radius variation. 0 is unchanged; 0.25 varies the radius by up to +/-25%. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Available when Placement is Radial or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 0

Angle Randomness

Per-instance angular deviation in degrees around the radial or cluster pattern. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Available when Placement is Radial or Legacy Cluster.

Default: 0

Position Randomness X

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local X, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Y

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Y, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Placement (2)

Shown example: Placement = Legacy Cluster · Instance Count = 2.

Tree Root node with its placement (2) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (2) · Open image for full size
Position Randomness Z

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Z, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Pattern Rotation

Rotates the grid, ring or random arrangement around the Tree Root origin on the ground plane. It moves the origins without choosing new random positions. Use the Trunk node's Pattern Rotation to rotate its local stem arrangement and growth directions.

Default: 0

Placement (1)

Shown example: Placement = Grid.

Tree Root node with its placement (1) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (1) · Open image for full size
Placement

Chooses where whole trees begin. Point keeps every instance at the same origin. Grid makes rows and columns; Radial places origins around a ring; Random spreads them across a rectangle. Legacy Cluster preserves the arrangement from older graphs.

Options: Point · Grid · Radial · Random · Legacy Cluster

Default: Point

Count X

Sets the number of tree origins across the grid in X. The total number of origins is Count X multiplied by Count Z.

Available when Placement is Grid.

Default: 3

Count Z

Sets the number of tree origins across the grid in Z. A 3 by 3 grid gives nine tree origins.

Available when Placement is Grid.

Default: 3

Spacing X

Sets the gap between tree origins in X. The grid is centered on the Tree Root origin; Global Scale also scales the spacing.

Available when Placement is Grid.

Default: 3

Spacing Z

Sets the gap between tree origins in Z. Global Scale also scales the spacing.

Available when Placement is Grid.

Default: 3

Position Randomness X

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local X, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Position Randomness Y

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Y, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Placement (2)

Shown example: Placement = Grid.

Tree Root node with its placement (2) settings in ZenGrove
ZenGrove settings excerpt · Placement (2) · Open image for full size
Position Randomness Z

Maximum +/- position offset in tree units along local Z, before Pattern Rotation. Uses Global Seed and Seed Offset.

Default: 0

Pattern Rotation

Rotates the grid, ring or random arrangement around the Tree Root origin on the ground plane. It moves the origins without choosing new random positions. Use the Trunk node's Pattern Rotation to rotate its local stem arrangement and growth directions.

Default: 0

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FAQ
What is ZenGrove used for?

The ZenGrove 1.0.0 reference: 52 nodes, 907 settings and short WebM demos. Explore Look At asset orientation, GameDynamics, joint previews, skeletal export and per-leaf random vertex colors. Requires AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later.

Which host application does ZenGrove support?

ZenGrove is built for Autodesk Maya and is distributed through AO Studio Tools.

Where can I download ZenGrove?

Download the current AO Studio Tools package from https://aostudio.tools/getthetools.html and install it through AO.Hub.