EcoSysLab Runtime Package

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EcoSysLab is EvoEngine's digital forestry and ecosystem simulation runtime package. It provides tree modeling, reconstruction, growth simulation, soil/climate context, spatial competition, dynamic strands, mesh generation, and visualization tools.

Build Status

• Registered by default from EvoEngine_Packages/CMakeLists.txt.
• Builds as EcoSysLabPackage.
• Depends on BillboardCloudsPackage.
• Defines ECOSYSLAB_PACKAGE.
• Copies resources from EvoEngine_Packages/EcoSysLab/Internals.
• Emits EcoSysLab.evepackage beside the package binary for runtime dependency discovery.
• Tries to link CGAL::CGAL; if CGAL is missing, the package still configures but warns that some features may be disabled.

Main Responsibilities

• Tree descriptors and procedural tree growth.
• Shoot, root, fine-root, pruning, foliage, reproduction, and bark descriptors.
• Climate and soil modeling.
• Forest patch and spatial plant distribution workflows.
• Tree reconstruction through TreeStructor.
• Dynamic tree skeletons and dynamic strand physics.
• Tree mesh, skeletal graph, strand profile, strand mesh, and visualization generation.
• Volume assets such as radial bounding volumes and cube volumes.
• Rendering hooks for specialized strand/branch visualization.

Dynamic-strand bundle physics supports the compatibility-preserving Legacy mode and the opt-in CoupledXpbd and Hybrid torque-capable modes. See Dynamic-strand bundle solver for selection, material controls, damage behavior, diagnostics, and current validation limits.

Main Entry Points

Source	Role
EcoSysLabLayer	Main package layer, editor UI, simulation controls, visualization camera, and render callback registration.
Tree	Private component for a simulated tree instance.
TreeDescriptor	Asset describing tree generation/growth behavior.
TreeStructor	Private component for tree reconstruction workflows.
Climate / ClimateDescriptor	Scene component and asset for climate state.
Soil / SoilDescriptor	Scene component and assets for soil context.
DynamicTreeSkeleton	Private component for dynamic skeleton simulation.
DynamicTreeStrands	Strand-based tree representation and rendering support.
SpatialPlantDistributionSimulator	Private component for spatial competition and plant distribution.

Registered Types

EcoSysLabPackage.cpp registers core persistent types, including:

• TreeStructor
• Climate
• SpatialPlantDistributionSimulator
• DynamicTreeSkeleton
• DynamicStrandsDemo
• ClimateDescriptor with .climate
• RadialBoundingVolume with .rbv
• CubeVolume with .cubevolume
• ForestPatch with .forestpatch

Package-specific apps request the package by name at startup instead of directly registering these C++ types.

SDK Integration

EcoSysLab uses almost every major SDK extension point:

• layer UI through EcoSysLabLayer::OnInspect
• private components for trees, climate, soil, reconstructors, simulators, and demos
• assets for descriptors, volumes, patches, and graph data
• serialization for persistent project data
• asset references for descriptor/material/resource links
• RenderLayer callbacks for custom strand and branch rendering
• temporary SDK assets such as ParticleInfoList, Strands, and editor cameras

Future Work Notes

Most forestry features should live here rather than in the SDK. Add SDK functionality only when the feature is reusable outside forestry/agriculture. For new persistent EcoSysLab assets/components, make sure registration, serialization, editor inspection, and asset reference collection are all handled together.