tree-pictos

Some Python scripts for generating tree pictograms.

Symbols syntax

• B | C : Broadleaved | Coniferous
• 0 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6: Number of lobes and dots around the symbol
• • | -: Convexity or concavity of the lobes
• d^{1 | 2 | 3}_{3 | 5}: Number of dots/"degrés" per lobes. Optional
• p | o : presence of a central point (p) or a central circle (o). Optional

E.g.: B3d²p

Usage

Run python3 main.py to generate a svg file with a symbol, for each of the combinations:

• B | C : Broadleaved or Coniferous symbol, based on respectively create_broadleaved_symbol and create_needleleaved_symbol functions.
• Number of lobes, first argument of the create_broadleaved_symbol and create_needleleaved_symbol functions.
• Shape of the lobes: For broadleaved symbols. Can be circular (the symbol is a circle), concave or convex.
• Number of dots per lobes for the broadleaved symbols or branches for the needle-leaved symbols.
• Presence of a central point (p) or a central circle (o) or None

Dependencies

svgwrite is the unique dependency.

Use a virtual env:

python -m venv venv
source venv/bin/activate
pip install svgwrite

Table of symbols

The script table.py makes a unique svg file of all combinations of symbols

Species symbols matrix

The species - symbols matrix helps to attribute a tree species to a symbol, based on the table of symbols ("symbols-table.svg). The matrix can be filled with tree species name in the same order as in the symbols table generated by table.py.

The script species.py makes a svg file for each symbol from the matrix with the species name as the filename.

Some convention are used for the current mapping of species to their symbols:

For broadleaved trees:

• sometimes, the simplest symbol without dots and central points is for a generic genus.
• dots denote for spikes on the leaves and/or on branches
• presence of a central point for broadleaved is for trees with compound leaves

Needled-leaved/coniferous trees symbols are somehow classified following the phylogenetic classification (see https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pinaceae):

• C3-symbols are for Pinus.
• C4-symbols are for Pinoide except Pinus, i.e., Larix, Picea, Pseudotsuga.
• C5-symbols are for Abietoideae: mainly Abies, but also Cedrus and Tsuga.
• Symbols without central point are from Europe, symbols with a central point (p) are from (North) America.
• Larix sp. have no dots.