Today, we're excited to share a major visual upgrade to TreeGPT. Our trees have evolved from simple diagrams into realistic, organic visualizations that feel alive. Here's what changed and why it matters.
🎨 The Vision
When we first launched TreeGPT, our focus was on functionality—turning website structures into tree visualizations. But we always knew there was room to make these trees feel more natural, more beautiful, and more engaging.
After listening to user feedback and experimenting with different approaches, we've completely reimagined how our trees look and feel.
🌳 What's New
1. Realistic Brown Bark with 3D Lighting
Gone are the simple gray lines. Our branches now feature realistic brown bark with depth-based color variation—darker at the base, lighter at the tips, just like real trees.
We've added 3D cylindrical gradients that create highlights and shadows on each branch, giving them a truly three-dimensional appearance. Thicker branches even have subtle inner shadows for added depth.
Technical Detail
Each branch uses perpendicular gradients to simulate light hitting a cylindrical surface. The color palette starts at #654321 (a rich brown) and adjusts based on depth and lighting angle.
2. Organic Leaf Shapes
Leaves are no longer simple circles. We've designed natural, pointed leaf shapes with asymmetric curves that look like they could blow in the wind.
Each leaf features:
- Color variation (±10 RGB units) so no two leaves look exactly the same
- Radial gradients for depth perception
- Central veins for botanical accuracy
- Brown woody stems connecting to branches
- Varied sizes (7-12px) based on deterministic randomness
3. Refined Branch Thickness
We reduced branch thickness by 20% across the board. This creates a more elegant, less cluttered appearance while maintaining the structural integrity of the visualization.
4. Seamless Integration
Perhaps the most dramatic change: we've removed all visible canvas borders and backgrounds. The trees now float naturally on your screen, with the homepage gradient visible behind them.
This creates an immersive experience where the tree feels like it's part of the page itself, not trapped in a box.
5. Natural UI Theme
We've updated the entire interface to match the organic aesthetic:
- Earth-tone tooltips in amber and brown
- Natural control buttons that blend with the tree
- Green "growing tree" indicator with a seedling emoji 🌱
🎯 Why This Matters
Better User Experience
Beautiful design isn't just about aesthetics—it's about engagement. When your tree looks realistic and organic, you're more likely to explore it, share it, and remember it.
Professional Presentations
Many users download their trees to include in presentations, portfolios, or client reports. With transparent backgrounds and realistic rendering, these visualizations now look professional in any context.
Emotional Connection
There's something special about seeing your website represented as a living, breathing tree. The realistic bark, organic leaves, and natural colors create an emotional connection that simple diagrams can't match.
Fun Fact
We use deterministic randomness for leaf placement and size. This means your tree will always look the same when regenerated—like a fingerprint for your website!
🔧 Technical Implementation
For the developers curious about how we built this:
- Canvas API with high-DPI rendering for crisp visuals
- Gradient calculations for 3D lighting effects
- Quadratic curves for organic branch shapes
- Color parsing and variation algorithms
- Transparent backgrounds for seamless integration
🚀 What's Next
This is just the beginning. We're exploring:
- Seasonal themes (spring blossoms, autumn colors, winter snow)
- Animated wind effects for subtle movement
- Custom color palettes to match your brand
- Export options in multiple formats
💬 We'd Love Your Feedback
What do you think of the new realistic trees? Have ideas for future improvements? We're always listening to our community.
Share your thoughts on Twitter/X or try generating a tree right now to see the changes for yourself.