View full image ↗ Trees, roots and foliage together
Build the branches, roots and leaves in separate parts of the graph. Change the proportions or seed to make a variation without starting over.
Procedural vegetation for Maya
ZenGrove
An art-directable, node-based vegetation system for Maya.
Create trees, roots, vines and modular plants directly in Maya. Start with a preset or build your own graph, then adjust the branches and foliage to get the shape you want. Save the graph to keep working on it or make variations later.
Introductory price · pay once€39.90
Planned full 1.0 release price€79.90
Permanent single-tool license · VAT may apply
A verified AO.Hub account is required. ZenGrove requires AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later.
Try all tools for 14 days for noncommercial evaluation. Then choose a paid license in AO.Hub. License details
ZenGrove demos
Plants made with ZenGrove
View full image ↗ 
View full image ↗ Fern-like branching
This fern study uses branching patterns, angle profiles and scale to control the shape. Adjust the settings to change how the branches spread and how tightly they grow together.
View full image ↗ Plants built from your own meshes
Spline Segment Growth repeats your mesh assets along a branch. Combine the segments with Split and Branch nodes to build bamboo-like stems or stylized plants.
Wind and joints in Maya
The standard tree preset animated with GameDynamics. The X-Ray view shows the joints through the foliage, so you can follow their movement while the tree sways.
Wind rigs and per-leaf controls
See how the joints move
The X-Ray view shows the rig through the tree. Cyan joints have their own wind motion, amber joints inherit movement, and gray root joints stay fixed.
GameDynamics documentationExport a wind rig
Adjust the wind for Trunk, Branches and Twigs separately, choose the active branch levels, and export a skinned rig with a wind clip through Game Output. The documentation explains the supported export paths and their limits.
GameDynamics documentationVary leaf motion in your shader
Random Value (per Leaf) stores a stable value between 0 and 1 for each leaf. Use it in your engine shader to offset the leaf animation. Each RGBA channel can have its own seed.
Vertex Color documentationControl how your plant grows
Use generators, Maya curves or your own meshes as starting points. Combine them with foliage and modifiers in the graph to build the plant you need.
01Build the branches and roots. Place trees with Tree Root and arrange their stems with Trunk. Add branches, twigs and roots, then use Split nodes where the growth needs to divide. Choose from Random, Parallel, Alternating, Opposite or Whorled branching.
02Use Maya curves as guides. Spline Growth creates tube-based forms along your curves. Spline Segment Growth repeats your mesh assets along a branch.
03Steer the growth. Use Linear, Point, Vortex and Gravity Force to bend growth in a direction, attract it to a point or turn it around an axis. Adjust strength, range and falloff where supported.
04Grow around other geometry. Collision guides growth around captured Maya surfaces. Self Collision checks it against procedural branches. Contact Hull stops selected paths at their first forward hull hit and lets you adjust the contact radius.
05Add irregularity to branches. Choose Legacy, fBm, fBm + Domain Warp or Curvature noise. Use profiles to control where the effect is strongest, and adjust path and surface noise separately.
06Create your own leaves. Draw leaf outlines and set their folding axis with Asset Generator. Repeat assets in seven layouts with Asset Array, or combine parts with Asset Assemble. World Up and Branch Up control their orientation.
07Set up UVs and vertex colors. Continue bark UVs across Surface Root attachments, adjust foliage normals and create independent RGBA masks. Per-leaf random values can add variation to the animation in your wind shader.
08Manage larger graphs and builds. Search settings, organize nodes in frames and save reusable .aoveg graphs. Use geometry budgets for previews and cancel builds when needed. Supported growth, noise and geometry operations use Rust CPU acceleration; Dynamics can use the GPU for wind and obstacle collisions.
09Grow branches from an existing trunk. Mesh Trunk finds paths inside your Maya mesh so branches and foliage can grow from it while the original mesh keeps its shape. Roots can attach to the generated branches, but not directly to the imported trunk.
010Add wind animation. Use Dynamics for wind and leaf flutter in Maya. GameDynamics provides a skinned rig and wind clips for export. Adjust Trunk, Branches and Twigs separately and inspect the joints with X-Ray Skeleton.
011Edit part of the growth. Use Mask to select the paths you want to change. It also provides the inverse selection. Apply modifiers to the selected paths, then join the results with Structural Combine.
012Build assets directly from the graph. Connect a leaf, asset collection, array or assembly to Output or Game Output. Preview one variant or arrange them all with spacing. Keep instances for Maya builds or bake static geometry for export.
Build your first tree in Maya.
01 · Install AO.HubDownload AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later and extract the ZIP. Drag dragThis_intoMaya.py into Maya, then restart Maya.
02 · Sign inCreate an AO.Hub account, confirm your email address and sign in.
03 · Try ZenGroveFind ZenGrove in AO.Hub. Start the 14-day Pro trial from the account menu to try all tools.
04 · Build a treeOpen a preset, change the branching or seed, and build the result in Maya.
The trial is for noncommercial evaluation. After 14 days, you’ll need a paid license to keep using ZenGrove. Free tools remain available for noncommercial use. You can buy a ZenGrove license or a suite license inside AO.Hub.
All 51 nodes
Select a node to open its documentation, with screenshots and explanations of its settings.
Generators10 nodes
Modifiers18 nodes
Forces4 nodes
Constraints2 nodes
Dynamics2 nodes
Assets10 nodes
Outputs2 nodes
Utilities3 nodes
Frames and comments are editor tools and aren’t included in the node count.
Build for Maya or export to your game engine
Use the same graph to build Maya geometry or prepare an export. Adjust the resolution, UVs and output settings for the asset you’re making.
Preview before you build
Work with curve previews while adjusting the plant, then build the branch meshes, segment assets and foliage. Set the resolution using uniform density or fixed counts. Geometry budgets let you limit the build, and you can cancel it when needed.
Set up UVs and materials
Use arc-length UVs for branch tubes and separate UV charts for caps. Assign bark, cap and foliage materials, then adjust foliage normals and vertex colors. Asset-based geometry keeps its source UVs and materials where supported.
Prepare the game export
Reduce branches and foliage for LODs, combine materials and build texture atlases. Game Output supports UV remapping, dilation, ORM packing, FBX and export metadata.
LOD reduction uses the plant’s procedural structure rather than a general mesh-reduction pass. Check the exported materials, shaders and scale in your target engine.
Before you buy
What does ZenGrove cost?
The introductory price is €39.90 for a permanent single-tool license. The planned price for the full 1.0 release is €79.90. The crossed-out price refers to that future release price, not a previous selling price. VAT may apply.
Is the full 1.0 release available?
The current version is 1.0.0-rc.4, a Release Candidate ahead of the full 1.0 release. Test it with your workflow and keep backups of production scenes.
How do I install and buy ZenGrove?
Install AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later in Maya and sign in with your verified account. From there, you can install ZenGrove, purchase its permanent license and get updates. A ZenGrove license is available separately from the full suite.
Can I use my own meshes and curves?
Yes. Use Curve Input to guide growth with Maya curves, or Asset Collection to use your own meshes for leaves, scattering and segment growth.
You can also create leaf shapes with Asset Generator, repeat them with Asset Array and combine parts with Asset Assemble. Connect these assets directly to Output or Game Output when you want to build them.
Spline Segment Growth repeats and aligns mesh segments along the branch. It doesn’t continuously deform them along the curve.
Can I edit the plant later?
Yes. Save the graph as an .aoveg file to keep its nodes, settings, connections and seeds. Reopen it to make changes and build the geometry again.
Branch and root grafts use blended, overlapping shells. They aren’t guaranteed to form a single welded, watertight mesh, so check the topology and export for your project.
From graph to finished asset
01 · Start with the structureOpen a preset or connect Tree Root and growth generators to Output or Game Output. Set a seed so you can reproduce the result.
02 · Adjust the shapeChange the branching and curves. Use forces and constraints to steer growth, then add noise or Curvature where the plant needs more irregularity.
03 · Add foliage and materialsPlace the leaves, adjust UVs and assign materials. Add vertex masks and per-leaf values if your engine shader needs them.
04 · Build or exportBuild static geometry, or export a GameDynamics rig and wind clip through Game Output. Set the bone budget and LOD reduction to suit the asset.
Try ZenGrove in Maya
Install ZenGrove through AO.Hub and try it with the 14-day Pro trial for noncommercial evaluation. A permanent ZenGrove license is currently €39.90. The planned price for the full 1.0 release is €79.90.
Introductory price · pay once€39.90
Planned full 1.0 release price€79.90
Permanent single-tool license · VAT may apply
Maya 2024–2026 on Windows. Requires AO.Hub 1.6.6 or later and a verified account. Current version: 1.0.0-rc.4. VAT may apply.
Need a hand?
Ask in Discord, email Piotr or use the Feedback Center in AO.Hub. Replies usually arrive within 24 hours. For node settings and setup instructions, see the documentation.