README.md

In SamsaRaLight: Simulate Tree Light Transmission Using Ray-Tracing

SamsaRaLight

SamsaRaLight is an R package for simulating light transmission in forest stands based on the ray-tracing model SamsaraLight (Courbaud et al. 2003).

📊 It allows users to estimate:

• Light intercepted by individual trees
• Light reaching the forest floor
• Light at virtual ground sensors

✨ With many features:

• Estimation of direct and diffuse radiation
• Flexible crown geometry (symmetric and asymmetric)
• Multiple transmission models
• Light competition indicators
• Virtual light sensors
• 2D visualization tools
• Parallel simulations

🌐 Model documentation and tutorials are available here: https://natheob.github.io/SamsaRaLight/

Installation

You can install the development version of SamsaRaLight from GitHub with:

install.packages("devtools")
devtools::install_github("NatheoB/SamsaRaLight")

Citation

If you use the SamsaraLight in your research, please cite :

• Courbaud, B., de Coligny, F. & Cordonnier, T. Simulating radiation distribution in a heterogeneous Norway spruce forest on a slope. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology 116, 1–18 (2003). Courbaud et al. 2003.
• This package: to be published soon to obtain a DOI and being cited as a research tool.

Contributing

Contributions, bug reports, and feature requests are welcome.

Please open an issue or pull request on the github project.

License

This package is released under the GPL-3 License. See LICENSE for details.

SamsaRaLight documentation built on April 16, 2026, 5:08 p.m.