Well, from my point of view it would be ideal being able to take several photographs from different angles of a tree and then convert that 2D images into a realistic 3D model. Perhaps to do this, taking from 5 to 8 pictures would be desirable, since it would allow to integrate them all into one 3D model accurate enough. Then, once is built, it would be interesting to predict each cut how would affect the growth of the entire tree. I mean, to do this it has to be taken into account that different species have different growth rate, also its apical dominance differs from one species to another. The effects of other techniques should be considered as well, for instance watering rates, wiring, repotting, root pruning, defoliation, soil mixture proportions. And all this should allow us to predict, at least, how our trees are going to look like in the next 2 years. That is, if you want us to consider it a fully functional and trust worthy software.
Then, other external factors should be taken into account: weather conditions of the location we are living in, the month or season of the year, humidity levels, rain statistics, current position of the tree (indoors or outdoors, facing south, east, north or west), light levels, etc.
Hell...this is an incredibly complicated project. If you manage to pull it out, we´ll all be immensely gratefull to have it with us. There will be no more fears of cutting the wrong branch.
Purists might claim that by accomplishing this you remove the artistic part of this millenary art, but from where I´m standing, that doesn´t change the fact that subjectivity, aesthetics and personal tastes remain singular to each and every individual. So... by doing this I think you´ll speed up the process, eliminate certain intangibles and help us taking a better care of our trees.