  The wind-driving mechanism of asymptotic giant branch (AGB) stars is commonly
attributed to a two-step process: first, gas in the stellar atmosphere is
levitated by shockwaves caused by stellar pulsation, then accelerated outwards
by radiative pressure on newly formed dust, inducing a wind. Dynamical
modelling of such winds usually assumes a spherically symmetric star. We
explore the potential consequences of complex stellar surface structures, as
predicted by three-dimensional (3D) star-in-a-box modelling of M-type AGB
stars, on the resulting wind properties with the aim to improve the current
wind models. Two different modelling approaches are used; the CO$^5$BOLD 3D
star-in-a-box code to simulate the convective, pulsating interior and lower
atmosphere of the star, and the DARWIN one-dimensional (1D) code to describe
the dynamical atmosphere where the wind is accelerated. The gas dynamics of the
inner atmosphere region at distances of $R\sim1-2R_\star$, which both modelling
approaches simulate, are compared. Dynamical properties and luminosity
variations derived from CO$^5$BOLD interior models are used as input for the
inner boundary in DARWIN wind models in order to emulate the effects of giant
convection cells and pulsation, and explore their influence on the dynamical
properties. The CO$^5$BOLD models are inherently anisotropic, with non-uniform
shock fronts and varying luminosity amplitudes, in contrast to the spherically
symmetrical DARWIN wind models. DARWIN wind models with CO$^5$BOLD-derived
inner boundary conditions produced wind velocities and mass-loss rates
comparable to the standard DARWIN models, however the winds show large density
variations on time-scales of 10-20 years.
