3d simulation of extinct biomes

[ftlcgi]

I managed to set up some basic flight controls that use takeoff and landing animations, i learned a lot about the limitations of 3d animations while working this model

The rig and the animations need to be improved alot, in the current state they dont look so good

The flight controls don't have any vertical movement yet, so my dream of flying the pterosaur over a sea coastline will have to wait

 

I visited the Geology museum from Bucharest to see some of their recreations of the Hateg island dinosaurs, this Zalmoxes looked very realistic and i managed to make a photoscan for a 3d reference, the rest were not looking to nice

 

This museum has the mammoth bones i found, there were more but i guess they are not in a good conditions 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by ftlcgi

[Bringing Fossils to Life]

The animation looks great, much more accurate than I've seen in most pterosaur animations. However, the walking animation seems very upright, not reflecting the terrestrial adaptions of these pterosaurs. To improve this, I would retract the elbow during walking (to be fair, in my very old reconstruction of Quetzalcoatlus lawsoni when it was still Quetzalcoatlus sp., the pterosaur is putting a lot more weight on the highlighted limb than in yours, so it would make sense that the elbow would be more flexed). Also present in your recontruction is a joint that pterosaurs did not have, at least of that size. The neck is also slumped, which would make it hard to support. The hand is also pointing forwards, not sideways like pterosaurs held theirs while walking. Unlike the pterosaurs from the Walking With series, pterosaurs' wing fingers could not fold in the way you animated it, but had to flick backwards and forwards instead of up and down. To the right, I have inserted Mark Witton's 2018 reconstruction of Hatzegopteryx; while it has possibly a few too many pycnofibers for a pterosaur of its size, it is a good model reconstruction.

Edited June 30, 2023 by Bringing Fossils to Life

[ftlcgi]

12 hours ago, Bringing Fossils to Life said:

. Unlike the pterosaurs from the Walking With series, pterosaurs' wing fingers could not fold in the way you animated it, but had to flick backwards and forwards instead of up and down.

I can see in the drawing that the elongated finger is pointed backwards but i don't understand the expresion what you mean can you explain more.

- I think that extra joint is caused by the skin stretching, i need to ad few more controls for the stretching and it should be ok. I added some extra controlls for the skin stretching (yellow sticks), and i pointed the fingers forward

- Hatzegopteryx had a shorter and thicker neck that Quetzalcoatlus and i fixed that to, it's the neck rig (the virtual skeleton) that makes it look slumped, i can replace the neck rig  and it should bend better

 

 it's my first animation of an animal with these complex features, i'm still trying to improve the rig , i think i remade it 3 or 4 times just to get this far, i should be able to improve the animation more when i get the rig fixed

Edited July 1, 2023 by ftlcgi

[Bringing Fossils to Life]

Sorry it's taken me so long! I was away and couldn't help. Here is a quick drawing of a generic pterosaur, with correct (left) and incorrect (right) wing finger folding. The rest of the hand is positioned correctly for walking. Below my drawing is one I found here, which shows basically the same idea, in this case refuting the Walking With pterosaurs. Third, I annotated a screenshot from your video showing what this would mean for the animation (soon after, when the Hatzegopteryx takes off, its wing fingers follow the red path).

 

Therefore, this is a non-example: (otherwise, this is a pretty good reconstruction)

[ftlcgi]

I added a bit of work on the pterosaur but it's hard to animate it right and i'm going to keep learning more about animation and keep working on it in the background

I havent been able to draw much lately and i want to slowly get back to work with some simple models

Tullimonstrum was found in Mazon creek, Pennsylvania, in the Carboniferous

Cordaites, was an early conifer found near Mazon creek

Zalmoxes, a small dinosaur for the Hatzeg island biome (Cretaceous), it's a simple model for now, it's based on a photoscan i posted last month

Edited August 7, 2023 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

A small amphibian for the carboniferous biome,

i used a skeleton and body reconstruction of the from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amphibamus

Some reconstructions made it with larger eyes becouse of the larger eye sockets on the skull

Edited August 8, 2023 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

Cheirolepis, the genus is usualy from the middle devonian there is a unique species found at Red Hill (the late devonian)

 

[ftlcgi]

Latzelia was a small centipede found at Mazon Creek, it's similar to the house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) so i took most details from it, it's a simple model with a basic animation

 

Edited August 25, 2023 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

Mazothairos Enormis, large Carboniferous insct found at Mazon Creek, almost 56cm wingspan (almost 2 feet) the model is based on a reconstruction from this site, i’m not sure if it’s outdated or not, other reconstructions seem similar in shape https://owlcation.com/stem/The-Carboniferous-Period-When-Giant-Insects-Ruled-the-Land-and-Sky

[Bringing Fossils to Life]

Love the Tullimonstrum! I never even heard of Cheirolepis, or at least can't remember it, even from the Red Hill Field Museum. The Mazon Creek organisms will be interesting to see come to life, as most reconstructions of that habitat that I've seen are line drawings.

[ftlcgi]

2 hours ago, Bringing Fossils to Life said:

I never even heard of Cheirolepis, or at least can't remember it, even from the Red Hill Field Museum.

I forgot to post the paper

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259151059_A_new_cheirolepidid_fish_from_the_Middle-Devonian_of_Red_Hill_Nevada_USA

[Bringing Fossils to Life]

Is Cheirolepis from Red Hill Fossil Site in Pennsylvania? The paper is about a fish from Nevada, on the other side of the country.

[ftlcgi]

3 hours ago, Bringing Fossils to Life said:

The paper is about a fish from Nevada, on the other side of the country.

:)) that's my mistake, sorry

 

Edit: Maybe i can put it in a different biome like Miguasha, it has some fish already made like Holoptychius and Bothriolepis, i can reshape Hyneria into an Eusthenopteron, it had a Plourdosteus canadensis similar to my Coccosteus...

Edited August 29, 2023 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

New models for the Miguasha National Park biome, most of these models are made from older models and adjusted.

 

Eusthenopteron foordii is based on my older Hyneria model which is geting some updates: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/hyneria-lindae-3917adfed8e3419f8ea98e2025602512

Eusthenopteron and Hyneria are both in the same fam. Tristichopteridae

This model is adjusted to fit this reconstruction: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tristichopteridae#/media/File:Skull_and_shoulder-girdle_restorations_of_Tristichopterids.jpg

 

Plourdosteus canadensis is based on an older Coccosteus model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/coccosteus-5d8225ff315c40e894927afd828d3c8f

Plourdosteus and Coccosteus are both in the fam. Coccosteidae

The shape is adjusted to fit this reconstruction: https://www.miguasha.ca/mig-en/plourdosteus.php

 

Zanclodesmus Willetti is based on an older Orsadesmus model: https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/orsadesmus-rubecollus-wip-18769400a73e4fe7a1c57a1885f25dcc

Orsadesmus and Zanclodesmus are both classified in the fam. Zanclodesmidae

It’s adjusted based on this photo of the fossil: https://www.miguasha.ca/mig-en/zanclodesmus.php

 

Euphanerops, an anaspid, the model is based on this reconstruction: https://www.miguasha.ca/mig-en/euphanerops.php

 

Diplacanthus, an acanthodian based on this reconstruction: https://www.highlanderfossils.com/fossil-shark-diplacanthus-crassisimus/

 

Tentaculitid, they were present in most marine biomes in the devonian, the model is based on this reconstruction:

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/08/02/tentaculitids/

[ftlcgi]

For the last months i've been working in close collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life to recreate Seven Stars fossils, I've learned a lot more from this collaboration than i could if i were to search other reconstructions, there are great descriptions of these animals on his website here: http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/seven-stars-fossil-site/

 

Project website - It's just a draft right now there are lots of errors, i will keep posting here but i want to have all the features presented in an organized manner

https://www.paleobiome.com/

 

The project is almost done, i've been integrating the models in the simulator and i'm working on the video shots, the models are posted on sketchfab but after the forum update i can't embed them here but i can upload renders.

The sketchfab collection of all these models is here: https://sketchfab.com/paleobiome/collections/givetian-seven-stars-pennsylvania-d320608d1c6743eea53a05c19a9952f6

 

TRILOBITES - Bringing fossils to life has description of these trilobites here: http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/04/03/trilobites/

 

 - Dipleura

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/dipleura-dekayi-669b4786cc6e4b08801244c5520a2e89

 

 - Eldredgeops rana

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/eldredgeops-rana-86c240b94d50463288f7c8552c8c9ed0

 

- Greenops boothi

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/greenops-boothi-5bd1683593464d32b69b25ad48729008

 

 

- Greenops grabaui

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/greenops-grabaui-77de00f808a247a580951a15c677e08d

 

I'm adding more features to trilobites and getting inspired from bringingfossilstolife and trilobites.info, here are some:

 

 - Molting - The animation is used on all models but for now only this 3d model was made to molt

 

Trilobite growth and development - I'm still working on this with Bringing Fossils to Life, in the simulation the smaller individuals will be swimming with the rest of the animals but i would like to try showing the growth are a video where the trilobite morphs from one stage to the next

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/trilobite-growth-and-development-wip-7265ab7a5dc846b8b9224b2151e95d0a

 

Orders Of Trilobites - I would like to integrate a method of showing phylogeny, this is just an experiment for now but it might grow into a usefull feature

The model is based on this graphic: https://www.trilobites.info/triloclass.htm#orders

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/orders-of-trilobites-31dac1638366459f9fabe90fdf7e2108

 

 

I will post more models in the following days...

Edited March 6 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

GASTEROPODES - The models are part of the Seven Stars biome , they share the same animations and all were made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/04/21/gastropods/

 

Bembexia sp.

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bembexia-sp-f39dc93c1c68466fae55fa09db250a68

 

Paleozygopleura hamiltoniae

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/paleozygopleura-hamiltoniae-4f4ad0f05ad1464fb26478b9287a27c2

 

Cyclonema

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/cyclonema-d5a5736e29f84ab88bf086b722883335

 

Ptomatis patulus

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ptomatis-patulus-9e7e6352db814c509bafa804b8e5f4cc

[Mahnmut]

On 3/6/2024 at 7:36 PM, ftlcgi said:

Orders Of Trilobites - I would like to integrate a method of showing phylogeny, this is just an experiment for now but it might grow into a usefull feature

The model is based on this graphic: https://www.trilobites.info/triloclass.htm#orders

 

 

Hi again!Tthats an interesting aproach. (and beautiful animal models)

I have often pondered similar questions just in order to structure my fossil collection (and the world  it represents).

There are so many aspects or, so to say, dimensions to consider: in the 2d tree-like phylogenic representations, the vertical axis often represents time, leaving one dimension for all kinds of morphological, genetic or historic relation and, as I assume you did here, "thickness" for species count. Colour could add an additional dimension (or up to three,  using for example hue, saturation, brightness), while often it is used redundantly like here  to  mark the time axis.

So to me the most interesting question is, what to do with the additional dimensions? Ecological niche? Geography?  Any morphogical or behavioural feature of interest?

Considering the tree of tetrapoda I began a version with time on the horizontal axis and broad living spaces on the vertical, "ascending" from maritime through fresh water,amphibious, terrestrial, arboreal to flying forms. Quite interesting to see who went back into the water, gained or lost flight...but impossibly confused in 2d.

Putting six dimensions of biodiversity into a more or less intuitive visual representation seems just possible, but even selecting which ones is a challenge in my eyes.

Curious where you take this!

Best regards,

J

[ftlcgi]

9 hours ago, Mahnmut said:

Curious where you take this!

I have big ideeas, most of them to big for what i can achieve.

 - I would use this as an interactive aplication, for example: a user clicks on a branch and a map at the other side of the screen gets populated with locations where the species were found (similar to paleobiodb.org)

 - Another feature would be to show a more detailed branching when the camera gets closer, showing family or genus

 - There is the possibility to apply filters that show physical features like the eye types, see this example:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Systematic-relationships-chronological-extent-of-trilobite-orders-and-the_fig2_349955871

 

These features need a lot o work and blender has a tool called Geometry Nodes, with it i can simplify the work

It depends on what i want to show, and this method shows things in an intuitive way

 

 - One simple aplication is to show how extinction events affected them like the End Ordivition, the two End Devonian events and the end Permian event

 

[Mahnmut]

Very cool!

I would like to exchange on that topic some more.

[ftlcgi]

This goes beyond my understanding but i got this ideea when i saw a paper showing predation with evidence of bite marks and regurgitation

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/spp2.1460

 

An aplication of the 3d model would be to show interactions by putting together different phylogenies for example: Eurypterids increase in size caused by the rise of placoderms, the coiling of cephalopodes or some other interactions, i repeat this is beyond me right now i'm still learning a lot about these animals from drawing them.

I would love to make a 3d version from examples like these and have different filters for speed or number of species showing in color or thickness the branching of the tree

 

Family-level evolutionary tree of the Eurypterida

from: https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Family-level-evolutionary-tree-of-the-Eurypterida-Bars-represent-known-temporal-ranges_fig1_38010972

 

 - The illustrated phylogeny of all orders within Cephalopoda

from: http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/04/09/cephalopods/

Edited March 8 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

The cephalopodes from Seven Stars biome made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life, i got o lot of help from him with making the correct shape of the shell and jaws, there are more details on these cephalopodes on his website here:

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/04/09/cephalopods/

 

All models are animated but they don't have any special AI features yet, the hunting animation of ammonoids works well now (it was causing some distorions in the model), i tried to recreate the bobbing animation doring movement but i'm testing a new vertex animation that it's not relying on bone constrains that could help a lot with the animation of the movement based on speed (more on this later)

 

Tornoceras uniangulare

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/tornoceras-uniangulare-75497fac2f2146be8bbc3881cfd8213f

 

Agoniatites vanuxemi

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/agoniatites-vanuxemi-06577a5ca5374e42a417c844a287bd43

 

Michelinoceras telamon - it's the older model with a different texture

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/michelinoceras-telamon-0163d3766bc24537896810b3f00948b2

 

Striacoceras typum

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/striacoceras-typum-a10bf5e7b4c149d6977bc3c2b11cca49

 

 

Bactrites aciculum

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/bactrites-aciculum-67b60225b2ce408ba24cb14d6f757491

 

Edited March 8 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

Ammonoid protoconch - i forgot to mention this one with the other cephalopodes, it's shell needs to be replaced with one similar to thevonian ammonoids, Bringing Fossils to Life shared with me some resources to use for reconstructing the correct protoconch, i will change the model eventualy

This one is inspired from the Prehistoric Planet documentary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e5VhMvT2zS8

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ammonite-hatchling-019c693676b54933acbd3465f3e86b74

 

More animals from the Seven Stars biome

 

 

Crinoids - More details and the origina reconstruction on Bringing Fossils to Life

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/07/26/crinoids/

 

Ancyrocrinus bulbosus

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ancyrocrinus-bulbosus-5429c03a9671472db465b64da9ebb27b

 

Botryocrinus bellensis

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/botryocrinus-bellensis-b209668535e6410a93366a8f353b094d

 

Here is a small video showing them in the enviroment

 

Cyrotonella mitella - A monoplacophoran, more details and the origina reconstruction here:

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/12/12/monoplacophora/

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/cyrotonella-mitella-518655129cf74a30b8ec28586b9d159b

 

Anthozoans - more details and the origina reconstruction here:

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/12/20/anthozoans/

 

Stereolasma rectum

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/stereolasma-rectum-d9a708bf7a3b4257bfe4bdc3f2837fdf

 

Pleurodictyum americanum - I replaced the older Pleurodictyum model with this one that has more detail, i will eventualy are more detail and make more variations

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/pleurodictyum-tabulate-coral-4c68a8af45b640d6b4d39384e5f3aa38

 

More reconstructions from Seven Stars all made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life

 

Reptaria stolonifera

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/reptaria-stolonifera-e2f3e8cc650d4d5db38ec71a99c1f836

 

Hallotheca aclis

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/hallotheca-aclis-31b6c74794be496a8e22d1c05c2f7e41

 

Atactotoechus furcatus

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/atactotoechus-furcatus-d98d9bfd6ac84052aea41903aaf63403

 

Ligonodia - the model was made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life and based on his recontruction, link below:

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/06/26/conodonts/

 

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/ligonodia-2a211e4dc09c466eb8c43b63e3bfa843

 

The model is using bone animation only for the mouth, the swimming is made with vertex animation and it can't be uploaded to sketchfab, here is an older example of it

 

The conodont elements are made from a 3D reconstruction provided by Bringing Fossils to Life and i am in the process of animating it based on this video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJunXtPFK-0

I ignored some of the steps in the original animation to adapt the rest of the animal to suport the movement without distortion, i'm still working on it

Here is a closeup of the elements

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/conodont-elements-4cce67d7807d479280957e37fa814478

 

 

[ftlcgi]

6 hours ago, Mahnmut said:

I would like to exchange on that topic some more.

I mentioned i would like to use filters to show more things on the same graphic, here is another example started on but i've been working on other things lately and i didn't payed much attention to this

 

Some time ago made some devonian world maps based on Scotese paleomaps

https://www.youtube.com/@cscotese/videos

I made my maps inspired by his, here is one example uploaded to sketchfab

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/middle-devonian-givetian-world-map-70a2ad271e624da1b3d2c302a4eb0318

 

His original maps are downloadble from multiple sites like this one

https://www.earthbyte.org/paleomap-paleoatlas-for-gplates/

 

One use i had was to make like a menu where you select the geologic period and the map updates, showing continental drift just like in the videos uploaded by Scotese

And with my maps insired by his

this will eventualy show my recontructed biomes plotted on the map (I have them on the left temporary)

 

The animation will be driven by a slider that is moving on this time scale (the first video shows just a screenshot from wikipedia)

I made this time scale to show real proportions in size between periods, and i would like to use in the same screen with the world map

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/time-scale-with-proportional-representation-79613011b1dc4cc5bbbdbd57c6fb1d3b

 

Scotese has a ton of paleomaps showing plate tectonics, rainfall, anoxia in oceans etc. I can't recreate all these maps but i am be able to make the suport for loading them as external files and the user can use them as filters that change the default map

Edited March 8 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

Seven Stars bivalves - The models below do not show the real size when compared

They were made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life, see below the detailed descriptiones on his webpage

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/03/19/bivalves/

A small problem just appeared in the textures and both Nuculoidea, the siphon has some bad UV's but it's fixable

 

https://sketchfab.com/paleobiome/collections/givetian-seven-stars-pennsylvania-d320608d1c6743eea53a05c19a9952f6

 

I made burrows for bivalves, this is one way they can be viewed

 

Eunicids, were also found at Seven Stars, i will use my older model that i've improved a bit and they will also have burrows, these models are first drafts and will be improved

The model was improved with help from Bringing Fossils to Life, here is more detail on the Eunicids found at Seven Stars

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2024/01/25/polychaetes/

 

Edited March 8 by ftlcgi

[ftlcgi]

The brachiopodes from Seven Stars, were made in collaboration with Bringing Fossils to Life, more details on these brachiopodes on his website here

http://bringingfossilstolife.infinityfreeapp.com/2023/03/18/brachiopods/

 

Devonochonetes coronatus

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/devonochonetes-coronatus-3c1cb93bb354458f87e0b084629c5cf6

 

Spinocyrtia granulosa - I tried to make the lophophores based on google photos but it's not the correct type of lophophore for this kind of brachiopod

The other models got retextured to look more natural, this one has an older version and i will retexture it soon

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/spinocyrtia-granulosa-d204f13999b94d2eafc4bbeafa74f1d5

 

Orbiculoidea truncata

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/orbiculoidea-truncata-380ce1e1c0a8470db48f47b82471096a

 

Rhipidomella penelope

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/rhipidomella-penelope-73505a3973ad4946a7f3b3e644e28636

 

Strophodonta demissa

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/strophodonta-demissa-9b0323fe35e54919ad5499ba04d4b585

 

Mucrospirifer mucronatus - It's my favorite brachiopod and i like how it turned out

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/mucrospirifer-mucronatus-363d70fa96664352856b399935d5b6be

 

Spinatrypa spinosa - Its been removed from the biome recently but i like the model, maybe i will find another biome for it

https://sketchfab.com/3d-models/spinatrypa-spinosa-af1c744d6c764370b805f2f5597f6bb8

 

 

Vertex animation

   It's a new type of animation that i've been working on recently, i used a similar animation in the past, it was made in blender and exported to unreal, the problem was that it was very heavy load on the system and not fit for a realtime simulation.

   This new vertex animation, called World Position Offset (WPO) is not imported but is generated inside the engine and the load on the resources is so small that i can load 100 of models animated on the same time and it won't afect performance, its great for animating schools of fish many pairs of legs, a process that would be very taxing on a normal PC if it was done with a standard bone animation

   A great advantage is that i can use custom parameters for every model, like wave lenght, speed, intensity, it's possibilities go far beyond my application, i've seen more complex examples with more parameters

   It has some small dissadvantages, the most significant one is that the shadows don't update with this animation, so making large movements won't be visible on the shadow

 

This is a basic application showing a wave animation

 

The animation can be based on movement, to avoid issues like it had after molting when the left over molt was also kicking its legs

 

It works great when combined with an extra bone animation

 - the conodont has mouth animation using bones and vertex animation of the body using vertex

 - The crinoids have a wind animation using bone but another layer of vertex animation to couse some faint ripples