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xr843/insect-world

Interactive 3D insect field guide where 63 species are modeled procedurally in the browser with TypeScript and Three.js, with no model files.

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What is it?

Insect World is a browser-based 3D field guide covering 63 insect species across 14 orders. Users can rotate and zoom each specimen, click colored hotspots to read about body parts, and use tools for focusing on a part, sectioning the body, making the exoskeleton translucent, and comparing two species side by side.

Every insect body is generated in code at runtime rather than loaded from model or texture files. The geometry is built from parametric primitives such as lofted cross-sections, segmented abdomens, appendages and vein networks, so adding a species means writing a description of its proportions and colors. Twenty-eight species also include egg, larva, pupa or nymph stages, and eight hovering species flap their wings in place.

The site includes a guided lesson with quizzes, a light and a dark theme, and Chinese and English versions. Its text is stated to be AI-written, with only part of the top species checked against literature, so it is best treated as an educational overview.

Key features

  • 01Rotate, zoom and click hotspots on 63 insect models in the browser
  • 02Models are generated procedurally in code, with no external model files
  • 03Life-cycle stage models for 28 species, including egg, larva and pupa
  • 04Sectioning, exoskeleton transparency and side-by-side species comparison
  • 05Guided lessons and quizzes that move the camera to the part being discussed
  • 06Chinese and English versions, with light and dark themes

Use cases

  • Teaching complete versus incomplete metamorphosis in a classroom or museum setting
  • Browsing insect anatomy visually before studying entomology
  • Learning to recognize common insects by their body structure
  • Reference for a 3D procedural modeling project built with Three.js

Quick start

  1. 1

    Install Node.js 22.13 or newer, then install dependencies

    npm install
  2. 2

    Start the dev server and open the site at localhost:5178

    npm run dev

Things to know

  • Most of the 63 species' descriptions were written by AI, and only 14 of them have been partly fact-checked against literature.
  • The text has not been reviewed by an entomology expert, so it should not be cited as a reference.

Topics

#3d#webgl#threejs#typescript#education#entomology#procedural-generation#animation#field-guide#insects

FAQ

What is insect-world?
Interactive 3D insect field guide where 63 species are modeled procedurally in the browser with TypeScript and Three.js, with no model files. Insect World is a browser-based 3D field guide covering 63 insect species across 14 orders. Users can rotate and zoom each specimen, click colored hotspots to read about body parts, and use tools for focusing on a part, sectioning the body, making the exoskeleton translucent, and comparing two species side by side.
Is insect-world free to use? What license does it have?
insect-world is open source under the MIT license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.
Is insect-world still maintained?
Actively maintained. The last commit to insect-world was on Oct 17, 2026.
What can I use insect-world for?
Teaching complete versus incomplete metamorphosis in a classroom or museum setting Browsing insect anatomy visually before studying entomology Learning to recognize common insects by their body structure Reference for a 3D procedural modeling project built with Three.js
How do I install insect-world?
Install Node.js 22.13 or newer, then install dependencies: npm install Start the dev server and open the site at localhost:5178: npm run dev
Where can I get insect-world?
The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/xr843/insect-world

Summary generated by AI from the project's README. GitHub stats refresh daily.

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