Flying creature models

GLB model API v1. Start with Sample mod - Ptero flyers from the Steam Workshop (Options → Mods → Workshop): subscribe, restart, and edit its copy. The board and cockpit use the same geometry and animated mesh collision.

Coordinate and rig contract

Author Blender +X forward, +Y left, +Z up and export glTF Y-up. One tile is 64 units. Keep Body at Blender Z = 5.8; the runtime animates this rest height. Keep the creature inside approximately ±40 units, including the wingbeat.

All nodes below are Empty/Node3D pivots, with the exact direct parents shown. Visible mesh children go immediately under the part that moves them. Keep mesh names unique, for example Wing0Geometry, HeadGeometry, EyesLGeometryGlow.

Ptero
└── Body
    ├── Head
    │   ├── AntennaL
    │   ├── AntennaR
    │   ├── EyesL
    │   ├── EyesR
    │   ├── JawL
    │   ├── JawR
    │   └── ShieldHead
    ├── Abdomen
    ├── Armor
    ├── Shield
    ├── Leg0 … Leg5
    └── Wing0 … Wing3

For a two-wing creature, put geometry under Wing0/Wing2 and leave Wing1/Wing3 empty. Both sides flap around the forward axis with opposite signs. Unused insect antenna/jaw/armor pivots can be empty. Legs are held folded in flight; they are not driven by the walking cycle. Death retains the original fall/fade.

Export indexed triangles with normals and embedded PBR materials. Vertex paint is supported. No cameras, lights, scripts, armatures, skins or animation clips. Use material: imported to retain your paint/emission instead of stock chitin. Source preview keyframes are for Blender only; the game owns the rigid poses.

Map families and set the wingbeat

{
  "version": 1,
  "models": {
    "Enemies/garden_flyer": {
      "file": "Models/Ptero.glb",
      "material": "imported",
      "flight_cycle_speed": 0.22
    }
  }
}

flight_cycle_speed is optional, defaults to 1.0, and accepts a finite number from 0.05 to 4.0 on flying keys only: the *_flyer families and the four flying castes. Vanilla wings beat at about 8.59 Hz; 0.22 gives ~1.89 Hz. It scales the shared live/replay animation clock before GPU posing and cockpit collision, respects pause/game speed, and never changes movement speed or combat stats. Do not alter root_speed to slow an animation.

The complete Ptero sample maps all 36 flyer families and the four flying castes, Enemies/Castes/dragonfly, hornet, jewel and atlas. From wave 6 some flyers wear a caste instead of their family (the needlewing, stingwing, shardwing and veilwing species); the castes share the flyer rig above, so the same GLB fits. The other castes and the Brood Mind walk: leave them out. To target only some waves, keep only those keys. Consult vanilla_reference/model_catalog.json for IDs; dusk_ and night_ families cover difficulties 2 and 3. Ground enemies have a separate walking-foot contract: do not reuse this empty-leg rig for walkers.

This is a 3D replacement. Optional custom guide/card images are separate icon assets; it does not regenerate a full set of legacy spritesheets.