Songbird Remix's Product Preview Thread

[Ken Gilliland]

Hummingbirds v3 is off to its final QA check and the updated "Threatened, Endangered, Extinct v3" has entered its beta test. The update includes 6 new birds and 4 additional props. I hope to have both sets in the store around Christmas (Hummingbirds v3 will be between Christmas and New Years). I might take the rest of this month off to unwind (I've pretty much been going non-stop since October 2020).

Starting in 2022, I'll tackle the updates to my seafaring birds which will allow me to finish the Birds of Legend, Hawaii and Australia v3 updates. Then I try to wrap the remaining sets; Puffins, Dodo, Flamingos, Jacanas, etc hopefully by my Audubon sale. I do see light at the end of the tunnel and believe my entire catalog (even things like Safari Camp and Seashore House) will be fully updated by the end of 2022. well, er... that at least my New Years resolution that I'll try to keep

 

[Ken Gilliland]

From the revised TEEv3-- the Moluccan Cockatoo (Scarlet-collared Flowerpeckers in the distance) in Iray...

as well as the Black-winged Starling and Saltmarsh Sparrow in Firefly

 

[Ken Gilliland]

Here's a couple sneak peeks at the Dodo revisions...

 

[Ken Gilliland]

My latest 3D Model set, "Hummingbirds of the Americas v3" is now available... Songbird ReMix Hummingbirds v3

 

[Miss B]

Yes, I got the email about an hour ago.

Edited to Add: Boy did that go in and out of my cart quickly.

 

[Dakorillon (IMArts)]

Me too! ^^

 

[Ken Gilliland]

My update for "Threatened Endangered Extinct v3" is out and the "Dodo" should be ready in a week or so.

 

[Ken Gilliland]

First, I don't think I mentioned it here but the updated "Threatened, Endangered, Extinct v3" is now live. Expect the revised "Dodo" in the store by the end of the week.

I'm not much of a New Years resolution guy but I am "resolved" to get the songbird ReMix updates done by year end (and over optimistically, maybe by the Audubon's Birthday sale). The end of December to now has found me working on two different tracks; starting the updates of the seabird models and filling in what I can of the remaining monster sets (Australia v3, Hawai'i and Legend).

It's hard to believe, but Australia v3 and Hawai'i are destined to be larger than they originally were (Australiav3 had 49 birds-now closer to 60, Hawai'i had 41 birds, also around 60 now). The Hawaiian set will include the Hawaiian Hawk and Coot that I created after Hawai'i was released. The price of both sets will probably jump from $24.95 to $29.95 (or about 50 cents a bird).

Audubon's Birthday would mark the SBRM Hawai'i release 10-year anniversary, so that might be a "thing"... I have Hula and Royal Hawaiian refits in the works/planned for Genesis 3/8.1, Dawn2/Dusk2 and maybe l'femme/l'homme. Whenever they are released, Hawaiian Voyager and Weapons of Lua will also get updated. The Gen4 sets will probably stay "retired" unless someone begs for it.

For the "Birds of Legend" set-- expect a totally new look to the Phoenix and the Stymphalian Birds. For the format, all the "real" birds will be found in their respective bird library category folders, but additionally they'll be located in a new bird library folder using their "legend" names along with the mythological birds called "Mythological and Fantasy"

I do have dozens of SBRM and NW sets I want to do... top on my list Bee-eaters, Kingfishers, Seabirds v3: Gulls of the World, Emu and Hornbills, as well as more frogs, turtles and dragonflies

 

[Miss B]

WOW, that's one heck of a To-Do list Ken. Here's hoping you get them done easily, and as soon as is humanly possible. We'll wait for the sets we want, because they'll be worth the wait.

 

[eclark1894]

Ken, a discussion of Baretta, the tv show came up in another thread, and Fred the cockatoo was brought up. I know you do Cockatoos, but can I make Fred?

 

[Harimau]

The vision of a Dodo in most people's mind is probably based on the painting by Roelandt Savery in 1626. Savery probably never saw a live Dodo and might have based his painting on written accounts.

Painting by Roelandt Savery:

The most realistic painting is probably that made by Ustad Mansur in1625. Mansur illustrated animals for Emperor Jahangir of the Mughul Empire who kept a menagerie at Surat, India. He most likely painted it from life.

Part of painting by Ustad Mansur, enlarged:

Information taken from here:
The Dodo in Life — Tetrapod Zoology
This is a detailed and well researched article on what the dodo might actually look like in life.

 

[eclark1894]

The vision of a Dodo in most people's mind is probably based on the painting by Roelandt Savery in 1626. Savery probably never saw a live Dodo and might have based his painting on written accounts.

Painting by Roelandt Savery:
View attachment 71940

The most realistic painting is probably that made by Ustad Mansur in1625. Mansur illustrated animals for Emperor Jahangir of the Mughul Empire who kept a menagerie at Surat, India. He most likely painted it from life.

Part of painting by Ustad Mansur, enlarged:
View attachment 71941

Information taken from here:
The Dodo in Life — Tetrapod Zoology
This is a detailed and well researched article on what the dodo might actually look like in life.

I don't actually see that much of a difference.

 

[Ken Gilliland]

Ken, a discussion of Baretta, the tv show came up in another thread, and Fred the cockatoo was brought up. I know you do Cockatoos, but can I make Fred?

Fred is a Sulfur-crested cockatoo and found on Australia v3 (unfortunately not "publicly" updated yet). The next closest cockatoo (that is currently updated) is the Yellow-crested Cockatoo found in Parrots v4. The Yellow-crested is basically a smaller version of its Australian cousin, the Sulfur-crested.

---

The dodo has been re-released... and below is what ornithologists believe it looked like...
(I do have my own interpretation of the Savery and Masur dodos included in the set)

 

[eclark1894]

Kind of looks like a cross between a chicken and a turkey with Tweety-bird feet.

 

[Harimau]

An interesting snippet that hints at the origin of birds:

"Baby Yingliang", within an egg of an oviraptorosaur found in Southern China, is the best preserved dinosaur embryo ever found (almost all known non-avian dinosaur embryos are incomplete with skeletons disarticulated). It displays an embryonic positioning similar to modern birds, like a chicken embryo curled up in its shell. This behaviour, known as "tucking", aids in successful hatching. This is the first known example to be found in dinosaurs.

The egg with a fossil embryo inside:

"Baby Yingliang" exposed (notice the empty space on the right - air sac?):

"Baby Yingliang" reconstructed:

Another reconstruction (shown with air sac):

Another reconstruction with mama and siblings (shown without feathers which is unusual in this age of feathered dinosaurs):

 

[Miss B]

That's amazing after so long a time.

 

[Ken Gilliland]

A bunch of bird stuff...

First, some a bit of good news about the critically endangered Cherry-throated Tanager. I guess I'll have to create that bird
Second, the good article about bird that hide themselves in plain sight.

and third... there's some good progress on my SBRM Hawai'i update... here's a couple promo images

 

[Miss B]

I'm liking the look of the Cherry-throated Tanager, so look forward to you creating her/him, though I assume it'll be in one of your Extinct packs.

The second article has some amazing photos. I have your Potoos, so slightly familiar with how some birds hide in plain site.

I'm also liking the promo images of the Hawai'i update.

 

[Ken Gilliland]

Partially out of my own curiosity from working on the "Hawai'i" manual, I grouped all the birds in the set by Endangerment. I've created 41 of the 71 species of bird on Hawai'i. For those of you who have interest in the set, the list will provide some answers to what I've added apart from adding in dimorphic females.

This list is a sad tale... I was dismayed to see so many birds with current extinction dates... Some I actually saw in the wild on my last Hawaiian birding trip. Of the remaining thirty species I didn't do for the set-- almost half were extinct and the rest in significant trouble.

Not Threatened
* 'a (Masked Booby)
* iwa (Great Frigatebird)
* ‘ewa ‘ewa (Hawaiian Sooty Tern)
* noi’o (Hawaiian Black Noddy)
* ‘amakihi (‘Amakihi)
* 'apapane ('Apapane)

Vulnerable
* Nēnē (Hawaiian Goose)
* Hawaiian ‘elepai’o (all 3 races)
* Kaua'i ‘elepai’o
* oma'o (Hawaiian Thrush)
* ‘i'iwi (‘I'iwi)

Threatened
* ‘lo (Hawaiian Hawk)

Endangered
* ka'upu (Black-footed Albatross)
* Koloa Maoli (Hawaiian Duck)
* ‘ae’o (Hawaiian Stilt)
* ‘alae ke‘oke‘o (Hawaiian Coot)
* pueo (short-earred or Hawaiian Owl)
* O'ahu ‘elepai’o
* ʻākepa (ʻākepa)
* 'akiapola'au ('Akiapola'au)

Critically Endangered
* ʻaʻo (Hawaiian Shearwater)
* Nihoa Millerbird
* palila (Palia)
* ‘akikiki (Kaua’i Creeper)
* kiwikiu (Maui Parrotbill)
* 'akohekohe (Crested Honeycreeper)

Extinct-in-the-Wild
* ‘alala (Hawaiian Crow)

Extinct
* Bishop’s ʻŌʻō (1987)
* Kaua’i ʻŌʻō (1987)
* O’ahu ʻŌʻō (1837)
* Laysan Millerbird (1923)
* kāmaʻo (Large Kauaʻi Thrush) (2004)
* oloma’o (Lana’i Thrush) (1980)
* Kaua’i Nukupu’u (2021)
* Mau’i Nukupu’u (2021)
* O’ahu Nukupu’u (1841)
* po’o-uli (Black masked Creeper) (2019)
* ‘alauahio (O’ahu Creeper) (1992)
* kakawahie (Moloka’i Creeper) (1962)
* Hawai’i Mamo (1899)
* o'o nuku'umu (Black Mamo)

 

[Flint_Hawk]

That is so sad! People never seem to learn!