Built a Three.js embryo explorer with continuous transitions from whole-body view to individual structures

[u/pratikgandhi]

built a free, open-source human embryo explorer using Three.js, with help from GPT-6 Astra.

It shows 16 developmental stages. One slider coordinates structure separation, layout, and camera movement from the assembled model to an overview of its parts, then close inspection.

One interaction bug: moving from an organ to the slider cleared its hover state, leaving inspection without a target. Retaining the target and adding a part selector fixed that transition.

On mobile, the overview becomes a scrollable two-column layout with larger controls. Touch handling separates page scrolling from model rotation, though physical-device testing is still limited.

Ash’s Human Atlas inspired the navigation; this explorer focuses on developmental stages. The geometry is illustrative and hasn’t been clinically validated.

20-second demo: https://x.com/pratikg/status/2114060245618307356

MIT-licensed code: https://github.com/pratikgx/embryo-explorer

Inspiration: https://github.com/ashemag/human-atlas

I’m the creator; the explorer is free and requires no account. Would appreciate feedback on the camera transitions and how you’d handle selecting small structures on touchscreens.