PERANCANGAN 3D VIRTUAL MUSEUM SEBAGAI MEDIA PENUNJANG INFORMASI MUSEUM MEGALODON SURADE

In the Gunungsungging Village area of Surade District, a Megalodon shark tooth fossil has been discovered, which has important value for the world of paleontology. However, information about this historic discovery has not been well socialized to communities outside the area. As a result, the educational potential of this discovery has not been optimally utilized. This study aims to design a 3D virtual museum as an interactive information platform that can be widely accessed by the public. The main objective is to introduce and disseminate knowledge about the Megalodon shark tooth fossil and other marine fauna fossil discoveries in Sukabumi Regency through digital technology. In the research process, the approach used is qualitative and design methods that use three main stages: pre-production, production and post-production. Data obtained were collected through a process including interviews, observations, questionnaires and literature studies to collect data and observe user needs. The findings in this study show that the majority of people are still unaware of the Megalodon Museum in Surade and the problem of the museum's remote location is one of the factors that cause the lack of public awareness about the
Megalodon Museum. The results of the 3D virtual museum testing showed that the use of a 3D virtual museum as an information medium was effective in conveying information about the Megalodon tooth fossil through visual aspects and good 3D objects, supported by easy-to-navigate aspects. Overall, this virtual museum media proved to be an initial trigger for visiting the real museum.
Keywords: Fossil, Megalodon, Surade, Three Dimension , Virtual Museum.