Having read over all the unbiased, informed, and analytical “reviews” on devmaster.net/engines/list.php?fid=6&sid=11 , do YOU think I should go for another engine that would possibly be better in terms of ease of use?
Can I combine libraries?
On the below panda link, calling Panda3D a library as well as an engine confuses me, as an example.
I plan to code in Python. If you know of any other helpful links besides the ones on panda3d.org/manual/index.php/G … reparation or the python site, please link. As an aside, I’ve yet to find a great guide to general programming all over the entire Web. Either I was born with some unknown, disadvantagoues mental disorder, or people just don’t know how to translate new material effectively. It’s conditional ^ ^
Well anyhow, I obviously have a ton of reading to continuing doing.
without further delays. answeres to your questions.
1.) if you use panda. no you dont need to learn anything except python in combination with panda.
2.) do you expect an unbaised answer here? … i mean. we wouldn’t be here if we wouldnt be in love with panda3d
3.) i dunno exactly what you want to combine. but either it’s not neccessary or possible. but usualy panda and python is all you need.
… if you are planning to write some 3d-application using python. panda3d is THE choice when it comes to ease of use and prototyping speed (and many other cathegories).
there should be severl links to python resources in the manual/forum.
if you abslutely cant find anything at all i only remember one tutorials tile “a byte of python” which is supposed to be quite good.
You mean combine the Panda dll’s into one? It’s possible, and not too hard, if you compile Panda3D with LINK_ALL_STATIC, and then make a library that links into all of Panda’s.
No. Perhaps once you really get into designing and development you might find Panda’s out of the box functionality not enough to create something, but it would probably need to be a rather unusual design. For the standard things, such as 3d graphics, collisions, physics, gui, sound and so on, Panda contains all you will need. Sometimes even more than one solution.
Well, this is a question that nobody can answer other than yourself. But if you want to have out opinions, than as far as ease of use goes, I don’t think you can get anything better and more powerful than Panda in the Open Source world. With little experience in programming it’s very, very simple to get your head around it. Using Python as the primary programming language (rather than just some half decent wrapper, as in most engines) is one of the biggest advantages of Panda. If you want to use Python to make a game, that means you also want to use Panda.
Also, it’s very well documented - sure, there are holes in the API reference, but I’ve never found it to be too much of a problem, and the Panda Manual is just great to read and learn from.
I’m not sure what you mean, but if mean you want to simply use some other library for some unusual features, not covered by Panda itself, you can do it (if it’s possible to use it with Python, or you can write a Python wrapper for it). But in most cases you won’t need to.
Panda is a library and an engine because it fits the definitions of both. It’s an external piece of code used to develop your own code so it’s a library. But it’s also a game engine type of a library, because it’s most fitting use is for making 3d games (or game-like apps). Most engines are libraries. What the page you linked to says is that Panda is not a “WYSIWYG” solution where you can click your game out, but it requires you to know programming. That’s all.
