Better Input

[Sothh]

I love Panda3D, but the keyboard input bugs me!

Is there a better way? (Other then using PyGame…)

[ThomasEgi]

what problems do you experience with the keyboard input?
how would you want to see it improved?

[Sothh]

Right now I am doing input like this:

class Keyboard(DirectObject.DirectObject):

def __init__(self):

    #The key events update this list, and our task will query it as input
    self.keys = {}

    #Other keys events set the appropriate value in our key dictionary
    self.accept("arrow_left",     self.setKey, ["left", 1])
    self.accept("arrow_left-up",  self.setKey, ["left", 0])
    self.accept("arrow_right",    self.setKey, ["right", 1])
    self.accept("arrow_right-up", self.setKey, ["right", 0])
    self.accept("arrow_up",       self.setKey, ["up", 1])
    self.accept("arrow_up-up",    self.setKey, ["up", 0])
    self.accept("arrow_down",     self.setKey, ["down", 1])
    self.accept("arrow_down-up",  self.setKey, ["down", 0])


def setKey(self, key, val):

    self.keys[key] = val

def getKey(self,key):

    return self.keys.get(key)

To use it I call keyboard.getKey(‘Key’)

This is being a real pain though, as I have to accept an up and down event for every key I want to use.

A much better way would simply be able to call something like

panda3d.input.getKey(‘anykey’)
panda3d.input.getKeyPress(‘anykey’)

And so forth.

[ThomasEgi]

what you refer to is called “polling”,
i think panda supports it on some lower level , at least this page suggests it panda3d.org/reference/python … InputState .

you may find this helper-class of use:
[key polling)

polling is useful for when the event you poll for occurs a lot. in all other cases events usualy are smarter. so it’s like movement vs all other keypresses.

[Sothh]

Thanks!