I haven’t heard anything from them since Josh left CMU. Does anybody know about their intentions regarding Panda?
(I’m just curious…)
Well one of the most recent Showcase posts, Crayon3D, is a CMU project, so they definitely are still using Panda. What exactly is happening on their end beyond that one project is unclear (whether they are still helping with development of Panda, or only using it in their Building Virtual Worlds class.) It sure would be nice if they took over maintaining the Windows build as an ETC project.
They are still doing Panda projects here and there, Crayon3D is one example, and another one is planned for the fall, I believe. However, they are not maintaining Panda3D anymore, AFAIK. They should, because if they don’t do anything, Panda maintainment will be dead within a year or so.
This is exactly the reason of my worries… 
What?!! May Panda3D die? Please don’t let it die! That’s a wonderful engine and it cannot die… What does Disney think about it? Doesn’t Disney support Panda3D developtment anymore? I can’t understand how Disney created it, and now can let it die…
damn, but i understand, if only pro-soft and treeform (sorta hero’s) who do it for fun maintain panda, i can understand that it becomes very difficult. i hope disney’s still working, and if we’re lucky CMU will assign a new programmer.
i really wish i could help, but i bearly know C++ and i’m not good at very advanced python.
Of course Disney still is the #1 contributor to Panda, but they don’t maintain Panda, as in bringing the releases out.
I didn’t say Panda would be dead, you just won’t have new releases.
well FWIK the project isn’t followed by Disney or ETC ppl that much in my time being here (2006) - there was just the good 'ol David that actually is working on new panda-related stuff but the rest of the work is done by a great team of volunteer contributors like the pro_rsoft, treeform and numerous others so I don’t see this project easily dying of sudden death therefore I guess there is nothing to worry about. And also note that this is a free open project not a big company like 3DRealms or sorta that could die for bankrupt at any time.
Open source projects don’t die. They just get forgotten. I don’t think panda3d will be forgotten.
Treeform makes a good point there. Even if the worst case scenario happens–both CMU and Disney decide to just cut all association with Panda3D, which is probably not going to happen–the source is still held by people, and a new site can form to distribute releases, and a new team can work hard to maintain it. Now, I am not saying that I am anything but grateful for CMU for maintaining it this whole time, but the topic moved to a ‘what-if’ scenario and I felt the need to add my own input.
But yeah, Panda3D is not leaving any time soon. It is far too–well, good.
Well, it might not be dead because Disney is developing it on. But take a few things into account:
Pro-rsoft does a lot of work for every release. Without a central maintainer you will loose a lot of speed in development. Think about OSX stuff, think about all the code testing for all the distros…
AND he is doing it for FREE.
I hate to say it, but you will know what you have had with the current “lead devs&maintainer(s)” when they are gone.
Take a deeper look into what will happen when CMU doesn’t take over responsibility again, please. Pro-rsoft won’t do it forever. What then?!
Regards, Bigfoot29
If Panda is important to us why don’t we support Pro-Rsoft financially? That way he is able to focus on the gameengine more.
JB SKaggs
Donations?
[size=75]well just put the donation option to the panda’s sourceforge site and make a paypal account. Sometimes it even helps spreading the project to the world because people want to show/see for did they pay.[/size]
Yeah- I donate to Wolvix linux and have helped them raise money to buy new computers to develope linux on. People like that (and Pro-Rsoft and others here) deserve all the help they can get.
JB
well what are you doing with the money once you got it?. who decides what it will be spend for, who gets paied and what shall be bought?
don’t get me wrong i’d love to see pro-rsoft beeing compensated for all the work he does. but i think it’s a bit tricky to actually do that without getting him a job at disney 
[OT]
One more time
getting him a job at disney 
one more
getting him a job at disney
and
getting him a job at disney
the problem has been resolved ^^
Can’t stop reading that
(I think I had to write just ROFL)
[/OT]
I’d pay for the site+webmaster this way. Srsly, it’s [size=75]NOT UPDATED[/size].
[OT]Thomas, you win. You made me laugh maybe first time today.[/OT]
Currently I am not saying who is going to take care of the money in case we are going to launch this in a wider attempt.
However, I registered a paypal account ( donate@panda3dprojects.com ) and am willing to either keep the money until its used (books, hardware - depending on the ammount of incoming money) or redirect it to the given people.
I am here for years now helping with P3DP and being around. I want to do something to help - but can’t do much except the hosting stuff I am already doing. However, I would be willing to take care of a sort of “foundation”. If we want to set up some rules (or you don’t want to have me or the donations thing at all), lemme know and I will listen carefully.
pro-rsoft is talking for months now that he has problems on the long run. I think, its time to do something against it. CMU did help with the new server, but still… that doesn’t help the “free full time devs” at all.
Whatcha say?
Regards, Bigfoot29
I think there are two roads Panda can take:
(1) CMU should do what they are supposed to: maintain Panda or at least support us in doing that.
(2) If that doesn’t happen, let the community maintain Panda, setup a foundation as Bigfoot29 suggested, and make this a community maintained project, like other open-source projects.
Right now, it’s like sailing a ship with an anchor dragging behind it.
Honestly I don’t understand it really. They recently transferred ownership of Panda3D from Disney to CMU - and now they abandon it? I hope not, but it appears like CMU is rejecting (1).
my idea is that this project, as long as there are ppl willing to put love and work into, just need the money to maintain this website and the forums and if CMU or whatever other sponsor will provide that this project will never die. And whenever (God will never) CMU switch off this website I bet there are plenty of ppl ready to donate for maintain a new one so I see this project on a very long course running.
Of course, that’s kind of the first part of my post. But then we need to do something. As I said, it’s currently like dragging an anchor behind you. CMU needs to cut the knot: maintain Panda, or don’t, and pass it to the community.