First run problem.

Scripting Issues
1

I am using Python for the first time in my life. I started today. I would like it if i knew how to make it work.

I installed Panda3D. The PATH variable is where it should be.
I opened cmd. I copied the “hello.py” example into my “C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator”, where the CMD was opened.

“hello.py” is:
import direct.directbase.DirectStart
run()

I typed “ppython hello.py”

I got the following error:
“C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator>ppython hello.py
DirectStart: Starting the game.
Warning: DirectNotify: category ‘Interval’ already exists
Known pipe types:
wglGraphicsPipe
(3 aux display modules not yet loaded.)
:display:wgldisplay(error): Could not get any OpenGL pixel format.
E:\Game-Making\Panda3D-1.1.0\direct\src\showbase\ShowBase.py:363: RuntimeWarning
: tp_compare didn’t return -1, 0 or 1
if pipe.getType() == pipeType:
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferWidth : 800
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferHeight : 600
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferFormat : 22
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferCount : 1
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): D3D CreateDevice failed for device #0 at (c:\temp
\mkpr\panda3d-1.1.0\panda\src\dxgsg8\wdxGraphicsWindow8.cxx:653), hr=D3DERR_INVA
LIDCALL: Invalid call
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferWidth : 640
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferHeight : 480
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferFormat : 22
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): presentation_params->BackBufferCount : 1
:display:wdxdisplay8(warning): D3D CreateDevice failed for device #0 at (c:\temp
\mkpr\panda3d-1.1.0\panda\src\dxgsg8\wdxGraphicsWindow8.cxx:653), hr=D3DERR_INVA
LIDCALL: Invalid call
:display:wdxdisplay8(fatal): Can’t create any screen buffers, bailing out.
:display:wdxdisplay8(error): fatal: must be trying to create two fullscreen wind
ows: not supported
:01-18-2006 10:59:26 ShowBase(warning): Unable to open ‘onscreen’ window.
Traceback (most recent call last):
File “hello.py”, line 1, in ?
import direct.directbase.DirectStart
File “E:\Game-Making\Panda3D-1.1.0\direct\src\directbase\DirectStart.py”, line
4, in ?
ShowBase.ShowBase()
File “E:\Game-Making\Panda3D-1.1.0\direct\src\showbase\ShowBase.py”, line 192,
in init
self.openDefaultWindow()
File “E:\Game-Making\Panda3D-1.1.0\direct\src\showbase\ShowBase.py”, line 517,
in openDefaultWindow
raise StandardError, ‘Could not open window.’
StandardError: Could not open window.”

What now?
I have absolutely no idea how python works, right now. If i dont have at least a few examples running… how can i test it and learn it?
Can anyone please help?

2

Just a suggestion… are you running your graphic card in 32bit mode? If not, this MIGHT be the result… recent DX and graphic card drivers are installed too?

Regards, Bigfoot29

3

From what I can tell, this error appears to be saying that it could not create a “screen buffer” (a block of memory to store the data to draw to the screen), with the settings that you video card can handle/work with.

It is certainly possible that, as Bigfoot29 pointed out, you do not have your desktop color-depth set to 32bit. It’s also possible that your card is not DirectX 8 compatible, or that you do not have the right drivers.

What video card do you have?

4

My video card is an nVIDIA RIVA TNT2 Model 64/ Model 64. (copied from display after DXDIAG in CMD). It has 32 MB memory. My system is AMD Athlon MMX ~1.2GHz; 192 SDRAM and 256-512 virtual memory… its enough, im sure. Ah, and DXDIAG sais i have DirectX 9.0b. I know that games with DirectX 9.x dont work for me, but 8.1 works excellent.
My screen is set on 640x480 with 32 bit… Can this be the problem? Its an old monitor, ill buy another one, but i also think that resolution has nothing to do. Some sort of window appears very fast and than dissapears when i try to test the precompiled tuts in Feature Tutorials.

5

Hmmm… that resolution is really low… I don’t run windows, so I can’t test it - bit I guess something like 800x600 or 1024x786 should be the minimum Desktop size. Note the section where he says that he can’t open the 800x600 screen? I guess there is the problem…

As for the TNT: I don’t think that THATS the problem because I can run Panda3D with software rendering as well (but not in a VNC-Window - but thats another story)

Any comments?

Regards, Bigfoot29

6

Two things to try:

(1) edit your Config.prc file and replace the line:


load-display pandagl

with:


load-display pandadx8

Or, if there is not already a load-display pandagl line, simple add the pandadx8 line.

(2) go to nvidia.com and download the latest version of the drivers for your card.

David