how do i get it to start?
Hello!
I’d suggest, first downloading the latest version of Panda3D. You can find this link by clicking on ‘Downloads’ then ‘Software’ on the top menu. The link should look something like:
panda3d-1.0.2.exe
After you’ve downloaded and installed Panda3D, go to the manual located at ‘Documentation’ then ‘Manual’, again on the top menu. Just start reading through the manual, and do any examples they have. Section IV ‘Introductory Tutorials’ is a great place to learn. 
That should get you started! = )
-Nick
There are instructions to run each sample program in the Readme.txt file in each program’s directory. Look in the folders within c:\Panda3d-1.0.2\samples.
David