Placing models randomly on uneven terrain

Scripting Issues
1

Hi all! I’m just getting started with Panda3D and I’m trying to modify the Roaming Ralph sample to randomly place 10 pandas in the world.

I can randomly place the pandas but they end up inside the terrain.

        
#Creates 10 Random Pandas with collision spheres
        self.panda = []
        self.pandaColNpa = []
        for i in range(10):
            self.panda.append( Actor("models/panda-model",
                                    {"walk":"models/panda-walk"}))
            self.panda[i].reparentTo(render)
            self.panda[i].setScale(.001)
            self.panda[i].setPos(random.uniform(-40, 60), random.uniform(-100, 100), 0)

I’ve been looking for awhile now and I can’t seem to find a way to set the Z coordinate so that is attaches the node to the uneven terain.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

2

Nevermind, just adding in self.environ.getPos() for teh Z coordinate has fixed the issue. I knew as soon as I posted on here I’d figure it out

3

Use a ray that starts 100 units above the terrain and points strait down for each object. Then move the object to the position where the ray collides with the terrain.

For a lot of objects this will be slow, but you only have to call it once at creation.

4

Cool, thanks for that. It looks cleaner that way.