Teaching An Old Dog New Tricks

General Discussion
1

Once you get over the Python/Panda Learning curve…:

  • The tools become extremely EASY to use!
  • The tools become slightly easier to use.
  • The tools NEVER become easy to use!
  • Gimme back my microcode and all the 1’s and 0’s

0 voters

I’ll give you a long and a short version of my question:

SHORT: :question:
Where is there a detailed tutorial showing someone who knows nothing, how to build a room (box) and decorate it with images (skins) in Blender, then import it to Panda?

Are there libraries of rooms, buildings, roadways, objects (vehicles, tables, chairs, televisions, etc) that can be taken and used in Panda different projects?

LONG: :question:
I am an old dog. I am writing a “Pre-Hospital, EMT Scenario Simulation” tool. The brunt of the software is done in artificial intelligence, and I can import it into Python (whew!).

My interface currently is a collection of tools (Visual Basic, MS Agents, FLASH, CLIPS, MS Access) that, as on several months ago, no longer work togther. (One of the tools was upgraded and no longer supports integration).

The long and short of it is this: I would like to have an interesting user experience and I think using Panda, MakeHuman, and Python (and in conjunction with the AI software), I can make this work. (But it doesn’t HAVE TO look like it just came from Disney Studios, quality-wise and detail-wise)

I bought a book on Python, and I bought a book on Blender. I don’t have a problem using Python; it looks pretty straight forward. From what I can see, Panda is pretty much controlled from Python, so learning Python gets me pretty far down the road with Panda (feel free to tell me I’m nuts, here. This is just what I am gathering from poking around!).

Blender looks like it is a killer app with much higher quality capabilites than I need. I am looking for a tutorial to take me (step-by-step) through creating a MODEL (room, street, landscape) in Blender and importing it to Panda. Also, taking people created in MakeHuman, and importing them/controlling them and changing their look and feel (if possible) in Panda.

It looks like there are a lot of people out there who know how to do this, and from looking at the questions on the forum, there are an equal number of people still asking the same question of HOW?

I have been at this on and off for a few weeks and I don’t seem to be getting any traction…

Can anyone out there teach this old dog?

2

For blender, i think there are several good tutorial collections.

One is from apollos of blenderunderground.
And other is from roger wickes (lynda.com).

After that you should be able to take more specific tutorials, you can find them online easily for almost anything.

For panda, go trough samples, read manual, and ask any specifics that are unknow in forum.

3

Well certainly you have your work cut out for you learning the 3d art side and programming side at the same time.
My advice would be to start simple, but always working towards your final product.

If you know that each scenario takes place in a room, work on getting the simplest possible room (basically a box) loaded up in Panda, then iterate on it. If you find a tutorial for Blender that shows you how to build a castle, instead apply those techniques to build the environment you need.
Use placeholder characters, such as “Ralph” in the Panda samples, until you are ready to tackle that part of the project.

Break your project down into bite size goals, and do the easiest ones first. The knowledge gained from these easier tasks will help with the more complex ones. Chances are you will not find a complete A to B tutorial, but you can learn all the steps involved by breaking it down at the parts where one software ends and another starts.

  • learn to create a simple model in Blender
  • learn to use the exporter to put that model in a format Panda understands
  • learn to load a simple model in Panda
4

Welcome old dog

Blender is a wonderful software. But you need spend some time to learn 3d art. Modelling, Texturing, Rigging, Baking, Animation … there´s a lot of things to learn. To help don´t forget to download Blender Magazine. It´s free and have a lot of tutorials. Don´t forget Blender Artists Community, the greatest blender community in the world. They help with questions doesn´t matter your level in Blender.

Blender connect with Panda3d with a script called Chicken. You install it on your blender and just export and your model are ready to be used. Simple.

Don´t forget to learn GIMP or equivalent. It´s best to do textures in blender models.

Python is really a vicious language. Quick, easy and nice. You can do a lot with python, with python and panda, with python and blender, with python and gimp. It´s perfect for your pipeline.

Panda3d is a amazing 3d engine. You can publish for any OS, you can publish for web, and soon, you can publish to i-phone with any cost, any constrain, any selective features. It´s quick and easy and nice as python is.

5

You may want to check this out, seems very similar to what you’re trying to do.

http://www.panda3d.org/screens.php?page=2

Click on the images to get more info…

6

Yes, thank you. I am aware of that tool, but I am looking to make mine commercially available…

I need help creating the “worlds” in Blender, with the intent on bringing them into Panda.

Thanks for the reply!
:smiley: