So, what are you going to learn in this course?
Well, some Panda3D and Blender hacks. And in particular:
1) How to create simple models in Blender and add materials to them.
We’ll be creating a UFO model in Blender with two materials that we can later export to Panda3D.
2) How to bake textures from materials in Blender so that we can later use them in other software, and in particular in Panda3D.
Our UFO model needs to be textured in order to be exported to Panda3D and look as expected there, so we’re going to learn how to use the materials that we have to bake textures.
3) How to export a model from Blender in GLTF format and then load it in Panda3D.
GLTF is a widely used file format and you can use it in Panda3D instead of its native EGG. We’ll be talking about the available export options and we’ll export the UFO model to GLTF.
4) How to use position, rotation and scale intervals in Panda3D to create an animation.
We’ll animate our UFO model using intervals. This is a tool in Panda3D that comes in handy when you don’t need control over an object for some time but want it to move, rotate and scale in a predefined way.
5) How to capture the screen in Panda3D and create a video in MP4 format.
We used intervals to animate our UFO model, but now we can render a video with that animation.
6) How to integrate the Kivy framework in your Panda3D application using the panda3d-kivy add-on.
Although Panda3D ships with its own GUI system, you’re not limited to it. If you know the Kivy framework, you can use it inside your Panda3D app window to create even more fancy GUIs.
7) How to make a scientific simulation of gravitational acceleration in Panda3D using the Bullet physics engine.
Panda3D is not only about games. You can use it for many other purposes like, for example, scientific simulations. We’re going to create a simple simulation of gravitational acceleration here.
