..
  This file was automatically converted from MediaWiki syntax.
  If some markup is wrong, looks weird or doesn't make sense, feel free
  to fix it.

  Please remove this comment once this file was manually checked
  and no "strange ReST" artifacts remain.

.. _spe:

SPE
===

Installing SPE for use with Panda3D
===================================


``Since Panda 1.3.0 the windows installer has the option to add panda's python to the registry. If you don't register or if you use an earlier version of panda, SPE cannot detect panda modules. Without them, features like autocomplete, the built-in console, debugger etc. do not work for Panda3D scripts. To correct this, SPE must first be integrated properly with python.``

Integrate it manually in this order:

1. download and install `Panda3D <http://www.panda3d.org/download.php>`__\ 

This installs python also. There should now be a directory "\\Panda3D-x.x.x"
where the x's are the version number.

2. download and install `python <http://www.python.org/>`__\ 

This installs the standard python interpreter required by the other
installers. There should now be a directory "\\Pythonxx" (again, x's are the
version number)

This directory can be deleted after step 5 if you wish. (not before!)

3. download and install `wxpython <http://www.wxpython.org/>`__\ 

SPE requires wxpython. This installs in "\\Pythonxx\\Lib\\site-packages"

4. download and install `SPE <http://www.stani.be/python/spe/blog/>`__\ 

This autodetects the standart python install, and also installs in
"\\Pythonxx\\Lib\\site-packages"

5. Manually copy the new files and folders in "\\Pythonxx\\Lib\\site-packages"
to "\\Panda3D-x.x.x\\python\\lib\\site-packages"

When SPE is run from the new location using python it should have access to
all the panda3D modules.

6. Write a script for convenience

e.g. in Windows create a new shortcut with target:

+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "C:\\Panda3D-x.x.x\\python\\python.exe" "C:\\Panda3D-x.x.x\\python\\lib\\site-packages\\\_spe\\SPE.py"   |
+----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------+


This is just as easy in Linux using a shell script.

Importing DirectStart
=====================


SPE may need to or require you to import DirectStart for its PyDoc generation
and calltips. By default this also pops up the main window. This can get
annoying, but fortunately opening the window can be easily deferred by either
adding the line ``window-type none`` to your
Config.prc file or by adding the line


.. code-block:: python
    
    loadPrcFileData("", "window-type none")

to your script before
you import DirectStart: 

.. code-block:: python
    
    import direct.directbase.DirectStart


You may open the window later with this line:


.. code-block:: python
    
    base.openMainWindow(type = 'onscreen')