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.. _starting-panda3d:

Starting Panda3D
================



.. only:: python

    Creating a New Panda3D Application
    ==================================
    
    :ref:`showbase`
    ---------------
    
    To start Panda3D, create a text file and save it with the .py extension. PYPE,
    SPE and IDLE are Python-specific text-editors, but any text editor will work.
    Enter the following text into your Python file:
    
    
    
    .. code-block:: python
        
        from direct.showbase.ShowBase import ShowBase
        
        class MyApp(ShowBase):
        
            def __init__(self):
                ShowBase.__init__(self)
        
        app = MyApp()
        app.run()
        
    
    Here we made our main
    class inherit from ``ShowBase``. The
    ShowBase class loads most of the other Panda3D modules, and causes the 3D
    window to appear. The ``run()``
    procedure in ShowBase contains the Panda3D main loop. It renders a frame,
    handles the background tasks, and then repeats. It does not normally return,
    so it needs to be called only once and must be the last line in your script.
    In this particular example, there will be nothing to render, so you should
    expect a window containing an empty grey area.
    
    DirectStart
    -----------
    
    ``DirectStart`` is a shortcut that
    instantiates ShowBase automatically on import. This may be useful for quick
    prototyping at the expense of clean code layout. The following example
    demonstrates its use:
    
    
    
    .. code-block:: python
        
        import direct.directbase.DirectStart
        
        run()
    
    
    
    The import line automatically constructs an instance of ShowBase, which starts
    the engine and creates an empty window. Because ShowBase uses Python's
    ``__builtin__``, its functions are
    allowed to be called without storing the instance in a variable. For the sake
    of cleanliness, the rest of this tutorial shall use the ShowBase subclass.
    
    DirectStart is deprecated starting with Panda3D 1.9.0. In order to upgrade old
    code, you can simply replace the DirectStart import with the following:
    
    
    .. code-block:: python
        
        from direct.showbase.ShowBase import ShowBase
        base = ShowBase()
    
    
    
    Running the Program
    ===================
    
    To run your program on Windows or Mac, enter the following in a terminal
    (command prompt):
    
    
    
    .. code-block:: bash
        
        ppython filename.py
    
    
    
    To run it on GNU/Linux, enter the following in a terminal:
    
    
    
    .. code-block:: bash
        
        python filename.py
    
    
    
    If Panda3D has been installed properly, a grey window titled *Panda* appears.
    There is nothing we can do with this window, but that will change shortly.




.. only:: cxx

    Creating a New Panda3D Application
    ==================================
    
    To start Panda3D, create a text file and save it with a .cxx extension. Any
    text editor will work. Enter the following text into your C++ file:
    
    
    
    .. code-block:: cpp
        
        #include "pandaFramework.h"
        #include "pandaSystem.h"
        
        int main(int argc, char *argv[]) {
            //open a new window framework
          PandaFramework framework;
          framework.open_framework(argc, argv);
            //set the window title to My Panda3D Window
          framework.set_window_title("My Panda3D Window");
            //open the window
          WindowFramework *window = framework.open_window();
        
          //here is room for your own code
        
            //do the main loop, equal to run() in python
          framework.main_loop();
            //close the window framework
          framework.close_framework();
          return (0);
        }
    
    For information about
    the Window Framework to open a window, click
    :ref:`here <the-window-framework>`.
    
    ``pandaFramework.h`` and
    ``pandaSystem.h`` load most of the
    Panda3D modules. The *main\_loop()* subroutine contains the Panda3D main loop.
    It renders a frame, handles the background tasks, and then repeats. It does
    not normally return, so it needs to be called only once and must be the last
    line in your script. In this particular example, there will be nothing to
    render, so you should expect a window containing an empty grey area.
    
    Running the Program
    ===================
    
    The steps required to build and run your program were already explained on
    :ref:`getting-started-with-your-development-environment`.
    
    If Panda3D has been installed properly, a gray window titled *My Panda3D
    Window* will appear when you run your program. There is nothing we can do with
    this window, but that will change shortly.