Panda3D is an open source 3D game engine originally developed and actively maintained by the Walt Disney VR Studio. For the open source community, additional development is provided by Carnegie Mellon University.
The engine includes graphics, audio, I/O, collision detection, and other functionality useful for the creation of 3D games. It is a scene graph engine where the virtual world is initially an empty Cartesian space into which the game programmer inserts 3D models.
Panda3D’s intended game-development language is Python. The engine itself is written in C++, and uses an automatic wrapper-generator to expose the complete functionality of the engine in a Python interface.
Panda3D is used by developers of several large commercial games, some open source projects, and a number of university courses.
Features include:
- Shader Generation:
- Special Maps: Normal Map, Gloss Map, Glow Map.
- HDR Rendering: Tone Mapping, Bloom Filter.
- Cel Shading: Threshold Lighting, Inking.
- Performance Monitoring:
- Identifies bottlenecks, both CPU and GPU.
- CPU time use decomposed into more than 250 categories.
- Counts meshes, polygons, textures, transforms, state changes, etc.
- Allows user-defined CPU-usage categories.
- Tools for batching and state-change minimization.
- Tools to merge textures and minimize texture switches.
- Graphics API:
- High-level shader language: Cg.
- Powerful interface between shaders and engine.
- Support for render-to-texture.
- Use of depth/shadow/stencil textures.
- Debugging Tools:
- Extreme resistance to crashing, even when errors are made.
- More than 5000 assertion-checks to catch errors early.
- Reference-counted data structures minimize memory leaks.
- Many tools to examine internal state.
- Python Integration:
- Highly optimized: all core functionality in C++.
- Thoroughly-tested: two commercial MMOs in Python.
- Panda3D structures garbage collected when using Python.
- Manual and sample programs use Python.
- 3D audio:
- Choose from OpenAL, FMOD and Miles or other sound libraries.
- Networking.
- Keyboard and mouse support.
- Support for unusual I/O devices.
- Mature system:
- Converters for older file formats.
- Font file importers.
- Tool to package games into redistributables.
- Means to pack art assets into encrypted bundles.
- Lots of other boring but essential stuff.
Website: www.panda3d.org
Support: Documentation
Developer: Walt Disney VR Studio Carnegie Mellon Entertainment Technology Center
License: Modified BSD License
Panda3D is written in C++ and Python. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials. Learn Python with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
| Popular series | |
|---|---|
 | The largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions. |
 | Hundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information. |
 | The Big List of Active Linux Distros is a large compilation of actively developed Linux distributions. |
 | Replace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS. |
 | Awesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series. |
 | Machine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source. |
 | New to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux. |
 | Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities. |
 | Essential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users. |
 | Linux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine. |
 | Surveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal. |
 | Saving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux. |
 | Home computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. |
 | Now and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride. |
 | Linux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged. |
 | Linux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery. |
 | Getting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers. |
 | Best Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series. |
 | These best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today! |
 | These free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series. |
 | Linux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. |
 | Stars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA. |