Loading and Animating the Panda Model

Actors

The Actor class is for animated models. Note that we use loadModel() for static models and Actor only when they are animated. The two constructor arguments for the Actor class are the name of the file containing the model and a Python dictionary containing the names of the files containing the animations.

Update the Code

from math import pi, sin, cos

from direct.showbase.ShowBase import ShowBase
from direct.task import Task
from direct.actor.Actor import Actor


class MyApp(ShowBase):
    def __init__(self):
        ShowBase.__init__(self)

        # Load the environment model.
        self.scene = self.loader.loadModel("models/environment")
        # Reparent the model to render.
        self.scene.reparentTo(self.render)
        # Apply scale and position transforms on the model.
        self.scene.setScale(0.25, 0.25, 0.25)
        self.scene.setPos(-8, 42, 0)

        # Add the spinCameraTask procedure to the task manager.
        self.taskMgr.add(self.spinCameraTask, "SpinCameraTask")

        # Load and transform the panda actor.
        self.pandaActor = Actor("models/panda-model",
                                {"walk": "models/panda-walk4"})
        self.pandaActor.setScale(0.005, 0.005, 0.005)
        self.pandaActor.reparentTo(self.render)
        # Loop its animation.
        self.pandaActor.loop("walk")

    # Define a procedure to move the camera.
    def spinCameraTask(self, task):
        angleDegrees = task.time * 6.0
        angleRadians = angleDegrees * (pi / 180.0)
        self.camera.setPos(20 * sin(angleRadians), -20 * cos(angleRadians), 3)
        self.camera.setHpr(angleDegrees, 0, 0)
        return Task.cont


app = MyApp()
app.run()

The command loop("walk") causes the walk animation to begin looping.

Run the Program

The result is a panda walking in place as if on a treadmill: