Using ODE with Panda3D

Panda3D also provides integration for the Open Dynamics Engine. This is a platform-independent open-source physics engine with advanced types and built-in collision detection. Panda3D provides support for ODE because sometimes Panda’s limited built-in physics system might not always be enough to suit more complex needs.

From Panda3D version 1.5.3, ODE support is included in the downloadable binaries. Before that version, you would have to download the source packages and include ODE yourself.

This section will explain how to use this ODE system with Panda3D.

Table of Contents

• Worlds, Bodies and Masses
  • Worlds
  • Bodies and masses
• Simulating the Physics World
  • Simulating the physics scene
• Attaching Bodies using Joints
  • Joints
  • OdeBallJoint example
• Collision Detection with ODE
  • Collision Detection
  • Spaces
  • Geometry
  • Surfaces
  • Collision Events
  • Example

More information

• The panda3d.ode page in the API Reference can list the classes and methods available (all of the classes are prefixed with Ode), although the function descriptions are lacking. It might also be useful to look at the PyODE API reference, which uses very similar class and method names.

• Developers from Walt Disney VR Studio have held a lecture about using the ODE system with Panda3D. Click here to watch a video recording of it. (Recorded June 18, 2008)