Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
The forum at BlenderArtists.org remains one of the most important resources available to any Blender user.
In the Game Engine section of the forum, you'll find gurus who will answer the most obscure questions and
give you tips for creating almost any effect.
Many other resources pop up around the Web from time to time. Keep an eye on BlenderNation.com for the
latest developments and tutorials to be made available. At the same time, if you create a useful tool, an interest-
ing visualization, a helpful tutorial, or a killer game, don't be shy about letting the community know about it,
either through the forums at BlenderArtists.org or by submitting a news item at BlenderNation.com.
One of the best ways to learn is by digging around in the
.blend
file of a skilled user. Many such files are
available under Creative Commons at
www.blendswap.com
,
and if you make a project worth sharing, you can
postitthereaswell.TheBlendercommunityisalwayssupportiveandalwayseagertohearabouttheinteresting
uses to which people are putting this extraordinary software. In the meantime, with what you've learned from
this topic, you should be able to confidently forge ahead on your own advanced Blender projects.
Happy Blendering!
The Bottom Line
Replace multiple logic brick setups with a few lines of Python code.
By using a Python script controller
to coordinate your sensors and actuators, you can accomplish the same things as with logic bricks but much
more efficiently and with much less clutter. For larger, complex projects, using Python makes it vastly easier
to keep your logic organized.
Master It
Add some more movements to the walking character from this chapter. Create a new action
and implement it in the BGE with Python so that pressing the W key will make him wave.
Use Python to create effects in the BGE that would not be possible using logic bricks alone.
Not every
possiblegameenginebehaviorisencodedinlogicbrickform.Settinganobject'slocationisasimpleexample
of something that requires Python to do. More-complex operations requiring variables or data structures also
require the power of a fully functional programming language like Python.
Master It
ImplementaPythonscriptthatmakesthedefaultcubefollowthemousearoundtheviewport.
Create unique game environments with sound effects and multiple viewports.
Effects like real-time con-
trol of sound volume and split-screen views can help to make your interactive 3D environment more enga-
ging and immersive. With Python, these effects are easy to achieve.
Master It
Create an environment with one stationary object and another object that can be moved
aroundsimilarly tothecubeintheviewports example. Havethestationary object emit asoundsuchthat
the volume of the sound increases to one when the objects are at their closest together and decreases to
zero as the objects get farther apart.