3D apps in Python?

[Mike C. Fletcher]

To the best of my knowledge, there's only a few where the engine itself 
is written in Python:

    * Alice -- I believe early versions used to be written in Python to
      a Direct3D API, think they've been moving away from that in later
      versions, possibly toward a Java implementation?
    * OpenGLContext -- my testing/demo environment for PyOpenGL, which
      is based loosely on a VRML97 scenegraph model (and includes simple
      VRML97 loaders and the like).
          o Provides Transform,Group,Switch,
            PointLight,SpotLight,DirectionalLight, Background, Shape,
            Appearance, Material, ImageTexture, TextureTransform,
            IndexedFaceSet, IndexedLineSet, PointSet, Box, Sphere, Text,
            FontStyle, Polyline2D, NurbsCurve2D, Contour2D,
            NurbsSurface,TrimmedSurface, and NurbsCurve nodes (some with
            only partial support, it should be noted)
          o Has basic navigation, polygon tessellation, transparency and
            selection passes
    * ZOE is apparently written in Python, never played with it.  Claims
      to focus on wireframes and particle systems.
    * VisualPython (VPython) may have some significant portion of the
      code in Python, but I can't say how much (or indeed whether there
      is any).

However, these engines (save maybe ZOE, about which I know next to 
nothing) are focused primarily on teaching, rather than game or 
application development.  Particularly given your legendarily high 
standards, I think you'll find that none are sufficient for your needs 
wrt building practical 3D apps in Python.  The collective wisdom on that 
would seem to be "wrap a C/C++ engine if you need any sort of 
interactive speed on a non-trivial application".

If you do find any other engines, consider adding them to the list here:
    http://www.py3d.org/py3d_zwiki/Python3dLinks
(the formatting is messed up, but the information is often useful).

Take care,
Mike

Brandon J. Van Every wrote:

>I am looking for open source 3D applications written primarily in Python.
>Not Python scripted, but rather, Python as the primary means of development,
>dropping to C++ or C only when necessary for efficiency.  Any pointers
>appreciated.  Surveys of leading open source 3D engines, such as Nebula and
>Crystal Space, haven't yielded anything.  I'm now starting to look at
>non-game applications.
>  
>
_______________________________________
  Mike C. Fletcher
  Designer, VR Plumber, Coder
  http://members.rogers.com/mcfletch/