GettingStarted

All the information you need to compile and execute the project
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Updated Mar 4, 2011 by teldredg...@gmail.com

Introduction

This page will give you all the steps required to compile and execute the project. Right now it only works under Windows and the document focuses on a Visual Studio + Eclipse environment. Porting the project to different platforms and environments should not be too difficult, and we're definitely interested in hosting a multi-platform version so you're welcome to contribute this!

Initial set-up

The project has been tested under Visual Studio 2008 and Eclipse with PyDev. You can install PyDev using Eclipse update manager from http://pydev.org/updates. Eclipse and PyDev are only useful if you want to edit and debug the Python code. The project uses a mercurial repository. Under windows, you can use TortoiseHg.

Once you have the above tools, set-up your workspace directory, say $workspace (The path shouldn't contain any spaces). Download and unzip lib.zip from the downloads section into $workspace\lib, make sure you use precisely that directory name. You can then clone the mercurial repository at https://cartwheel-3d.googlecode.com/hg/ into $workspace/cartwheel. For more information, here is an excellent mercurial tutorial.

Important! The project uses the glew32.dll and glut32.dll found in $workspace\lib. You will therefore need to add that directory to your PATH environment variable, or copy the two dlls into C:\Windows\System32.

Compiling the C++ code

Open $workspace/cartwheel/simbicon.sln with Visual Studio. Right-click on the Core project and Set as StartUp Project. Then select the Release build in the drop-down box beside the play button and hit Ctrl+Shift+B to build the solution. Once built, you should can hit Ctrl-F5 to start the project without debugging.

If you want to debug the C++ code, you can compile in Debug and hit F5.

Writing and debugging the Python code

If you want to edit and debug the Python code, including all the user interface code, you can use the Eclipse environment.

In Eclipse, first set-up your python environment. Go to Window --> Preferences --> Pydev --> Interpreter - Python. Add a New... interpreter, name it Python26 and select $workspace\lib\Python26\python.exe.

To import the PyDev project select File --> Import then General --> Existing Projects into Workspace. As the root directory, select $workspace (not $workspace\cartwheel), make sure you check only the simbicon project, and hit Finish. Now click the drop-down arrow beside the play button and select BasicEditor Release.

To debug the python code, select BasicEditor Debug from the debug drop-down. This will only work if you compiled the debug version of the C++ code.

NOTES FROM SUCCESSFUL COMPILE W/ VS2010EXPRESS

MORE NOTES and info related to editing SNMApp.py and implementing OSC to send joint information to Blender3D

Comment by rowlhouse@gmail.com, Jun 29, 2010

Might be worth adding that the pre-build step seems to require that there aren't any spaces in the path.

Unfortunately, even with that, I get this error when running:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "CoreTest?.py", line 1, in <module>
import BasicEditor?
File "C:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\Python\BasicEditor?.py", line 11, in <module>
import wx, App, math
File "C:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\Python\App\init.py", line 1, in <module>
from SNMApp import SNMApp
File "C:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\Python\App\SNMApp.py", line 9, in <module>
import PyUtils?, wx, Physics, Utils, time, math, sys, Core
File "C:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\Python\PyUtils?\init.py", line 4, in <module>
import Mesh
File "C:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\Python\PyUtils?\Mesh.py", line 9, in <module>
import GLUtils, PyUtils?, MathLib?, math
File "c:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\binaries\Release\GLUtils.py", line 25, in <module>
GLUtils = swig_import_helper()
File "c:\Danny\ResearchEtc?\GeneralizedBipedWalkingControl?\cartwheel-3d\binaries\Release\GLUtils.py", line 24, in swig_import_helper
return mod

UnboundLocalError?: local variable 'mod' referenced before assignment

(not familiar with python, unfortunately)

Comment by project member philippe.beaudoin, Jul 20, 2010

I remember getting a similar error whn the project was unable to find glew32.dll or glut32.dll. You may want to double check that they are in your path.

Comment by xzpia...@sina.com, Aug 13, 2010

I debugged the Python code following the steps of the "Writing and debugging the Python code".Unfortunately,I got this error when running:" Could not get project: simbicon "

Comment by North.Gator@gmail.com, Sep 9, 2010

I have the same problem as rowlhouse.

UnboundLocalError??: local variable 'mod' referenced before assignment.

Any idea of fixing this problem?

Comment by North.Gator@gmail.com, Sep 9, 2010

The previous problem of "UnboundLocalError???: local variable 'mod' referenced before assignment. " was fixed by adding the location of "glew32.dll" to the PATH environment variable.

Comment by North.Gator@gmail.com, Sep 9, 2010

One more problem:

Traceback (most recent call last):

File "CoreTest?.py", line 1, in <module> import BasicEditor? File "XXX\cartwheel\Python\BasicEditor?.py", line 60, in <module>
character = instantChar.create()
File "XXX\cartwheel\Python\App\InstantChar?\Model.py", line 85, in create
PyUtils?.load( "RigidBodies?.FlatGround?" )
File "XXX\cartwheel\Python\PyUtils?\Utils.py", line 82, in load
data = getData( dataModule )
File "XXX\cartwheel\Python\PyUtils?\Utils.py", line 64, in getData
module = import( moduleName, globals(), locals(), ["data"] )

ImportError?: No module named Data.RigidBodies?.FlatGround?

Comment by gariya...@gmail.com, Jan 25, 2011

I was unable to run the program using VS Express 2010. It couldn't find the Core.dll

Comment by project member teldredg...@gmail.com, Feb 22, 2011

WooHoo?! Finally got it compiled and the UI running. I'll post some instructions later after I play with it. This is an amazing piece of software and I thank you! Any plans for further documentation or development?

Comment by project member philippe.beaudoin, Feb 22, 2011

Glad you like it! Extra documentation would be much welcome. I gave you write access to the wiki so you can edit it right there.

Some contributors have expressed their interest in providing a Linux version. Personally, even though I think it is a very exciting project, I just don't have much time for it now.

Comment by project member teldredg...@gmail.com, Feb 22, 2011

Here is a link to some notes I made on successfully compiling cartwheel-3d on VS2010Express/Eclipse/PyDev?

COMPILING NOTES

Comment by WeiWeili...@gmail.com, Mar 4, 2011

I am very exciting when I found this page after reading the project paper of SIGGRAPH. But after i download the Solution Package, some problem come out. Until now, there is still one problems i can't conquer it. When I run the project with VC2008 successfully, the command list in PYTHON.EXE point out that "ImportError?" with Module of "GLUtils" I can't figure out it. Could anyone give me help. APPRECIATION!!!

Comment by swan0...@gmail.com, Mar 15, 2011

I just followed the instuction. However, python.exe in \lib\python26 makes error. Somebody helps me?

Comment by swan0...@gmail.com, Mar 15, 2011

Does this instruction work at Windows7?

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