PyAssimp Readme
	---------------


-- a simple Python wrapper for Assimp using ctypes to access
the library. Tested for Python 2.6. Known not to work with
Python 2.4.


Note that pyassimp is by no means considered mature. It works,
but it is far away from wrapping Assimp perfectly.


USAGE
=====

To get started with pyAssimp, examine the sample.py script, which
illustrates the basic usage. All Assimp data structures are
wrapped using ctypes. All the data+length fields in Assimp's
data structures (such as 'aiMesh::mNumVertices','aiMesh::mVertices')
are replaced by simple python lists, so you can call len() on
them to get their respective size and access members using
[].

For example, to load a file named 'hello.3ds' and print the first
vertex of the first mesh, you would do (proper error handling
substituted by assertions ...):

> from pyassimp import pyassimp, errors
> 
> try:
> 	scene = pyassimp.load('hello.3ds')
> except AssimpError, msg:
>     print(msg)
>     return

> assert len(scene.meshes)
> mesh = scene.meshes[0]

> assert len(mesh.vertices)
> print(mesh.vertices[0])

> # don't forget this one, or you will leak!
> pyassimp.release(scene)


INSTALL
=======

PyAssimp requires a assimp dynamic library (DLL on windows,
so on linux :-) in order to work. The default search directories 
are:

- the current directory
- on linux additionally: /usr/local/lib

To build that library, refer to the Assimp master INSTALL
instructions. To look in more places, edit ./pyassimp/helper.py.
There's an 'additional_dirs' list waiting for your entries.