Panda3D really makes it very easy to load and use assets like models, actors, textures, and sounds. But there is a problem with the default behavior of the asset loader—it blocks the execution of the engine.

This is not a problem if all data is loaded before the player is allowed to see the game world, but if models and other assets are to be loaded while the game is running, we are facing a serious problem because the frame rate will drop dramatically for a moment. This will cause game execution to stop for a short moment in a sudden and unpredictable way that breaks gameplay.

To avoid getting into such problems, Panda3D offers the ability to load data through a background thread. This is a very useful feature if game assets are loaded on the fly, such as the popular use case with seamless streaming in game worlds. It is also a great way to reduce initial loading times. The main level geometry and everything visible from the starting position is loaded before the...