Mailman 3 January 2001 - Edu-sig

no Python 2.0 bindings for Lightflow until now ...
by Markus Gritsch Feb. 2, 2001

Feb. 2, 2001

Hi! I wrote to Jacopo Pantaleoni (jp(a)lightflowtech.com), the creator of the Lightflow rendering engine (http://www.lightflowtech.com/), if he would recompile the Python bindings for Python 2.0. This was about two weeks ago, but until now I got no answer. Maybe more individuals of us should ask him about this, to give him the feeling of enough interest in having bindings for Python 2.0 available. Be well, Markus

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no Python 2.0 bindings for Lightflow until now
by Arthur_Siegel＠rsmi.com Jan. 30, 2001

Jan. 30, 2001

>I wrote to Jacopo Pantaleoni (jp(a)lightflowtech.com), the creator of the >Lightflow rendering engine (http://www.lightflowtech.com/), if he would >recompile the Python bindings for Python 2.0. I will do the same. >Well, I was thinking of adding some class(es) to my KineticsKit VPython toy I am in the process of doing the same with Lightflow for my PyGeo toy. Good fun, but it *is* frustrating to be stuck on 1.5.2. I'm kind of assuming that Jacopo will get around to getting Lightflow Python bindings up-to- date, but who knows. Looked at the Povray site recently. There was an indication that a major rewrite of its scripting will be undertaken, which will not be backwards compatible. The developers specifically announced that they are not ready to accept public comment, suggestions about it at this time. But I have a great idea for them, when they're ready.... ART

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lesson plans?
by Jonathan Pennington Jan. 29, 2001

Jan. 29, 2001

Well, It looks like I'll soon be teaching Python in middle school *and* college. I was going through my "Learning Python" book (O'Reilly) and putting together some preliminary lesson plans when I thought that others might have some. Of course, we will all have different styles and angles, but they're only guides after all. I was also going to put together a lab-based learning manual for the middle school over the summer. It will be geared specifically to students around the 7-9 grade range, and hopefully run, start to finish, through an actual large programming task so that there is a definite finished product at the end of the year/cycle. This is to prevent the necessity of books, which we saddly cannot afford. Is anyone else planning something similiar? I'm going to write it in LaTeX and place it online in ps, pdf, and html. I know that there are alot of manuals online already, but with no offense to the authors, my middle school kids just don't "get it" when reading them. This book will be written *with* middle school kids. Collaboration is very welcome. -J -- Jonathan Pennington | http://coastalgeology.org Site Manager | Protection and stewardship CoastalGeology.Org (CGO) | through public education. john(a)coastalgeology.org | Join CGO, make a difference.

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HORACE 11.2 - Less Is More The Secret of Being Essential
by Jason Cunliffe Jan. 28, 2001

Jan. 28, 2001

http://www.essentialschools.org/pubs/horace/11/v11n02.html#sidebar1 Changes in Instructional Practice in Grades 9-12 Math Increased Attention to: The active involvement of students in constructing and applying mathematical ideas Problem solving as a means as well as a goal of instruction Questioning techniques that promote student interaction The use of a variety of instructional formats (small groups, individual explorations, peer instruction, class discussions, project work) The use of calculators and computers as tools for learning and doing mathematics Student communication of mathematical ideas orally and in writing The establishment and application of the interrelatedness of mathematical topics The systematic maintenance of student learnings and embedding review in the context of new topics and problem situations The assessment of learning as an integral part of instruction Decreased Attention to: Teacher and text as exclusive sources of knowledge Rote memorization of facts and procedures Extended periods of individual seatwork practicing routine tasks Instruction by teacher exposition Paper-and-pencil manipulative skill work The relegation of testing to an adjunct role with the sole purpose of assigning grades

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RE: Goofing with Groups
by Arthur_Siegel＠rsmi.com Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

>and blew away all my Pythons to go >with the newest alpha 2.1. Couldn't resist a stab at the rich comparison overloading possibilities, I suspect. Looking forward to it myself. ART

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WordNet
by Danny Yoo Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

I don't know if anyone's seen this already: Princeton's Cognitive Science Lab has been developing a very nice project called WordNet: http://www.cogsci.princeton.edu/~wn/ It's an extremely nice dictionary-like program that also shows relations between words. Python bindings for WordNet have been written here: http://www.cs.brandeis.edu/~steele/sources/wordnet-python.html What interests me about it is that it lets me play around with words effortlessly, and it's definitely one of the tools that I regularly use. It would be interesting to see if WordNet could be used in a CP4E curriculum --- it would offer a change of pace from doing "mathy" stuff, and it would allow students to explore a natural language with a computer language.

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What's Blender go to do with it
by Jason Cunliffe Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~acox/index.html <quote> Andrew Cox Welcome to my home page. Right now I have two things for you to look at. There is my (voxel modeling / volume sculpting / ...) tool Cavernosa and my Python binding for GLUT PyGlut. My main interest in life is programming, primarily in relation to 3d graphics and games. A current enthusiasm is the free 3d modeling. animation and rendering package Blender. If you don't know it, you should definitely check it out. It runs on most operating systems out there including Linux and MS Windows. Be warned however that it has an extremely steep learning curve. After a bit of initial effort, using it does become very natural in the end. At the end of december 2000 there was a release with a very capable new game engine included. Some headline features include Physics done by a former GDC speaker on collision detection and Python integrated into the game logic. For programmers, Blender includes the Python interpreter, exposing a full OpenGL binding as well as GUI componants and access to internals such as meshes, lamps etc. This makes it a great environment for the compositional programming paradigm where the main part of your application is in compiled loadable modules (DLLs on MS Windows) and the high level 'glue' such as a GUI is in a scripting language, so can be changed without recompilation. See Cavernosa for an example of this in action. I am interested in talking to any indie game developers and indie game publishers in the UK as well as any talented 3d modelers and other potential developers in London. How to Reach Me Email is your best bet: acox(a)globalnet.co.uk. </quote> ..'nuff said? - Jason ___________________________________________________________ Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']

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molten Mandelbrot birthday cake!
by Jason Cunliffe Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

http://jmsoler.free.fr/didactitiel/blender/tutor/english/python_script06.htm [link to blender file at end of page] - Jason

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PyGLUT + Jan Walter's new Blsnder Python API documentation
by Jason Cunliffe Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

oops.. I forgot to include these in my previous Blender post PyGlut PyGlut makes GLUT available from the Python interpreter. It exposes everything from GLUT 3.7 including the API version 4 stuff related to games (fullscreen modes for example). Most importantly, it allows Python functions to be registered as callbacks. http://www.users.globalnet.co.uk/~acox/PyGlut/index.html Some discussion about PyGLUT and on Blender site http://www.blender.nl/discussion/read.php?f=4&i=5375&t=5318 Jan Walter's Blender Pages This web page is intended to share experience with others about using Blender as an animation tool and for making games. In July 2000 I joined the Not a Number team and I moved to London (UK) in October 2000. http://www.janw.gothere.uk.com/ Documentation At Not a Number (NaN) I'm responsible for the Python API of Blender which can be used for writting plug-ins or export/import filters. The latest news and discussions about Python & Plugins can be found at NaN's discussion server. http://www.janw.gothere.uk.com/documentation.html Developer Documentation for the Python API (PDF version) [4-Jan-2001] Python API for using Blender as a modeling and animation tool (PDF version) [4-Jan-2001] Python API for the game engine (PDF version) [4-Jan-2001] Modeling and Animation http://www.janw.gothere.uk.com/PythonAPI/node2.html Subsections Importing the Blender Module Printing the Documentation Strings Writing an Export Script Game Engine http://www.janw.gothere.uk.com/PythonAPI/node6.html If you want to control the game flow of the game engine by writing Python scripts the process to write or load your script is exactly the same as described in section 1.1. But to execute the script you need to make a link e.g. to a PythonController in the game engine. The game is started by pressing the PKEY and the script is executed every time when the sensors connected to the PythonController shoot. - Jason ___________________________________________________________ Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']

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PyGLUT + Blender update
by Jason Cunliffe Jan. 27, 2001

Jan. 27, 2001

Well Happy New Year of The Snake to you all I am sorry if this is old or offedutopic news.. but I really thought you might appreciate to hear that the good work continues in the strangely feverish world of Blender developers and fans. http://www.blender.nl The new Game Blender v2.++ is attracting a lot of people initially make [doh] games+ 3Danimation. But soon they start asking about Python..sucked in by itse spell, promise and potential ;-) Seems to be gaining an especiatl following in the UK, Holland, Germany and France [The E-connection perhaps?] some links to browse.. a french site http://blender.free.fr/docs/didac1.htm an article in German on Python programming for Blender http://www.linux-magazin.de/ausgabe/2000/04/Blender/blender4.html exporting blender to other renderers http://www.q-bus.de/Blender/ Complete Blender - Python Script introduction [site is 'bilangue' = French + English!] Truly this is an excellent site - there is a so much here to consider. A valuable resource to demonstrate and motivate any Python class; how scripting languages connect to other program environments etc. http://jmsoler.free.fr/didactitiel/blender/tutor/english/python_script00.htm Lovely Potatoids!! http://jmsoler.free.fr/didactitiel/blender/tutor/english/python_script05.htm tesselate - eat your hearts out. http://jmsoler.free.fr/didactitiel/blender/tutor/python_wireshadows.htm http://jmsoler.free.fr/didactitiel/blender/tutor/english/index_prog_python.h tm Two key people in the Python-Blender work: 'jan' [the guy at Nan responsible for digging in deep to create for Blender a truly useful Python API] and 'tHe-IcemAn' [a master Blender user with some great tutorials and fan of PyGLUT http://205.152.62.12/gruff/ http://blender.free.fr/docs/didactic/iceman/index-ice.htm Also there is a very nice new beginners Blender book out from the lively 'No-Starch Press' http://www.nostarch.com/?blender Deutschsprachige Informationen zu Blender und dem Buch gibt es auf: http://www.blenderbuch.de/ Nan's revised tutuorial/books for v2 are due out soon too: http://www.blender.nl/showitem.php?id=103 http://www.blender.nl/shop/tuto2/index.html and an interesting book of Blender art by Shigeto Maeda http://www.blender.nl/shop/kara/index.html enjoy -Jason ___________________________________________________________ Jason CUNLIFFE = NOMADICS['Interactive Art and Technology']

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