Mailman 3 August 2003 - Edu-sig

re: The PyGame approach to installing
by Arthur 12 Aug '03

12 Aug '03

Markus writes - >you complained about some inabilitier of the Win32 Distutils-Installer. Complained? You know that would unlike me;). I *commented*. >Maybe the approach taken by PyGame is the solution: The PyGame->library uses distutils (different downloads for different Python versions), > and the PyGame-Docs use some full blown installer, which generates > Start-menu shortcuts, and allows for installing in an arbitrary location >(defaulting to 'program files'). Yes. Essentially a version of the tack that Numeric takes as to its docs, which I pointed to early on as a very reasonable alternative. But I think it makes a bit more sense for major distributions, like Numeric and PyGame, than it does for more minor distributions like - dare I say it - PyGeo. Or even VPython. I am going to experiment a bit more - at some point - with what is the minimal win32all modules that are required to give disutils more functionality on Windows. I think just win32api.pyd, which is only 67k, might get one a good part of the way there. But I haven't tested my theory yet. >P.S.: Your PyOpenGL-Minimal installer seems to be too minimal ;) I >tried to start the wxPython demo which uses wxGLCanvas, but it >complained about not finding glut32.dll I believe I am fully innocent there. I don't think that glut32.dll comes with the full blown PyOpenGL either. As it is third party. What the full blown PyOpenGL probably does come with is better documentation as to need to download and install glut32.dll to have the GLUT based demos work. In fact having glut32.dll in the PyOpenGL disdtro would be a Good Thing. And I considered it. But then decided I don't understand licensing issues well enough to feel comfortable doing it. Thinking that if it is *not* in the full-blown PyOpenGL distro, there was probably a good reason for that. Then again, maybe it is and I missed it. I'll check again.

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The PyGame approach to installing
by Markus Gritsch 11 Aug '03

11 Aug '03

Arthur, you complained about some inabilitier of the Win32 Distutils-Installer. Maybe the approach taken by PyGame is the solution: The PyGame-library uses distutils (different downloads for different Python versions), and the PyGame-Docs use some full blown installer, which generates Start-menu shortcuts, and allows for installing in an arbitrary location (defaulting to 'program files'). Markus P.S.: Your PyOpenGL-Minimal installer seems to be too minimal ;) I tried to start the wxPython demo which uses wxGLCanvas, but it complained about not finding glut32.dll

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re: Pyro, Python Robotics Pyro
by Arthur 11 Aug '03

11 Aug '03

Jason writes - >Pyro is a library, environment, graphical user interface, and low-level >drivers to explore AI and robotics using the Python language. Getting Pyro up and running seems like a job, even on Linux. Not sure it is even a possibility on Windows. I had checked the news group, and saw some indication of limitations of functionality under Windows. On the other hand, it does seem like a very interesting project. Perhaps I will continue my penance for being such a pain-in-the -ass by taking a crack at seeing what would be involved in making Pyro more accessible to your average schmo. Not unselfish. This schmo would like to be getting a hands on look at it in any case. Art

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Re: [Visualpython-users] re: Close, but no cigar
by Arthur 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

Bruce, a theorectical: I am a student at another University. And no computer guru myself. But I am also in a class working with Python, to study scientific and computational issues. [Not so theoretical, really. There are many such programs, using a variety of add-on modules with Python]. I follow instructions at the beginning of the semester, and have everything running I am supposed to have running. Wasn't very hard. Later on, for an independent project, I want to explore doing some visualization. VPython is a good starting point, I hear. Its for mortals. When its comes to computers, I am very much so. Download it, and its up and running easily. Nice. But it turns out its not quite what I need. Its too hard for me, in fact to understand on my own. Better try something easier. Let's keep things in good order. ControlPanel -> Add and Remove Programs -> VPython -> confirm remove. Back to where I was. Yikes. Nothing's running. Nothing I did this semester works anymore. My programs can't find something or other. Depending on the user, and the error messages he is getting, he may or may not be able to diagnose the fact that for some crazy reason, installing and uninstalling VPython has blown away his pre-existing Numeric installation. Which *his* professor had him download 2 1/2 month ago. And which as far as he knew, had nothing to do with VPython (because it doesn't). So it might not be an easy diagnose. Bruce? Too theoretical? Why do you think so? Art

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re: Close, but no cigar
by Arthur 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

Also as to the VPython distro: Guido has unambigiously stated a strong preference that IDLE start in interactive mode. (He can correct me if I am wrong). >From my point of view, as the stated preference of the Developer of IDLE (not the BDFL) , I would and will respect that preference. Bruce simply does not see any significance to the interactive prompt. Incredibly. He states so repeatedly. The VPython distro - despite, I think, Bruce knowing full well Guido 's preference - imposes his own preference on the One And Only IDLE, over Guido's. So after the VPython install, the One and Only IDLE starts up as a text editor. And will do so forever for any user who does not understand the fact that there is an ability to reset the default back to where it started - Interactive Mode. In other words, precisely the user for whom Guido, it seems to me, feels it important that the Interactive Mode be default. Guido wrote the foundation code. David Scherer, Kurt Kaiser , and others made significant contributions to its development. Bruce - always, it seem to me, for good reason - pisses me off. Art

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leglet for ziggy
by Jason Cunliffe 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

Here's a nice one.. An interactive Java applet designed to optimize the leg linkage for a robot named Ziggy http://www.gotrobots.com/ziggy/linkage/ Experiments by dragging all the points around :-) http://www.gotrobots.com/ziggy/main.shtml http://www.gotrobots.com/ziggy/leg_design.shtml

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EVBU -- An Open Source 68HC11 Simulator
by Jason Cunliffe 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

EVBU is written in pure Python and uses the wxPython graphical framework. http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/~steriana/Python/evbudoc.html Introduction The Motorola 68HC11 is a popular microcontroller and several evaluation boards are available (including Motorola's original board, known as the EVBU) for exploring the capabilities of this microcontroller. This software is a 68HC11 simulator that emulates many aspects of an EVBU with a 68HC11 running the BUFFALO monitor program. The user interface to EVBU is similar (but not identical) to what a user would experience using a terminal program connected to the EVBU hardware. EVBU is free software licensed under the terms of the GPL. In addition to a command-line emulation of BUFFALO, the EVBU software provides a logic-analyzer-like interface to the 68HC11 port pins. This allows you to view output waveforms and to construct and view input stimulus waveforms. The main goal of the EVBU software is to aid in the understanding of the 68HC11 and of various concepts in digital systems. It is not the goal of EVBU to be a fast, complete, all-singing-all-dancing simulator (investigate THRSim11 or UMPS if you are looking for one). Only some of the 68HC11 peripherals are implemented. Thus, EVBU is intended mostly as a teaching tool, although it is a fairly capable simulator. The execution speed is on the order of 500X real time for an 8 MHz 68HC11. That is, it takes about 500 seconds to simulate 1 second of real time (on a 1 GHz Pentium processor). Improving the speed of the simulator is not a major goal of the project. EVBU is written in pure Python and uses the wxPython graphical framework. http://claymore.engineer.gvsu.edu/~steriana/Python/evbudoc.html

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example brain for collecting images from a robot as it moves around
by Jason Cunliffe 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

http://emergent.brynmawr.edu/pyro/?page=PyroModuleVision from pyro.brain import Brain import time def saveListToFile(ls, file): for i in range(len(ls)): file.write(str(ls[i]) + " ") file.write("\n") def scaleList(ls, maxval): for i in range(len(ls)): ls[i] = ls[i] / (1.0 * maxval) return ls class SampleImages(Brain): def setup(self): self.getRobot().startService("V4LCamera") self.camera = self.getRobot().getService("V4LCamera") print "done initializing camera" #to save image data in a nnet ready format, uncomment the following line #self.cameradat = open("camera.dat", "w") self.count = 0 def step(self): if self.count < 10: self.camera.update() image = self.camera.getShrunkenImage(xscale = 0.5, mode = 'sample') #to save image data in a nnet ready format, uncomment the following line #saveListToFile(scaleList(image.data, 255), self.cameradat) #to save image data as ppm files, uncomment the following line image.saveToFile("image%d.ppm" % self.count) self.wander(0.9) time.sleep(0.3) self.getRobot().stop() self.count += 1 print "step", self.count else: print "done collecting samples" self.getRobot().stop() #to save image data in a nnet ready format, uncomment the following line #self.cameradat.close() self.pleaseStop() def wander(self, minSide): robot = self.getRobot() front = robot.get('range', 'value', 'front', 'min')[1] left = robot.get('range', 'value', 'front-left', 'min')[1] right = robot.get('range', 'value', 'front-right', 'min')[1] if front < minSide: robot.move(0,-0.3) elif left < minSide: robot.move(0,-0.3) elif right < minSide: robot.move(0,0.3) else: robot.move(0.2, 0) def INIT(engine): return SampleImages('SampleImages', engine)

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Pyro, Python Robotics Pyro
by Jason Cunliffe 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

Pyro is a library, environment, graphical user interface, and low-level drivers to explore AI and robotics using the Python language. Features OpenGL visualization of robot and sensors Open source - available for study, or changing Designed for students, and researchers Works on many real robotics platforms and simulators Extensive algorithms includes behavior-based, vision (motion tracking, blobs, etc.), learning (back-propagation, self-organizing maps, etc.), evolutionary, and more. http://emergent.brynmawr.edu/pyro/?page=Pyro

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Beyond LEGOs
by Jason Cunliffe 10 Aug '03

10 Aug '03

Here's a 2 year robotics project using Python [Project Duration: January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2005] http://www.cs.brynmawr.edu/BeyondLegos/ Seems there are/were openings in the grant for pilot schools.. How to Become a Pilot School http://www.cs.brynmawr.edu/BeyondLegos/PilotProgram/HowTo.html - Jason

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