[Edu-sig] re: programming for artists

[Jason Cunliffe]

Kirby. Yes thanks  All really good and true points.

It is not easy but I really believe there is a manageable middle ground
here. One worth exploring.

..would you really recommend starting to learn to fly by scripting a 747!
Wow I knew Python was cool but I didn't know Python could do that!! ;-)

No you might start with paper planes, kites, model gliders, perhaps a model
sailing boat.. work up. But that should not stop one looking at 747 and
asking - what is common aeronautic design patterns here?.. How does it fly?
Waht kind of control s does it have.. and then later perhaps boot a flight
simulator etc.. It seems to work for for American Airlines, Boing and NASA.

Meanwhile, please take a look at the sample Bucky Ball Generator script
which comes with Poser. It is crying out for your touch:

http://www.zope.org/Members/DaddyGravity/ContagiousFun/GeomBucky

./Jason


----- Original Message -----
From: "Kirby Urner" <pdx4d@teleport.com>
To: <Edu-sig@python.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 06, 2001 6:55 PM
Subject: Re: [Edu-sig] re: programming for artists


>
> Just wanted to input that I'm reading all these, have looked
> at the Zwiki, and am feeling somewhat overwhelmed.
>
> Python is one thing, but multimedia is a vast set of partially
> overlapping knowledge domains, each of which fills several
> shelves of books (we have Powell's Technical downtown, with its
> miles of only-technical books).
>
> You could probably write an API to the Boeing 747 in Python,
> such that you could go:
>
>      while instruments.Airspeedindicator.current() >= toofast:
>         controls.Throttle.setslower(1)
>
> It'd come with a really thick 3-ring binder.  But even though
> I could puzzle through the Python examples, I'd be clueless as
> to how to write a safe autopilot program, because I can't fly
> a 747, nor even a Cessna twin engine jobber.  Knowing Python
> doesn't get me any closer to having a pilot's license.
>
> When it comes to multimedia, I'm mostly overwhelmed by how
> little I know.  The fact that a lot of these tools have a Python
> API is encouraging, but I'm no closer to really understanding
> the core concepts.  That'll require a lot of study outside of
> Python per se.
>
> When it comes to multimedia, where I've gotten most focused is
> (a) working with Povray and (b) going through some of the NumTut
> and pygame type tutorials which expose graphics files as giant
> arrays you can manipulate using Numerical Python.  That makes
> some sense and starts to scratch the surface of a huge world.
> That's visual pixels.  About audio I know even less.  What's
> the format of an MP3 file?  I have no clue.  Would I like to
> learn?  Yes.  Will I be the one to write the book -- I suspect
> not.
>
> Kirby