[Tutor] graphics library for teaching Python

[Michael Mossey]

On Fri, Dec 21, 2018 at 9:15 AM Mike Barnett <mike_barnett at hotmail.com>
wrote:

> >There are two sub-topics I'm interested in - (1) graphics, as in drawing
> interesting pictures or art, or using diagrams for data visualization. (2)
> Simple games, with the use of sprites.
>
> Can you post some images of similar programs / graphics you are wanting to
> create?  It would be extremely helpful to see concrete "targets".  Then I
> can better inform you if PySimpleGUI is capable of doing what you seek.
>

I think PySimpleGUI might be a great fit.

I'm getting my ideas from projects way in the past, so I can't easily find
screenshots. But what I'm looking for is pretty easy to describe.

for graphics: "Capabilities similar to JavaScript canvas plus collision
detection."

In other words, basic text filling/stroking, basic shape and line and
Bezier curve filling/stroking, and then collision detection to make simple
games easier.

for GUIs: "Basic dialogs, buttons, labels, checkboxes, and integrated
canvas."

My students range a lot in age and ability. Youngest is 9th grade, ranging
upward to professionals who are looking to learn programming as a new skill
to use in the workplace or put on their resume.



>
> I've recently been writing more games using PySimpleGUI to see what's
> missing in the SDK, to determine new features that will help developers.
>
> For data visualization, there's Matplotlib and Pyplot, both integrate with
> PySimpleGUI very well.  Someone mentioned Turtle, it too integrates well by
> using a tkinter canvas.
>

By data visualization, I don't mean necessarily plotting. Matplotlib might
be an awkward fit.

I'm thinking of visualizing math processes, algorithms, and so forth. Say,
we animate a cubic curve changing shape while the coefficients change. Or
we animate the inner workings of a tic tac toe strategy algorithm by having
it draw a tic tac toe board with changing colors or shapes to represent
positions or calculations in progress. I don't mean something really
complicated. Just picture the simplest thing that makes sense.

Thanks for the other links to examples.

Mike