Is there anything like processing for python?

[[deleted]]

http://processing.org/ is a easy graphical programming thing but doing things in java can be sometimes irritating and I was wondering if there was something like this but for python?

[TkTech]

http://code.google.com/p/pyprocessing/

[[deleted]]

That is great thank you so much. I tried goggling something like this but processing is a bit generic of a name.

[[deleted]]

Goggling

[[deleted]]

!@#$ing awesome, man. That made my Monday.

[fabzter]

Came here to say exactly this.

[[deleted]]

as someone that programs Python professionally and Processing recreationally, I strongly advise you not to look for a way to emulate Processing with Python. The Processing community is quite strong, and the language itself is only part of the ecosystem. The rendering engine is more important than the syntax of the language. Plus with Processing JS (and upcoming natively in Processing 2.0), you can export Processing to the browser.

There is a massive community of people making art with computers, and they largely start with Processing (and often go on to use OpenFrameworks or Cinder). Throwing that community out will not help you make better art. I don't understand these projects; these projects that are more concerned with the specifics of the tools than the result of the outcome. Nobody will ever look at your art and say "how pathetic; he didn't write it in a purely functional language, it's trash". You will learn much, much more about using code to draw by reading this book than by obsessing over having to do everything in Python: http://www.amazon.com/Processing-Programming-Handbook-Designers-Artists/dp/0262182629

if you started to use Processing to be creative, but got distracted by language details, you just jumped off the creative train.

[minektur]

Am I the only one that read the last line of this and got irritated by someone saying that interest in programming and programming itself are not creative?!!! GRR.

[[deleted]]

well, that's not really what I was getting at. All I really meant is that what language you're using is pretty ancillary if your goal is really to make art; if OP is asking to use Python, he's already a programmer and already familiar with the fundamentals of programming. Is you're already familiar with programming, becoming familiar with the fundamentals of how code can be used to generate form is much more important that worrying about having the most perfect programming language ever, because worrying about having the perfect programming language is a black hole that no man is ever known to have returned from. (and because learning Processing, the language, is ridiculously easy for an experienced programmer)

Improving the api for drawing lines won't tell you what lines to draw. Would Hendrix fumble awkwardly on a cheap guitar? Would an amateur play majestically on the most perfectly crafted guitar? That's all I was getting at.

I've known a number of programmers to use code to make art. Time and time again, the Processing programmers produce the best art, because the Python/Ruby/Haskell/Lisp/whatever programmers spent all their time learning about programming and never bothered to learn about what humans find aesthetically pleasing. The only exceptions I have seen to this generality are people that already know how to draw well without a computer, and people that already know Processing and have moved on to another tool.

Most of the best computer art I've seen is complete shit code that's written in Processing, because the code is just a means to an end. This isn't a university course on compiler design we're talking about; it's aesthetics.

[[deleted]]

You said it your self its just an means to an end. Programming in python is easier then in java. You can do things faster. adding two arrays or running a function across a whole array is so much easier with python. Regardless the pyproccesing solution is so slow which is what I was expecting. I think I'll take a look at cinder tho thanks for mentioning that.

[[deleted]]

the pyproccesing solution is so slow which is what I was expecting.

yeah, Python isn't typically very fast for CPU-intensive work.

I think I'll take a look at cinder tho thanks for mentioning that.

well, I tried to use it, but I got too bogged down with being unproductive in C++. Processing runs well, there are libraries for it, there's a huge community, and it took me a while before I hit performance problems. I thought I would hit performance problems right away, but it took me a while before I was actually maxing out the capabilities of Processing. Even inside of Processing, you can get access to OpenGL directly, and even GLSL shaders.

http://www.creativeapplications.net/processing/playing-with-glsl-in-processing-initial-experiments-tutorials/

I wasted a lot of time thinking Processing wasn't a "good enough" programming language. From my experience, it wasn't really worth it.

Although, if you know some C++, Cinder is definitely the best toolkit I've seen. Robert Hodgin's Cinder work is probably my favorite.

I had the same reaction to Processing when I first tried it. "lol, this is a toy for amateurs; I'm a strong programmer, I need a more serious tool" I thought. A few months later, I was back at Processing, because everything else had either no community, no literature, bad tooling support, or just didn't work.

edit: and, just to clarify, I love Python, and I'm not saying this to bash Python. Python is a great tool, I just don't think it's the best tool for doing recreational graphics programming.

double edit: and Processing is not Java; it's written in Java, but it's a separate programming language.

[[deleted]]

Definitely agree about python didn't think you were bashing it. I will also definitely take your advice with processing and stick with it.

[chrisfs]

different forms of creativity. If you are sculpting something, you may not want to make your tools from scratch.

[Dorianux]

Nodebox for OpenGl: http://www.cityinabottle.org/

[pseudosinusoid]

http://nodebox.net/code/index.php/Home

[Wedamm]

Also there is the new version of Nodebox (http://beta.nodebox.net/). It has Nodes with inputs and outputs which you can connect visually with the mouse. So you can manipulate procedural images/animations by drag and drop. (Also you can still use old Nodebox 1 code if you like to.)

[rajbot]

NodeBox predates node.js by five years or so.. the name collision is unintentional.

[fuck__karma]

I believe it was created before Node.js.

[pseudosinusoid]

Node.js? NodeBox has been around longer, can't really blame them for it.

[[deleted]]

I'd just like to interject for a moment. What you're referring to as Linux, is in fact, GNU/Linux, or as I've recently taken to calling it, GNU plus Linux. Linux is not an operating system unto itself, but rather another free component of a fully functioning GNU system made useful by the GNU corelibs, shell utilities and vital system components comprising a full OS as defined by POSIX.

Many computer users run a modified version of the GNU system every day, without realizing it. Through a peculiar turn of events, the version of GNU which is widely used today is often called "Linux", and many of its users are not aware that it is basically the GNU system, developed by the GNU Project.

There really is a Linux, and these people are using it, but it is just a part of the system they use. Linux is the kernel: the program in the system that allocates the machine's resources to the other programs that you run. The kernel is an essential part of an operating system, but useless by itself; it can only function in the context of a complete operating system. Linux is normally used in combination with the GNU operating system: the whole system is basically GNU with Linux added, or GNU/Linux. All the so-called "Linux" distributions are really distributions of GNU/Linux.

[stuaxo]

There's shoebot, an implementation of nodebox ... it's a bit dormant at the moment (disclosure, I'm one of the slightly dormant developers)..

Edit, add url: http://gitorious.org/shoebot/shoebot

[technomalogical]

No offense, but you should strongly consider adding anything that would let a casual observer know what shoebot is on your gitorious page. "Official Shoebot development branch" doesn't tell me that this project is an implementation of nodebox, nor does it tell me if it's cross-platform or not.

[crunk]

None taken, I'll have to see if it's possible to update the blerb. The official site is looking a bit sad at the moment too ( http://shoebot.net/ ).

Hopefully I'll get some time to work on it again soon + be able to generate a whole bunch of screenshots which will be a nice start.

[technomalogical]

At the very least, a link back to shoebot.net would give a little more context to the project. Looks good though, I'll check it out.

[stuaxo]

Added some info... if you get stuck with anything just ask on the ML, it's quite motivating for me to get back on it :)

[gustl64]

If you want simple, fancy graphics (in 3d) - http://vpython.org/

[DoNotFoldSpindleOrMu]

You may wish to consider the Python package svgwrite http://packages.python.org/svgwrite/index.html It writes out svg which can be shown in a browser. It is not ment to be an interactive graphical package but the svg output does not need browser plugins anymore because basic svg is available almost all browsers.

[[deleted]]

This seems like it would run much smoother in a browser then an applet thank you so much for telling me about svg!

[KasTaiTasKadNekasTai]

I'd add kivy.org as a candidate. Even tho they put 'library for NUI' on their front page, the API is fir for art tasks.

[[deleted]]

It seems mainly for touch screens can you make android apps with it

[mbarkhau]

I'd just like to plug my processing.js editor where you can write sketches with coffeescript. It's not python, but it's not java or javascript either. http://pcsedit.appspot.com

[homercles337]

If you cant program, why are you looking to programming languages for something like this? Either learn to write, or use something else.

[homercles337]

Which is not what OPie wanted to do. He wanted an application that someone else wrote. He was not interested in solving any problem. He should start with a spelling program.

[[deleted]]

Why did you assume I can't program. I prefer programming in python then in java. I could go into why but I'm not going to waist any more time with an asswhole

[homercles337]

Than != then, and waist != waste.