Book Image

Python 2.6 Graphics Cookbook

By : Michael J Ohlson
Book Image

Python 2.6 Graphics Cookbook

By: Michael J Ohlson

Overview of this book

Python is a great object-oriented and interactive programming language that lets you develop graphics, both static and animated, using built-in vector graphics functions that are provided with Python. Python 2.6 Graphics Cookbook is a collection of straightforward recipes and illustrative screenshots for creating and animating graphic objects using the Python language. This book makes the process of developing graphics interesting and entertaining by working in a graphic workspace without the burden of mastering complicated language definitions and opaque examples. If you choose to work through all the recipes from the beginning, you will learn to install Python and create basic programs for making lines and shapes using the built-in Tkinter module. The confusing topic of color manipulation is explored in detail using existing Python tools as well as some new tools in the recipes. Next you will learn to manipulate font size, color, and placement of text as placing text exactly where you want on a screen can be tricky because font height, inter-character spacing, and text window dimensions all interfere with each other. Then you will learn how to animate graphics, for example having more than one independent graphic object co-exist and interact using various Python methods. You will also learn how you can work with raster images, such as converting their formats using the Python Imaging Library. Next you will learn how you can combine vector images with raster images so that you can animate the raster images with ease. You will also walk through a set of recipes with the help of which you can handle and manipulate blocks of raw data that may be hundreds of megabytes in size using datastreams, files, and hard drives. You will also learn how you can use Inkscape to dismantle existing images and use parts of them for your own graphics and Python programs. At the end of the book you will learn how you can create GUIs for different purposes.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
Python 2.6 Graphics Cookbook
Credits
About the Author
About the Reviewers
Preface
Index

Introduction


This book is a collection of code recipes for creating and animating graphic objects using the marvelous Python language. In order to create and manipulate graphic objects, Python makes use of the Tkinter module. The prerequisite for using Python and Tkinter is obviously to have both installed. Both are free and Open Source and instructions for obtaining and installing them are abundantly available on the web. Just Google phrases like "install Python" and you will be spoilt for choice.

Our first task is to prove that Python and Tkinter are installed and working on our computer. In this book, we use Python version 2.6. Python 3.0 which came out in 2010 requires some changes in syntax that we won't be using in this book.

Let's look at some simple tests to check if Python is installed. If we download and install Python on Windows, it automatically includes Tkinter as one of the essential modules so we do not need to acquire and install it separately.