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

Opening an image file and discovering its attributes


First we need to test if the PIL is loaded into the library where the rest of our Python modules are. The simplest way to test this is to try and open a file using the image_open() function of the Image module.

Getting ready

If the Python Imaging Library (PIL) is not already installed on our file system, and is ready and accessible to Python, we will need to find and install it. Tkinter is not needed for raster image processing. You will note that there are no from Tkinter import * and no root = tK() or root.mainloop() statements.

You can download PIL from http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/

This site contains source code, MS Windows installation executables, and handbooks in either HTML or PDF formats.

Note

One of the best explanatory documents on PIL is a PDF file at New Mexico Tech Computer Center http:// infohost.nmt.edu/tcc/help/pubs/pil.pdf. It is clear and concise.

In all the examples that follow in this chapter, all images that get...