Python 3D Graphics Tutorial 1: Installation and Demonstration of Vpython

Introduction to 3D Graphics and Animations in Python

Overview of the Tutorial Series

• Paul McWhorter introduces the tutorial series focused on creating 3D graphics and animations using Python.

• Assumes viewers have basic familiarity with Python; recommends prior tutorials for beginners.

Development Environment Setup

• Visual Studio Code is chosen as the development environment for its user-friendly features.

• Viewers are directed to a previous lesson (lesson five) for installation and configuration guidance of Visual Studio Code.

Creating a New Project Folder

• A new folder named "v python" will be created to store all related programs, separating them from previous projects.

• Instructions provided on how to create and select the new folder within Visual Studio Code.

Installing VPython Library

• The importance of installing VPython, a library essential for 3D simulations, is emphasized.

• Steps outlined to open the terminal in Visual Studio Code for executing commands.

Using Pip for Installation

• Users must ensure they are using Python 3.9 or later, which includes pip by default.

• Command pip install vpython is demonstrated; this command downloads necessary packages for VPython functionality.

What Will Be Covered in This Series?

Learning Objectives

• Initial focus will be on creating static 3D objects before moving into animations.

• Future lessons will integrate Arduino data collection with VPython visualizations, enhancing real-world applications.

Example Application

• An example scenario is presented where temperature data from an Arduino can be visually represented through a dynamic thermometer graphic in VPython.

Starting Your First Program

Creating Your First File

• Instructions given on how to create a new Python program file named v_python_intro.py, highlighting best practices like avoiding spaces in filenames.

Getting Started with VPython

Initial Setup and Testing Python Installation

• The speaker creates a new Python program and checks if the installation was successful by importing the library. No errors indicate a correct installation.

Creating a 3D Sphere

• The speaker demonstrates how to create a 3D sphere using the VPython library, specifically calling vpython.sphere to generate the object.

Keeping the Animation Running

• To prevent an error from occurring when the program ends, a while True loop is introduced to keep the animation running indefinitely.

Launching in Browser

• When executed, the program opens in a default browser window displaying the created sphere. Users may encounter permission prompts from Windows that need approval.

Simplifying Code with Import Statements

• The speaker suggests an improved import method: from vpython import *, allowing direct access to functions like sphere without prefixing them with vpython.

Customizing Sphere Attributes

• Parameters can be added within parentheses when creating objects; for example, setting color using color=color.red. This allows for customization of visual attributes.

Managing Program Execution

• The importance of terminating previous instances of programs before rerunning is emphasized. Failure to do so can lead to conflicts during execution.

Dynamic Object Properties

• After creating an object, its properties can be modified dynamically. For instance, changing the sphere's color from red to blue after a delay using time.sleep() demonstrates this capability.

Creating and Manipulating 3D Objects in Programming

Introduction to Color and Animation

• The session begins with the creation of a ball object, initially set to blue, which changes color to green after a specified duration.

• The instructor demonstrates basic animation by changing the ball's color, emphasizing that the world consists of various objects beyond just spheres.

Creating a Box Object

• Transitioning from spheres to boxes, the instructor introduces a box object and assigns it a yellow color.

• After removing previous code related to the ball, the instructor runs the program to visualize the box.

Interactivity with 3D Objects

• The box appears as a square initially but can be manipulated into a 3D cube using right mouse clicks for rotation and zoom adjustments with the mouse wheel.

• The instructor discusses setting dimensions for objects, comparing them to real-world items like rulers.

Setting Dimensions for Realism

• Parameters such as length (12), width (1), and height (0.2) are defined to create an object resembling a ruler.

• An error occurs due to incorrect syntax; correcting it leads to another issue where brown is not recognized as a valid color.

Understanding 3D Coordinate System

• The discussion shifts towards understanding dimensions in 3D space: height corresponds to 'y', length corresponds to 'x', and width corresponds to 'z'.

• Emphasis is placed on visualizing these parameters correctly within programming contexts, reinforcing spatial awareness through practical examples.

Final Thoughts on Object Creation

• A successful visualization of the ruler confirms that proper parameter settings yield realistic representations in 3D space.

• Despite challenges with certain colors like brown, exploration continues into creating other shapes such as tubes or cylinders.

Creating 3D Shapes in Programming

Generating a Tube

• The program generates a tube with a radius of 1, but it initially runs off the edge of the page due to its positioning.

• The ruler's length is set to 12 inches, which fits within the scene's origin at the center, while the tube starts at the origin and extends beyond it.

Adjusting Dimensions

• To fit the tube on-screen, adjusting its length to 6 is suggested; however, this still results in an oversized appearance.

• Changing the tube's length to 1 successfully keeps it visible on-screen, demonstrating how dimensions affect visibility in programming environments.

Exploring Cylinder Properties

• A cylinder can be created with non-standard width and height values (e.g., width = 1 and height = 0.5), resulting in an extruded ellipse rather than a traditional cylinder shape. This showcases flexibility in defining shapes.

• The discussion highlights that creating various objects like balls, boxes, and cylinders helps understand their dimensional properties: length (x-direction), height (y-direction), and width (z-direction).

Creating a Wall Object

• Transitioning from basic shapes to more complex structures, a wall is defined as a box with specific dimensions: length = 10, height = 0.1, and width = 10. This illustrates practical applications of geometric shapes in programming contexts.

• An error occurs when attempting to use "gray" for color without proper parameters; switching to "white" resolves this issue and allows for successful rendering of the wall object on-screen.

Final Observations

• After adjustments are made for color parameters and dimensions, a large plate-like structure appears gray instead of white upon rendering—demonstrating unexpected outcomes during programming trials. This emphasizes learning through experimentation in coding practices.

3D Space Orientation and Wall Creation

Understanding 3D Coordinates

• The speaker introduces the concept of moving a wall in a 3D space, emphasizing the importance of understanding the x, y, and z axes.

• Position is defined as a vector requiring three numbers relative to the center of the scene, highlighting how to set coordinates for objects in 3D space.

Moving Objects in 3D Space

• The speaker demonstrates moving a wall down by five units along the y-axis while keeping x and z at zero, illustrating practical application of coordinate systems.

• After executing the command, it is confirmed that the wall has been successfully lowered to -5 on the y-axis, reinforcing spatial orientation concepts.

Creating Additional Walls

• Introduction of "wall two" as part of creating a room; this includes defining walls as floor and ceiling with specific positions based on their intended locations.

• The ceiling's position is set at (0, +5, 0), while ensuring no movement occurs along x or z axes. This establishes clear boundaries for room dimensions.

Building Room Structure

• Specifications for dimensions are provided: length = 10, height = 0.1, width = 10. This sets expectations for visual output when running code.

• Upon execution after correcting previous errors (killing old programs), a successful visualization of a room structure emerges.

Homework Assignment: Create Your Own Room

• Students are tasked with creating their own 3D room including floor, ceiling, left wall, right wall, and back wall without a front wall to maintain visibility into the room.

• Specific instructions include dimensions (10x10x10), thickness for walls (1 inch), and placing a red marble at the center as an additional challenge.

Encouragement for Exploration

• The speaker encourages experimentation with various shapes like boxes and spheres while adjusting colors and sizes to enhance learning experience.

• A preview of future lessons indicates that students will see solutions demonstrated next week while continuing to build upon foundational skills learned today.

Subscribe and Share for More Coding Lessons

Importance of Engagement

• The speaker encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel, emphasizing the importance of ringing the notification bell to receive updates on future lessons.

• A call to action is made for viewers to share the content on social media, highlighting a desire to increase interest in coding among a broader audience.

• The speaker expresses a need for more individuals engaging with coding tutorials rather than consuming less educational content, such as cat videos.

• Paul McQuarter identifies himself and his platform, TopTechBoy.com, reinforcing his authority and connection to the educational material being presented.

• The closing remarks aim to foster community engagement and encourage participation in learning opportunities.