From: Bruce S. <Bru...@nc...> - 2007-11-10 19:00:59
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VPython 4.beta20 eliminates almost all Windows-specific code in favor of gtk2, so that the source code for Visual is nearly universal across all platforms (gtk2 was originally developed for creating graphics user interfaces on Unix but has been ported to Windows and Macintosh). This version works at least as well as 4.beta16 but does not address all issues on Windows. The version number was advanced from 4.beta16 to 4.beta20 as a marker that this represents a significant change. New to the Windows beta version: At the top of a graphics window is a new icon to change right-button dragging to "pan" rather than rotate (and another icon to switch back). There are also icons to exit the program, switch to or from full-screen mode, and reset to the original camera position (this reset option is not yet working). History: In late spring of 2006 Jonathan Brandmeyer completed the new version of VPython, with transparency, surface textures, and sophisticated lighting, based on gtk2. However, at that time it became evident that it was extraordinarily difficult to assemble all the components needed for gtk2-based development on Windows, so he wrote some Windows-specific code to substitute for the gtk2 code. In the intervening time, installers that are much easier to use have become available, which made it feasible to return to Brandmeyer's original vision of using one code base for all platforms. The necessary gtk2 run-time components have been bundled into the VPython 4.beta20 installer, so the end user doesn't have to install gtk2. There remain only two small Windows-specific files, wintimer.cpp and winrate.cpp, needed due to the absence on Windows of the gettimeofday routine found on Unix. It has always been the case that gtk2 was available on Mac OSX, that being a Unix-based operating system, but gtk2 connected to the X11 windowing system, which necessitated installing X11. There is a new and rather raw version of gtk2 for the Mac which connects to the native Quartz windowing system, and Steve Spicklemire is trying to build VPython on the Mac using this new gtk2 software. If he succeeds, installation on the Mac could be vastly simpler than it now is. Bruce Sherwood |
From: Martin C. <cos...@wa...> - 2007-11-10 23:52:11
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Bruce Sherwood wrote: [] > It has always been the case that gtk2 was available on Mac OSX, that > being a Unix-based operating system, but gtk2 connected to the X11 > windowing system, which necessitated installing X11. There is a new and > rather raw version of gtk2 for the Mac which connects to the native > Quartz windowing system, and Steve Spicklemire is trying to build > VPython on the Mac using this new gtk2 software. If he succeeds, > installation on the Mac could be vastly simpler than it now is. While we are waiting for the aqua version of gtk2 to mature, there is progress on the X11 front: In Mac OSX 10.5, X11 is installed by default. In addition, you don't need to set any DISPLAY environment variable any more, and you don't need to start X11. If you run any X11-based command like vpython from the Terminal.app command line, even remotely over ssh, X11 starts up automatically. -- Martin |