[Visualpython-users] Experimental 64-bit VPython for Windows based on wxPython

[Bruce S. <Bru...@nc...>]

On the Windows download page at vpython.org is an experimental VPython
based on the cross-platform library wxPython. It requires the 64-bit
version of Python 2.7 (link provided).

This experimental version differs from the older VPython (5.74 and before)
by eliminating nearly all platform-dependent code and by eliminating the
threading associated with rendering. This makes it possible for the first
time to run on 64-bit Python on the Mac and will simplify maintenance and
further development of VPython. It is also likely to make possible adding
standard buttons, menus, etc. to a window that contains a VPython scene.

The new version makes one essential change to the syntax of VPython
programs. Now, an animation loop MUST contain a rate statement, which
limits the number of loop iterations per second as before but also when
appropriate (about 30 times per second) updates the 3D scene and handles
mouse and keyboard events. Without a rate statement, the scene will not be
updated until and unless the loop is completed.

The heart of the user-interface code (creating windows and handling events)
is the file site-packages/visual_common/create_display.py. It is imported
by visual/__init__.py and by /vis/__init__.py; the difference is that for
convenience visual imports math and numpy, whereas vis doesn't.

Please report issues to the Github repository
https://github.com/BruceSherwood/vpython-wx, or to the VPython mailing list.

Steve Spicklemire is developing simplified installers for all platforms,
including Mac and Linux, which should be available in the near future. I've
posted a Windows installer using older tools, to offer people an early look
at the new VPython. A Python 3 version of wxPython has not yet been
released, so we can't yet produce a Python 3 version of VPython based on
wxPython.

Bruce Sherwood