Re: [Visualpython-users] Future directions

[Bruce S. <ba...@an...>]

--On Monday, October 16, 2000, 12:41 PM -0700 Dethe Elza
<de...@an...> wrote:

> Will there be an update to Python 2.0 when that is released?

Yes, we definitely want to track Python and stay current.

> Is there any support for texture mapping in the works?

Ari Heitner has expressed strong interest in implementing this. However, he
is also very busy with his computer science courses this semester, so
there's no date attached.

> How about support for custom lighting?

There was in the past some support, but it was not documented because Dave
Scherer wasn't quite happy with it. I'll ask him what is current view is on
this.

> Finally, not really a question but a comment.  I've also been reading
> about Kirby Urner's work with Python, using it to teach math
> (http://inetarena.com/~pdx4d/ocn/numeracy0.html).  He uses Python to write
> out povray files, but most of his examples would work great with VPython
> instead, and have much more immediacy (and I plan to tell him so on the
> EDU-SIG mailing list), but sometimes it's nice to do a static, ray-traced
> rendering.  If VPython were able to take a snapshot in povray format, that
> would be cool.

To make sure I understand the request, I think you're asking for an option
to write out a file in the form of a Povray "program" which could then be
processed by Povray to make a high-quality image. That would allow one to
use VPython as a fast prototyping environment. Makes sense. Probably not
high on our own list of priorities, but maybe someone will step forward to
implement such a thing if it is of general interest.

Bruce