Re: [Visualpython-users] Philosophical question

[Ari H. <ahe...@an...>]

On Wed, 13 Dec 2000, David Scherer wrote:

> > That said, I don't see
> > 
> > a) why Python should be more portable than C. Python is written in C. 
> 
> Ari: If cvisual is so portable, why is the Linux version so far behind?

bwahahahahahah!

i *have* been working on visual. it just isn't checked in to cvs yet. i've
written a marvelous kernel filssystem module, supporting full unix semantics on
a disk carefully simulated to have the properties of a single-sided
single-density floppy drive (makes it real obvious if your cache is working
right).

i still need to get correct metadata locking and the cache implemented...due
friday at midnight.

i also wrote a lovely kernel for a little Sun with two megs of memory ... how
this is applicable to visual is less immediately obvious to me.

but the filesystem extensions should be a charming little addition to visual.

seriously, i do plan to get stuff done over break (i'll be in boston hacking
sash for IBM, but there's no reason i can't work on Visual some when i get
frustrated with sash).

> > b) why it should matter "as a pedagogical tool" how Visual is implemented. If
> > the internals were one extremely long PERL line, it shouldn't matter. The main
> > thing is the friendly Python API.
> 
> A graphics system implemented in an open and friendly manner would be an
> excellent tool for teaching the principles of graphics.  However, it
> shouldn't try to implement Visual's semantics, which are hard!  I would
> also suggest either a raytracer or a software scanline renderer (and
> that is in fact what is usually done in graphics courses).
> 

speaking of which, /me has been widely entertained by the various graphics
final projects, many of which have wonderful physical simulations. a lot of
raytracing going on. also, remember the motorcycle-racing game in Tron (it was
like nibbles where your worm is an infinitely-growing trail behind your
motorcycle)? it looked really cool in the 3d part of the movie. John Corwin is
writing it (on a sphere no less) ... it's quite fun.





ari