[Visualpython-users] "WinPyVisual" complete

[Arthur <ajs...@op...>]

As a step towards an "all_in_one" Windows distribution of PyGeo, I have a
draft of a working all_in_one version of VPython available.

As it currently exists, it is a zip file of < 1.2 meg that can be unzipped
anywhere in the directory tree. It includes a scaled down ScITE.  Fire up
ScITE, go to the "demos" sub-directory, open up any of the usual  VPython
demos - see proviso as to Tkinter below -  hit F5 and the demo will run.  No
other python, Numeric, or other files (other than normally present Windows
dlls) are assumed to be present on the machine.

If a distribution along these lines is to be developed, it would be simple
to do it using a simple Windows installer to add icons, start files,
licenses, etc.

Also, for demonstration purposes, I have available another zip file with a
bounce2.exe file and the minimal support files it needs to run.  Doubleclick
and the bounce2 demo runs. It was built using py2exe in conjunction with
distutils. Bounce2.exe is about 200k and includes all the Python files
(including a version of the interpreter itself) needed to run VPython files,
except for the following rquired dlls:

python22.dll
umath.pyd
multiarray.pyd
_numpy.pyd
_sre.pyd
cvisual.pyd

What I think is potentially interesting about this facility, as a one trick
in the toolchest, is the ability to demonstrate one's work to others without
asking them to do anything major in terms of an installation on their
machine.  Assuming they at least have access to a Windows machine, if they
are given the above listed dlls in a directory, any VPython constructions
then built as .exe will run as an executable from that directory.  I include
in the zip the simple required setup.py and a .bat file to run which -
assuming one downloads py2exe (there is a Windows installer for it) - will
create, with minimal editing,  an executable out of any VPython script.

With Bruce's permission (and some instructions on how to do so) , I will
make these files available.

Art

FWI, the PyGeo situation is a little more complicated in that it requires
TkInter.  But its quite doable, just adds a little more bulk to the
distribution.

Do any of the VPython demos rely on Tk?  If so, those will not run
successfully with the "distribution" in its present form.