[Visualpython-users] vpython and ode solvers

[Gary <pa...@in...>]

I've been wondering if there would be a programming, accuracy, or 
performance benefit to using a fancy ode solver with vpython rather than 
the canonical v = v + F/m * dt especially as the number of objects 
grows.  My thinking was that I could call the solver once per "frame" 
(say, 1/30 sec), solve for all of the variables all at once, and perhaps 
have better accuracy, and perhaps get more objects into the simulation.

I began to experiment with scipy's odeint, and got some demos working.  
I ran across some instabilites that I tracked down, but before going any 
further I thought I'd ask:

Does this seem worth the effort?

Is there something I haven't considered that dooms this idea?

Has someone already done this?

The instablilty I found is related to in the way odeint (LSODA??) 
manages the independent variable.  I'd like to look at other solvers.  
Any suggestions?  In particular I'd like to look at a 4th order 
Runge-Kutta solver, but  the only RK4s that I've found are written in 
python.  Does anyone know where there's a python-wrapped C or Fortran RK 
solver?

Thanks,
Gary