Skip to main content

PYTHON PROCESSING / Better late than never!

Only the other day, I started to look at Processing again. And I just realized it has Python mode!

MOMENT OF REALIZATION

I really SHOULD have taken Processing thing more seriously years ago. I practice and study Processing ON and OFF, depending on interest. Processing was particularly very popular around 2010. Still not dying today, not sure whether people are still using it or not. Lots of good books were written back then.

As Visual Artist, my attempt to start getting serious with programming started when I was looking at works from John Maeda. I have one of his digital art book, still inspiring and brilliant. I think his book and tool titled Design By Number (DBN) is one of books that encourage myself to try on programming. DBN is simple and interesting and the book is worth looking before one jumps into Processing. There is also another book about "Basics Programming" with lots of cartoon drawing of dragons, etc. It helps me to say to myself: "Ok, I should learn to code".

For beginner programmers, without any computer science education, Processing language might be a little bit hard to start, however, there are some really good books that help you.

Jump over the fear of programming and the language syntax, programming can be quite fun, especially with Processing. Without knowing the richness of Processing, one can start to:
- Draw some vector sketches, playing with shapes, fill, and stroke color --- just like Adobe Illustrator or Flash, but drawing using code.
- Have a bit of interactivity
- Create some generative "animations".

Along the way, I met (online) quite interesting and inspiring programmers such as:
- Daniel Shiffman
 http://shiffman.net

- Andrew Glassner
https://imaginary-institute.com/faqs.html

- aBe
http://funprogramming.org

PROCESSING AND PYTHON

Python language is my other attempt to do programming. Zed's "Learn Python The Hard Way" helps me to progress slowly. There are many other books too.

Python is also great for me, because I happened to use 3D softwares like Blender, Maya, Houdini, that has Python in it. More or less, I have to know a bit of Python.

Blender's Python is especially fantastic, I get a bit more familiar with it. I tried this Python and Processing thing today and it feels very familiar in every way!

( Upload Image: Failed Rejected by Server)

It's rather nice to have simpler language like Python to do Processing sketch. Let see if that's making much differences in Processing learning and actually draw some interactive stuff.

I am currently doing lots of Blender Noding and there is this part about OSC and I like how Processing handles "interaction" and "data piping". Processing can be very fast and interactive and lots of examples available. So it is going to be really helpful.

FUTURE OF FUTURE: PROCESSING AND SWIFT?

I think, before long, Swift language (from Apple) can be the language that everyone uses everyday. It feels very friendly somewhat, it feels a bit like Python and the old Processing language.

Having Swift Playground on iPad is a good start. But still need to rely on MacBookPro. There are already few apps that can do Processing on iPad like ProCoding.

ONE MORE THING: NODING AND CODING

Anyways, coding is still sometimes weird blank canvas on my head. Still a bit alien.

Sometimes, I wish that programming in Processing can have node interface as well. The best of everything. There is tool like NodeBox that is kind of having this, but NodeBox is not as popular as Processing.

I actually found NODING to be a good side learning. Add-On for Blender like Sverchok and Animation Nodes, written in Python, for doing procedural 3D modeling, animation in Blender, is actually great.

These days, we really have lots of open source programming tools like:
- Super Collider
- ChucK
- Scratch

Wolfram Language is also fun and can be powerful, unfortunately proprietry and paid language.

Oh well, I think I'll continue both NODING and CODING.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

WOLFRAM / Making Text With Rainbow Color

Continuing with my Wolfram Mathematica Trial Experience... I watched and went through some more Mathematica introduction videos, read lots of Mathematica documentation and also going through the Wolfram Lab Online again a few times. There are some major learning curves and Mathematica is a lot different from normal programming language. Sometimes there is a lot of interesting "shortcuts", say like: FindFaces[] , WordCloud[] . Sometimes I got a little confused on how one can do iterations. Normally FOR LOOP concept is introduced early, but in Wolfram, because everything is EXPRESSIONS and ENTITY (like OBJECTS), sometimes it gets quite quirky. Mind you I am still in the first impression and having to look at many tutorials. Lots of NEAT EXAMPLES from documentation, but sometimes I got lost. I found Wolfram to be really awesome with LIST and generating list. It's almost too easy when it works visually. I cannot explain them with my own words yet, but there are ...
Post a Comment
Read more

PYTHON / OpenCV, Recreate Uncanny Manga - Anime Style

Can you tell what it is? Computer Vision. Yesterday, I spend almost whole day exploring this opencv module using Python. What I discovered was revealing. Even at the very basic level, I could produce some interesting Image and Video manipulation using all the code collected from documentation and many, many blog tutorials. If you are a total noob like me, I am still getting used to knowing that the CV in OpenCV means Computer Vision! Actuallly, I recalled that I did try to get into OpenCV few years back ago, when I knew no Python and when Python opencv module was probably still early. It was all C++ code and it was a little bit too hard for me. I read a couple of books about opencv at the library, I did not understand a single thing. That was back then. Today, for strange reason, with a bit of knowledge of Python, I can go a little further. EDGE DETECT IN OPENCV Me holding you know what. What leads me this far is my curiosity on how we can replicate Wolfram Langu...
Post a Comment
Read more

ML / Using Turi Create for Machine Learning Style Transfer

A few days ago, I found out about "Turi Create" , basically a Python module, a tool from Apple that allows non-Apple computer user to generate MLM aka Machine Learning Model that can be integrated inside iOS app on iPhone and iPad. The cool thing about Turi Create is that you can also use it for your own purpose in processing data using Machine Learning. https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2018/712/ As an additional note, at WWDC 2018, Apple also presented XCode Playground tool for MacOS that allows user to easily generate this MLM model for all kind of purposes. The process is as simple as drag and drop for Image Classifier. It is quite fascinating and worth watching the video. STYLE TRANSFER From what I gather after a short research, there are a few applications of Machine Learning that we can use in application such as for Image Classification, Graphing, etc but one that interest me in particular is STYLE TRANSFER using Turi Create: https://apple.gith...
Post a Comment
Read more