An Artist's Guide to Programming: A Graphical Introduction

by Jim Parker

Overview

Learn to program with visual examples. Programs increase in complexity as you progress — from drawing a circle to 3D graphics, animations, and simulations.

A Graphical Introduction to Programming teaches computer programming with the aid of 100 example programs, each of which integrates graphical or sound output. The Processing-language-based examples range from drawing a circle and animating bouncing balls to 3D graphics, audio visualization, and interactive games.

Readers learn core programming concepts like conditions, loops, arrays, strings and functions, as well as how to use Processing to draw lines, shapes, and 3D objects. They’ll learn key computer graphics concepts like manipulating images, animating text, mapping textures onto objects, and working with video. Advanced examples include sound effects and audio visualization, network communication, 3D geometry and animation, simulations of snow and smoke, predator-prey populations, and interactive games.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781718501645
Publisher:	No Starch Press
Publication date:	06/07/2022
Pages:	248
Product dimensions:	8.06(w) x 10.00(h) x 0.74(d)

About the Author

Jim Parker is a professor, author, and artist. He has published a dozen books and over 170 technical papers, and also writes short stories. He has degrees in mathematics and computer science, and holds a PhD from the State University of Ghent, Belgium. Parker has exhibited generative art and even sent art into space.

Table of Contents

Author's Note xi

Introduction xiii

The Basics of a Programming Language: Processing xiv

The Beginning xv

The Middle xv

The Rest xvi

Variables xvi

How to Write a Program xvii

Part 1 The Fundamentals of Drawing 1

Sketch 1 A Circle 2

Example A 2

Example B 2

Example C 2

Sketch 2 Colors 4

Example A 4

Example B 4

Sketch 3 If Statements-Changing Colors Conditionally 6

Example A 6

Example B 6

Example C 6

Sketch 4 Loops-Drawing 20 Circles 8

Example A 8

Example B 8

Sketch 5 Lines 10

Example A 10

Example B 10

Sketch 6 Arrays-Drawing Many Circles 12

Sketch 7 Lines with Rubber Banding 14

Sketch 8 Random Circles 16

Sketch 9 A Rectangle 18

Sketch 10 Triangles and Motion 20

Sketch 11 Displaying Text 22

Sketch 12 Manipulating Text Strings 24

Part 2 Working with Preexisting Images 27

Sketch 13 Loading and Displaying an Image 28

Example A 28

Example B 28

Sketch 14 Images-Theory and Practice 30

Example A 30

Example B 30

Sketch 15 Manipulating Images I-Aspect Ratio 32

Example A 32

Example B 32

Sketch 16 Manipulating Images II-Cropping 34

Sketch 17 Manipulating Images III-Magnifier 36

Sketch 18 Rotation 38

Example A 38

Example B 38

Sketch 19 Rotating About Any Point-Translation 40

Example A 40

Example B 40

Sketch 20 Rotating an Image 42

Sketch 21 Getting the Value of a Pixel 44

Sketch 22 Setting and Changing the Values of Pixels 46

Example A 46

Example B 46

Sketch 23 Changing the Values of Pixels-Thresholding 48

Sketch 24 User-Defined Functions 50

Sketch 25 Elements of Programming Style 52

Sketch 26 Duplicating Images-More Functions 54

Part 3 2D Graphics and Animation 57

Sketch 27 Saving an Image and Adjusting Transparency 58

Sketch 28 Bouncing an Object in a Window 60

Sketch 29 Basic Sprite Graphics 62

Sketch 30 Detecting Sprite-Sprite Collisions 64

Sketch 31 Animation-Generating TV Static 66

Sketch 32 Frame Animation 68

Example A 68

Example B 68

Sketch 33 Flood Fill-Filling in Complex Shapes 70

Part 4 Working with Text and Files 73

Sketch 34 Fonts, Sizes, Character Properties 74

Sketch 35 Scrolling Text 76

Sketch 36 Text Animation 78

Sketch 37 Inputting a Filename 80

Sketch 38 Inputting an Integer 82

Sketch 39 Reading Parameters from a File 84

Sketch 40 Writing Text to a File 86

Sketch 41 Simulating Text on a Computer Screen 88

Part 5 Creating User Interfaces and Widgets 91

Sketch 42 A Button 92

Sketch 43 The Class Object-Multiple Buttons 94

Sketch 44 A Slider 96

Sketch 45 A Gauge Display 98

Sketch 46 A Likert Scale 100

Sketch 47 A Thermometer 102

Part 6 Network Communications 105

Sketch 48 Opening a Web Page 106

Example A 106

Example B 106

Sketch 49 Loading Images from a Web Page 108

Sketch 50 Client/Server Communication 110

Part 7 3d Graphics and Animation 113

Sketch 51 Basic 3D Objects 114

Example A 114

Example B 114

Sketch 52 3D Geometry-Viewpoints, Projections 116

Sketch 53 3D Illumination 118

Sketch 54 Bouncing a Ball in 3D 120

Sketch 55 Constructing 3D Objects Using Planes 122

Sketch 56 Texture Mapping 124

Sketch 57 Billboards-Simulating a Tree 126

Sketch 58 Moving the Viewpoint in 3D 128

Sketch 59 Spotlights 130

Sketch 60 A Driving Simulation 132

Part 8 Advanced Graphics and Animation 135

Sketch 61 Layering 136

Sketch 62 Seeing the World Through a Window 138

Sketch 63 The PShape Object-A Rotating Planet 140

Sketch 64 Splines-Drawing Curves 142

Sketch 65 A Driving Simulation with Waypoints 144

Sketch 66 Many Small Objects-A Snowstorm 146

Sketch 67 Particle Graphics-Smoke 148

Sketch 68 Saving a Slate-A Spinning Propeller 150

Sketch 69 L-Systems-Drawing Plants 152

Sketch 70 Warping an Image 154

Part 9 Working with Sound 157

Sketch 71 Playing a Sound File 158

Sketch 72 Displaying a Sound's Volume 160

Sketch 73 Bouncing a Ball with Sound Effects 162

Sketch 74 Mixing Two Sounds 164

Sketch 75 Displaying Audio Waveforms 166

Sketch 76 Controlling a Graphic with Sound 168

Sketch 77 Positional Sound 170

Sketch 78 Synthetic Sounds 172

Sketch 79 Recording and Saving Sound 174

Part 10 Working with Video 177

Sketch 80 Playing a Video 178

Sketch 81 Playing a Video with a Jog Wheel 180

Sketch 82 Saving Still Frames from a Video 182

Sketch 83 Processing Video in Real Time 184

Sketch 84 Capturing Video from a Webcam 186

Sketch 85 Mapping Live Video as a Texture 188

Part 11 Measuring and Simulating Time 191

Sketch 86 Displaying a Clock 192

Sketch 87 Time Differences-Measuring Reaction Time 194

Sketch 88 M/M/1 Queue-Time in Simulations 196

Part 12 Creating Simulations and Games 199

Sketch 89 Predator-Prey Simulation 200

Sketch 90 Flocking Behavior 202

Sketch 91 Simulating the Aurora 204

Sketch 92 A Dynamic Advertisement 206

Sketch 93 Nim 208

Sketch 94 Pathfinding 210

Sketch 95 Metaballs-A Lava Lamp 212

Sketch 96 A Robot Arm 214

Sketch 97 Lightning 216

Sketch 98 The Computer Game Breakout 218

Sketch 99 Midpoint Displacement-Simulating Terrain 220

Part 13 Making Your Work Public 223

Sketch 100 Processing on the Web 224