Resources for teaching programming for artists, designers and architects

Python on the Landscape of Programming Tools for Design and Architectural Education

This page was originally made to host data from this paper, that presented an earlier version of the table below:

VILLARES, A. B. A., & MOREIRA, D. (2017). Python on the Landscape of Programming Tools for Design and Architectural Education. Presented at the SIGRADI 2017, Concepcíon, Chile.

Extended table of Hosts, Platforms & Languages

SORTABLE VIEW OF THE TABLE

CSV on GitHub

raw CSV

About the table contents: (inclusion criteria)

Drawing or 3D modeling software that embeds a scripting language on the user interface or allows automation with a very limited number of steps between programming and code execution.

Tools aimed at teaching programming in a visual or graphic context.

[Ad hoc: tools that have shown potential for teaching in a visual or graphic context.]

After updating a few times the data from the earlier table, work started on compiling the other tables below.

Processing + Python tools table

Name	Processing features	based on (& Python version)	Python standard library	libraries ecosystem	main features	main limitations
Processing Python Mode (the “reference implementation” for comparison)	Processing 3 Java	Jython (Python 2)	complete	Java & Processing Java	Available inside Processing IDE, very Processing 3 compatible	no web sharing/deployment, no modern Python 3 libs, not working with Processing 4, needs a new maintainer
py5✱	Processing 4 Java graphics via JPype	Python 3	complete	Python & Processing Java	truly Python 3 compatible for libraries, can be used on Jupyter notebooks, same core capabilities as Processing 4 Java	New snake_case names, experimental, maybe some Processing Java libraries might not work
p5py	a new inplementation based on OpenGL (incomplete), and will add Skia backend	Python 3	complete	Python only	truly Python compatible, no Java/JVM dependency	New snake_case names, experimental, still incomplete, no access to Processing Java libraries
pyp5js✱ (pyodide or transcrypt mode)	p5.js	Python 3 via Pyodide or Transcrypt	complete	Python, JavaScript & p5.js	web ready sketches & editor, very p5.js compatible & pyodide makes it very Python compatible	Experimental, still incomplete, p5.js features (as opposed to Processing Java/Python modes)
Proceso	p5.js	Python 3 via Pyodide	complete	Python, JavaScript & p5.js	browser based sketches & very p5.js compatible, Python compatible,, names similar to py5	p5.js features (as opposed to Processing Java/Python modes)
SkulptIDE and trinket.io	ProcessingJS	Skulpt (Python 2, going to 3 now)	partial	unknown, possibly JavaScript	very nice web IDE, browser based sketches	ProcessingJS is defunct; not extensible
BrythonIDE and p5py.com	p5.js	Brython (Python 3)	fairly complete	JavaScript & p5.js	browser IDE, browser based sketches & very p5.js compatible	p5.js features (as opposed to Processing Java/Python modes)

✱ these are the ones I’m using most!

More FLOSS + Python options to explore

3D

FreeCAD — Your own 3D parametric modeler
- It has great a Python interactive console, bult-in editor (macro panel) and can also be used for 2D
Blender — Blender’s Python API
Ursina — A 3D game engine based on the Panda3D framework
trimesh — A Python library to work with 3D meshes. Can be used on Jupyter Notebooks and integrates well with py5
CADQuery & CQ-Editor — A Python parametric CAD scripting framework
PyPlasm — Python version of the PLASM 3D modeling functional language
VPython — A 3D programming environment for Python
sdfCAD — A Python library to generate 3D meshes based on SDFs (Signed Distance Functions)
OpenSCAD + Python tools:

2D

ShoeBot — A great creative coding environment designed for making vector graphics and animations
- Related to the DrawBot/NodeBox1/PlotDevice family of tools. See also drawbot-skia (a new implemetation of DrawBot)
pyxel — A retro game engine for Python.
pygame-zero — A zero-boilerplate games programming framework for Python 3, based on Pygame.
guizero — A really easy Python GUI library (based on Tkinter).
Bezmerizing — Allison Parrish’s wonderful tiny library.
- based on Flat — Generative infrastructure for Python.
PageBot — Scriptable page layout, vector graphics and typography environment.
Pero — A unified Python API for multiple drawing backends.
generativepy — Generative art and graphing library based on PyCairo.
vsketch — A plotter-centric Python generative art toolkit.

Books and references

The py5 tutorial series: intro to py5 and python
Tristan Bunn’s Learn Pyhon Visually and other wonderful resources, including Processing.py in Ten Lessons and the thonny-py5mode plugin EN
Allen Downey’s Think Python 2e EN / Pense em Python 2e PT
Al Sweigart’s Automate the Boring Stuff and many other open resources EN
Jake VanderPlas’ Whirlwind Tour of Python EN
My own open resources for teaching, in Portuguese Introdução à programação com Python em um contexto visual PT

Please consider feedback, colaboration by means of pull requests, and/or a small donation!

Alexandre Villares