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G E E K Y P R O J E C T S F O R T H E C U R I O U S P R O G R A M M E R M A H E S H V E N K I T A C H A L A M PY THON PL AYGROUND PY THON PL AYGROUND SHELVE IN: PROGRAMMING LANGUAGES/ PYTHON $29.95 ($34.95 CDN) Python is a powerful programming language that’s easy to learn and fun to play with. But once you’ve gotten a handle on the basics, what do you do next? Python Playground is a collection of imaginative programming projects that will inspire you to use Python to make art and music, build simulations of real-world phenomena, and interact with hardware like the Arduino and Raspberry Pi. You’ll learn to use common Python tools and libraries like numpy, matplotlib, and pygame to do things like: • Generate Spirograph-like patterns using parametric equations and the turtle module • Create music on your computer by simulating frequency overtones • Translate graphical images into ASCII art • Write an autostereogram program that produces 3D images hidden beneath random patterns • Make realistic animations with OpenGL shaders by exploring particle systems, transparency, and billboarding techniques • Construct 3D visualizations using data from CT and MRI scans • Build a laser show that responds to music by hooking up your computer to an Arduino Programming shouldn’t be a chore. Have some solid, geeky fun with Python Playground. A B O U T T H E A U T H O R Mahesh Venkitachalam is a software engineer with two decades of programming experience. He has nurtured a passion for technology since the eighth grade, which he channels into his popular electronics and programming blog, electronut.in. P R O G R A M M I N G B A C K I N P U T T H E F U N P R O G R A M M I N G B A C K I N P U T T H E F U N The projects in this book are compatible with Python 2 and 3. PY T HON PL AYGROUND PY T HON PL AYGROUND VE N K I T A C H AL A M www.nostarch.com THE FINEST IN GEEK ENTERTAINMENT ™ “I LIE FLAT.” This book uses a durable binding that won’t snap shut. www.allitebooks.com Python Playground www.allitebooks.com www.allitebooks.com Python Playground geeky Projects for the Curious Programmer by Mahesh Venkitachalam San Francisco www.allitebooks.com Python Playground. Copyright © 2016 by Mahesh Venkitachalam. All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the copyright owner and the publisher. First printing 19 18 17 16 15 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ISBN-10: 1-59327-604-4 ISBN-13: 978-1-59327-604-1 Publisher: William Pollock Production Editor: Serena Yang Cover Illustration: Josh Ellingson Interior Design: Octopod Studios Developmental Editor: William Pollock Technical Reviewers: Nicholas Kramer and Raviprakash Jayaraman Copyeditor: Kim Wimpsett Compositor: Kathleen Miller Proofreader: Paula L. Fleming Figure 8-4 was created by Fred Hsu (March 2005) and has been reproduced under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. For information on distribution, translations, or bulk sales, please contact No Starch Press, Inc. directly: No Starch Press, Inc. 245 8th Street, San Francisco, CA 94103 phone: 415.863.9900;