Our research projects for summer 2011. To read the blog for any project, select it from the categories drop-down on the right.
Self-Disclosing Code
The self-disclosing code project added a self-disclosure feature to the Gimp so that whenever a user interacts with the software, a small window displays the underlying code that corresponds to their action. For example, if the user switches to the “Stars” brush in the GIMP, the self-disclosure system prints (context-set-brush “Stars”) in a Scheme environment or context.setBrush(“Stars”) in a Python environment. As users see these commands, we hope they will begin to associate specific coding expressions with desired results and eventually write their own procedures.
InkScript
The InkScript project added a Scheme console to InkScape, an open-source vector graphics editor. By adding InkScape as one of our Media Scripting applications, we hope to expand the variety of learning environments available to new users. Inkscape will demonstrate the capabilities of coding unique to vector graphics and allow users to compare their InkScape images with raster images produced with the Gimp.
MediaPython
The MediaPython project added a Python console to the Gimp so that users could script with Python instead of Scheme. Like the InkScript project, we hope this will enhance the versatility of Media Scripting and attract users interested in learning Python rather than Scheme.
