ANN: Python Computer Graphics Kit v1.0beta2

[Matthias Baas]

The second beta release of the Python Computer Graphics Kit is
available at http://cgkit.sourceforge.net

What is it?
-----------

The kit is a collection of Python modules that contain the basic types
and functions required for creating 3D computer graphics images. The
kit includes several new types such as vectors, matrices and
quaternions. It contains a binding for Pixar's RenderMan interface
which is a renderer independent API to communicate 3D data to
renderers which will finally produce a 2D image. There are already
several RenderMan compliant renderers freely available (they are not
part of the kit). The kit also includes some of the functionality from
the RenderMan Shading Language which enables you to create procedural
models or textures from within Python.

Even though the kit focuses on RenderMan, the new types or the
Shading Language functionality can also be used for other rendering
mechanism such as OpenGL or other renderers such as POV-Ray.

The kit should run on any platform where Python (and a C/C++ compiler)
is available. Windows users can download a binary version for Python
2.1 or Python2.2.

What's new?
-----------

The noise module is far more complete than before. In addition to the
normal noise function there's a periodic noise function and a
cellnoise function which is constant between integer points. All
functions also have a vector version that return a vector instead of a
single float.

There has also been a small bugfix in the RenderMan binding 
concerning CSG, and a few other minor modifications (see the
changelog).

The kit should also compile under Linux now (the noise module couldn't
be imported in the previous version).

For more information, visit:

http://cgkit.sourceforge.net


- Matthias -