python for console game development, memory tracking

[Carl Banks]

Moosebumps wrote:
> 
> 
> When I have time, I am planning to evaluate Python for console game
> development (on Playstation 2, GameCube, and Xbox).  Does anyone have any
> experience with this?
> 
> Pretty much the only resource I have found, and the only thing that makes me
> think it might be possible is this:
> 
> http://asbahr.com/python.html
> 
> I would be interested to hear anybody's experience with Python on consoles.

I can't speak for Game Cube or XBOX, but I have a Playstation running
Linux, so I know a little.  I suspect Game Cube and XBOX have similar,
but less severe, concerns.  Of course, since my Playstation has Linux
and a big ol' hard drive, I am not constrained with memory as much as
a native PS2 game would be.

It seems that Python works just fine.  I was able to control graphics
straight from Python using Numeric and a little C wrapper, and it
worked pretty well.  It wasn't much of a demo, though, and of course
almost all of the graphics work would be done from C anyways.  I don't
have much more experience than a few graphics demos, though.

One thing that bothers me a little is that Python uses double
precision floats, but PS2 only supports single-precision natively.  I
suspect most calculation-type code would be done in C, though.


> Before I even begin investigating though, there is a major question I have:
> How can you track the memory usage of Python?  I would like to be able to
> track allocations by function / class, etc.  I have googled and seen a bunch
> of threads with 1 guy asking the same exact question that I am, and no
> responses, which leads me to believe it's very easy or not possible.  This
> would be dealbreaker unfortunately.  But I am optimistic that Python is well
> designed so there must be some solution.

You're right that memory is probably the biggest factor against Python
use, at least if you don't patch it.  If you use it for production
work, I don't think there's any way you'd be able to use Python's
regular memory allocation.  So, seeing that you'd have to use your own
memory allocation, you can keep track of the stuff yourself.  Or you
can use a library that works on PS2 and also does what you need.


-- 
CARL BANKS                      http://www.aerojockey.com/software
"If you believe in yourself, drink your school, stay on drugs, and
don't do milk, you can get work." 
          -- Parody of Mr. T from a Robert Smigel Cartoon