Loading External PDE

rtavakko · July 2017

Hi guys, I have written an application using processing and I'd like to enable it to read PDE files that a user copies in the sketch folder. I've read some threads on using the Java classloader and also nested classes. The problem with classloader is that the user needs to compile a java or jar file and from what I understand a nested class doesn't quite work for this purpose since the nested sketch needs to be defined in the main application. Wanted to see if my understanding is correct and which thread is the latest and most suitable for this problem?

Cheers!

kfrajer · July 2017

I'd like to enable it to read PDE files that a user copies in the sketch folder

What do you do with the PDE files? Do you want to load them and display them by your application or do you want to be part of your sketch? Any pde file within your sketch folder will be loaded in separate tabs and all these pde files will be treated as a single pde file by the Processing IDE.

Maybe this next link could be relevant: http://forum.happycoding.io/t/how-to-make-a-processing-showcase/83/5

Kf

jeremydouglass · July 2017

Nice recommendation @kfrajer -- I hadn't seen that before.

http://happycoding.io/examples/java/processing-in-java/processing-showcase

In addition, here are some related approaches that chain apps and/or use a launcher script to create a showcase or gallery:

https://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/18397/launching-scripts

rtavakko · August 2017

I want to load a compiled and exported PDE into another compiled and exported PDE. So I have an exported main sketch that's designed to scan the folder for other exported PDEs and load them as part of the sketch. Sort of like how you would load a preset for a VST if you are familiar with that.

jeremydouglass · August 2017

I suspect that your specific requirement that the second sketch also be exported as an application means that what you are trying to do will not work.

Are VST presets stand-alone applications that run without the VST?

rtavakko · August 2017

Well, the second sketch is exported as an application in this example if I understand correctly? http://happycoding.io/examples/java/processing-in-java/processing-showcase

jeremydouglass · August 2017

That's right, the individual sketches for the gallery/showcase can be exported from PDE in that example.

However, in that example the main showcase program is Java -- the class ProcessingShowcase isn't a processing sketch, and indeed it has a main instead of a setup()/draw() etc.

I could be wrong -- maybe you can use List<PApplet> inside a master sketch as shown there. I'm just not sure how.

rtavakko · August 2017

Ok, so I think that'll work. The only thing left is reading the names of the sketch classes from the folder and adding them which is possible as well. I'll do a few experiments and post my results here. Thank you guys for your help.

kfrajer · August 2017

Maybe fileFilter is what you need for this last post. For example: https://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/comment/38761/#Comment_38761

More at: https://forum.processing.org/two/search?Search=FileFilter

Kf

rtavakko · August 2017

Interesting. That looks much easier than what I had in mind lol.

So I did some research and found out about reflection. Instead of loading say 10 sketches and stopping then hiding them one by one as I switch to the next, I thought it might be easier to have a simple class with one method in there and then call that method using reflection. This way, I'd have one sketch running. But for some reason this doesn't work, not sure why.

Anyone have a clue?

import java.util.ArrayList;
import java.util.Collections;
import java.util.List;
import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
import java.lang.reflect.Method;
import java.lang.reflect.Type;


import processing.core.PApplet;

int index;
List<Object> presets;

Method method;
Object t;

void setup()
{
  //Wil use these later to make a list of presets
  //index = 0;
  //presets = new ArrayList<Object>();

  size(200,200);

  try
  {
    Class<?> c = Class.forName("Test");
    t = c.newInstance();

    //presets.add(t);

    method = t.getClass().getMethod("doTing");

  }
  catch(Exception e)
  {
  }
}

void draw()
{
  background(0);
  fill(255);
  try
  { 
  method.invoke(t);
  }
  catch(Exception e)
  {
  }
}

public class Test {

  public Test()
  {
  }

  public void doTing(){
    ellipse(50,50, 20, 20);
  }
}`

GoToLoop · August 2017

https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussions/tagged?Tag=getclasses(),getdeclaredclasses()

rtavakko · September 2017

Looking at this thread:

https://forum.processing.org/two/discussion/7036/multiple-screens#latest

What is the easiest way to modify each of the PApplet sketches after the whole code is exported? Do they have to be .jar files?

rtavakko · September 2017

Actually on second thought I don't want to open separate sketches. I want to call different methods from withing a sketch. But I'm looking for a way to allow the user to modify these methods. It looks like I'll need beanshell or some type of code interpreter.

GoToLoop · September 2017

https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/15151/how-to-convert-string-to-a-line-of-code#Item_9

rtavakko · September 2017

Ok, so you import processing classes to javascript and then have JS evaluate processing code? Do I need P5 as well? Can I do the same with beanshell?

GoToLoop · September 2017

Do I need P5 as well?

By P5 you mean Processing's Java Mode, right? :-/
If then, there's no need. Nashorn is a JVM language bundled in Java already. :)>-
So you can use Java directly or some other JVM flavor to access Nashorn. \m/

GoToLoop · September 2017

Can I do the same with BeanShell?

Never used JVM flavor BeanShell before: https://en.Wikipedia.org/wiki/BeanShell
But AFAIK, any programming languages w/ bundled functions like eval() or commands like exec are capable of running dynamic scripts.
As an example, Python got those features builtin.
And so you can code in Processing's Python Mode instead in order to use such functionality! *-:)

GoToLoop · September 2017

If you prefer Processing's Java Mode, there are more options beyond JVM's Nashorn.
As an example, I've written a sketch which runs an external native Python ".py" file code:
https://Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/23324/executing-python-3-code-from-within-processing/p1#Item_38
https://GitHub.com/GoToLoop/command/blob/patch-1/src/deadpixel/command/Command.java
There are also 3rd-party libraries for expression evaluation like Jasmine:
http://Lagers.org.uk/jasmine/

rtavakko · September 2017

Hmm. Pretty cool stuff. Thanks a lot for laying out all the different options! :) I had no idea what P5 was actually. It sounds like either JS or Python should work for what I want to do.

GoToLoop · September 2017

If you opt for Java Mode + Nashorn JS approach, take a look at this example about pulse equation expressions evaluated via ScriptEngine::eval(): :ar!

GoToLoop · September 2017

There's also a corresponding p5.js online version which calls JS' eval() and uses lib dat.GUI: O:-)

index.html:

<script async src=http://CDN.JSDelivr.net/npm/p5></script>
<script defer src=http://CDN.JSDelivr.net/gh/dataarts/dat.gui/build/dat.gui.min.js></script>
<script defer src=sketch.js></script>

sketch.js:

/**
 * Pulsing Equations (v3.0.2)
 * by _vk (2014/Sep)
 * mod GoToLoop (2017/Sep/21)
 *
 * Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/7147/
 * some-simple-pulse-equations-using-trig-#Item_10
 *
 * Forum.Processing.org/two/discussion/23468/loading-external-pde#Item_20
 *
 * Bl.ocks.org/GoSubRoutine/f9a0a94dcfee23a037b35f308b256d98
 */

"use strict";

const EQUATIONS = Object.freeze([
  "sin(t)", 
  "cos(t)", 
  "cos(t)*sin(t)", 
  "sin(t)*sin(t*1.5)", 
  "sin(tan(cos(t)*1.2))", 
  "sin(tan(t)*.05)", 
  "cos(sin(t*3.0))*sin(t*.2)", 
  "sin(pow(8.0, sin(t)))", 
  "sin(exp(cos(t*.8))*2.0)", 
  "sin(t - PI*tan(t)*.01)", 
  "pow(sin(t*PI), 12.0)", 
  "cos(sin(t)*tan(t*PI)*PI/8.0)", 
  "sin(tan(t)*pow(sin(t), 10.0))", 
  "cos(sin(t*3.0) + t*3.0)", 
  "pow(abs(sin(t*2.0))*.6, sin(t*2.0)) * .6"
]);

const TXT = 'Press any button for next equation',
      FNT = 'DejaVu Sans',
      FPS = 60, OFFSET = 20, OPACITY = 50,
      vals = { size: 200, step: .5, spd: .15, amp: 5 };

let idx = 0, equation = EQUATIONS[idx], x = 0, txtW;

function setup() {
  createCanvas(500, 500).mouseClicked(keyTyped);

  colorMode(RGB).blendMode(BLEND);
  rectMode(CORNERS).ellipseMode(CENTER).angleMode(RADIANS);
  strokeCap(ROUND).frameRate(FPS).background(0);

  textFont(FNT).textAlign(LEFT).textSize(15);
  txtW = OFFSET + textWidth(TXT);

  createGUI();
}

function draw() {
  fill(0, OPACITY).noStroke();
  rect(0, 0, width, height - 150);

  fill(0).rect(0, height - 50, width, height);
  fill(220).ellipse(35, height - 37, 20);

  fill(0).textSize(14);
  text(nf(idx+1, 2), 26, height - 32);

  fill(150).textSize(15);
  text(TXT, width - txtW, height - 12);

  fill(200).textSize(20);
  text(equation, 54, height - 32);

  const diam = evalEquation(equation, millis()*vals.spd, vals.size);
  fill(0xff).ellipse(width>>1, (height>>1) - 100, diam);

  stroke(0xd0, 0, 0).point(x, height - 100 + diam/vals.amp);
  stroke(80, 0, 0).line(0, height - 100, width, height - 100);

  if ((x += vals.step) > width || x < 0) {
    x = x > width? 0 : width
    fill(0).noStroke();
    rect(0, height - 150, width, height);
  }
}

function keyTyped() {
  fill(x = 0).noStroke();
  rect(0, height - 250, width, height);
  equation = EQUATIONS[idx = (idx+1) % EQUATIONS.length];
}

function evalEquation(expression, theta, mult) {
  const t = theta * DEG_TO_RAD;
  return mult * eval(expression);
}

function createGUI() {
  const gui = new dat.GUI;
  gui.add(vals, 'size', height>>2, height>>1, 1); // 200
  gui.add(vals, 'step', -3, 3, .01); // .5
  gui.add(vals, 'spd', -2, 2, .01);  // .15
  gui.add(vals, 'amp', -20, 20, .1); // 5
}

rtavakko · September 2017

So turns out processing 3.0a5 doesn't support python mode? ~X( I'm gonna play around with JS a little more. Going back to beanshell, does anyone have experience using it? This is my code so far and it just doesn't recognize any processing code. Do I need to import anything in my script?

import bsh.*;   

Interpreter i;

void setup()
{
  size(100,100);
  i = new Interpreter();
}

void draw()
{
  background(255);
  fill(0);
  try
  {
    i.eval("ellipse(50,50,50,50);"); //doesnt work :(
    i.source("doTing.bsh"); //doesnt work :(
  }
  catch(EvalError e)
  {
    println( e.getErrorLineNumber() );
    println( e.getErrorText());
    println( e.getTarget());
  }
  catch(Exception e)
  {
  }
}

this is the script:

import processing.core.*;
import processing.data.*;
import processing.event.*;
import processing.awt.*;
import processing.javafx.*;
import processing.opengl.*;

ellipse(50,50,50,50); 
System.out.println("FACKKKKKKKKK"); //this works

jeremydouglass · September 2017

Re:

processing 3.0a5 doesn't support python mode?

Is there a specific reason you are using 3.0a5 instead of 3.3.6?

GoToLoop · September 2017

Processing 3.0a5 is essentially version 2.2.1. :-j
Anything compatible w/ 2.2.1 should be compatible w/ 3.0a5 as well. :>

rtavakko · September 2017

I tried porting my code over to the latest version had some nasty errors so decided to finish this project in 3.0a5. I don't see python mode in the list when I try to add it.

GoToLoop · September 2017

My advice is to give up on 3.0a5 and use 2.2.1 instead! =;
The reason why is that even though 3.0a5 is compatible w/ 2.2.1, it uses P3's "sketchbook.path.three=" instead of P2's "sketchbook.path=" sketchbook path in the "preferences.txt" file! :-&
Thus it clashes w/ all of Processing 3's libraries, modes & tools! :-SS
I've tried to force 3.0a5 to use the same sketchbook path as P2's by changing its "defaults.txt" file in its subfolder "lib/". :ar!
However, 3.0a5 has completely ignored that change in "defaults.txt" and continued to use "sketchbook.path.three=" from "preferences.txt"! :(

rtavakko · September 2017

that explains why I can't add the beanshell library no matter what I do. Right now I have it in my code folder. ~X( Ok, I'll downgrade to 2.2.1 and see what happens [-O<

GoToLoop · September 2017

Even so, I'd still recommend Nashorn instead of BeanShell for the simple fact it is already bundled in Java's library. :)>-
Another factor to consider is JS' syntax is already very similar to Java's. ~O)
And I've already made helper functions which integrate Nashorn JS environment w/ Processing's API. :>

rtavakko · September 2017

I went down to 2.2.1, JS and python modes both installed but the rest of my code doesn't work anymore :( Can I copy the files for these modes into my old 3.0a5 folder? Where would they be stored?

GoToLoop · September 2017

As I've mentioned, 3.0a5 recognizes P3's sketchbook's path.
However, P2's Python Mode isn't compatible w/ P3, only 3.0a5 and less.
But you should instead use latest P3 version rather than older versions.

Howdy, Stranger!

Categories

In this Discussion

Loading External PDE

Answers

index.html:

sketch.js: