Pygame

On this page, you will find usefull informations to setup and develop pygame based applications for your Armadeus board.

Introduction

Pygame is a set of Python modules designed for writing games. Pygame adds functionality on top of the excellent SDL library. This allows you to create fully featured games and multimedia programs in the python language.

For more informations -> http://www.pygame.org/

Installation

• Launch Buildroot configuration

 $ make menuconfig

and choose pygame package in:

Package Selection for the target  --->
    Graphic libraries and applications (graphic/text)  --->
        ...
        [*] pygame
        ...

• you can choose pygame options too; then save your configuration
• Regenerate your rootfs

 $ make

and reflash it on your board

Usage

• to test your pygame installation (requires a LCD with at least 640x480 pixels):

# cd /usr/lib/python2.7/site-packages/pygame/examples
# python testsprite.pyc

Tested pygame applications/examples

• arinoid (simple arkanoid clone), to install it (assuming you have internet access on your APF):

# cd
# wget http://www.scriptedfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/arinoid.zip
# unzip arinoid.zip 
# cd arinoid/
# python arinoid.py 

• 1945 (simple 1942 clone), to install it (assuming you have internet access on your APF):

# cd && mkdir 1945 && cd 1945/
# wget http://www.scriptedfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/1945.zip
# unzip 1945.zip 
# python 1945.py

• particleinvaders (simple Space Invaders clone), to install it (assuming you have internet access on your APF):

# mkdir invaders && cd invaders/
# wget http://www.scriptedfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/03/particleinvaders.zip
# unzip particleinvaders.zip 
# python particleinvaders.py 

• starfield rain, to install it (assuming you have internet access on your APF):

# cd && mkdir rain && cd rain/
http://www.scriptedfun.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/rain.zip
unzip rain.zip 
python rain.py 

• CrossFire, , to install it (assuming you have internet access on your APF and ALSA up and running):

# wget http://dchristian.co.uk/CrossFireFinal.zip
# unzip CrossFireFinal.zip
# cd CrossFire/
# python run_game.py

Adding Tslib (Touchscreen library) support to pygame

You just have to make SDL knows the presence of Tslib when launching your application (assuming you have correct Tslib envt variables set):

 export SDL_MOUSEDRV=TSLIB
 export SDL_MOUSEDEV=$TSLIB_TSDEVICE

Troubleshots

• Screen/backlight goes black after SDL launch/exit: use backlight driver to set backlight to a default value.
• If SDL is complaining because it can't find any mouse (Unable to init SDL: Unable to open mouse) and you don't have one, then, before launching the program, do:

 # export SDL_NOMOUSE=1

Links

• SDL_Development
• pygame website