Configuring your environment (Linux and Mac)

• Download and install python 2.6 (you want Python 2.6.2 thorugh the link "Download")
• Download and install (configure.py, make, make install) SIP. Make sure you use python version 2.6 to configure SIP.
• Download and install (configure.py, make, make install) PyQt 4.4.
• You can know run some of the included code in /examples to verify your build works!!
• Download and install (configure.py, make, make install) NumPy (which is behind the link "Download NumPy")
• Download and install (configure.py, make, make install) FluidSynth (this is a subversion checkout, the link is on the page behind the link "Download")
• Download and install (configure.py, make, make install) PyFluidSynth (which is behind the link under "Download")
• Test the setup by trying out the PythonMeetsQt experiment and fix any errors. Most likely error: the .dll and .lib file for FluidSynth are in the wrong directory. You should hear a chord with heavy vibrato!
• If this is not the problem, try installing the Qt SDK version 4.5

Notes:

• If you have a mac, the packages may not install to the correct site-packages directory. Look in /Library/Frameworks/Python.Framework/Versions/2.6/lib/python2.6/site-packages. If they are not here, copy/paste them in.

Configuring your environment (Windows):

• Download and install python 2.6 (you want the Python 2.6.2 Windows installer through the link "Download")
• Download and install "PyQt-Py2.6-gpl-4.4.4-2.exe" from here
• Download and install NumPy (you want numpy-1.3.0-win32-superpack-python2.6.exe which is behind the link "Download NumPy")
• Download a zip of the FluidSynth .dll and .lib files here, unzip and place them in your python directory
• Download and install PyFluidSynth (you want pyFluidSynth-1.2.4.win32.exe, which is behind the link under "Download")
• Test the setup by trying out the PythonMeetsQt experiment and fix any errors. Most likely error: the .dll and .lib file for FluidSynth are in the wrong directory. You should hear a chord with heavy vibrato!
• If this is not the problem, try installing the Qt SDK version 4.5

Python

• Excellent Python tutorial, straight from the source available here. Read it all; it will not take that much time and it will pay off in the long run. Particularly pay close attention to section #5: Data Structures; proper use of these inherit objects will greatly streamline your code!

MIDI

• MIDI in Robot Rock -- a pdf put together by Travis outlining MIDI's role in Robot Rock.
• MIDI tutorial -- learn about sequencers, channels, and the types of MIDI signals.

Libraries

• Libraries -- Here's a link to our research on libraries.

Experiments

Got something willing to share with others? Put it here!

• Parser and Musician Demo -- Download and run demo.py in the main robotrock directory to see how the parser and musician play together dynamically.
• SimpleParser -- (download .py file) Illustrates basic interaction with a stubbed out ScoreSlice, and produces a drum beat with different note durations (including triplets and 64th notes).
• Threads in Python -- Created a simple producer/consumer example to see how Python handles threading. --Travis
• Polyrhythmic beat experiment -- Demonstration of using a single signal to play beats of multiple rhythms. -- Travis
• UI Events Experiment -- Playing around with creating a window, adding children, and event handlers/timers -- Tim
• Distribution In Python -- A sample of how simple Python's distutils makes package distribution -- Travis
• PythonMeetsQt -- I wanted a demo where Qt and FluidSynth play together. I simply merged the excellent demos of Travis and Tim. -- Alan