Lighthouse Animation Challenge

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Python - Intermediate, Python Challenges, Solved Challenges

The purpose of this challenge is to use a Python program to demonstrate how frame-based animations can be implemented.

For this challenge we are using the Processing.py library.

The code below will run the setup() procedure once, when the program starts. Then the animateLighthouse() procedure will be called 20 times per second (based on the frame rate), indefinitely.

This code makes use of two transformations:

A translation: 2D translations are often used to re-position or animate objects on screen (gliding effect)
A rotation: in this case, a rotation is applied to animate the light beam. The angle of rotation increments by 0.5 degrees between each frame.

Python Code

Your Challenge

Complete this code to animate the boat:

The boat should translate/glide horizontally from left to right.
Once the boat fully disappears to the right of the screen, it should reappear to the left.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
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Tagged with: animation

Python Turtle – WordArt Challenge

Posted on December 11, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Python - Advanced, Python Challenges

In this challenge we will use Python Turtle to draw text on screen and customise the appearance of our text.

To do so we have created our own font as a Python dictionary. Each letter of the alphabet is represented as a set of (x,y) coordinates as follows:

We will then use these coordinates to trace a line using Python Turtle using a “dot-to-dot” approach.

WordArt #1: Dot-To-Dot Text

WordArt #2: Oblique Text

WordArt #3: Circular Text

Your Challenge

Customise the code above to create your own WordArt effects such as:

Growing Text: Write text where each letter is bigger than the previous one.
Backwards Text: Write text where the text is written backwards.
Vertical Text: Write text where the text is written vertically.
Wrapped Text: Write text where long text is written across multiple lines.
Reflective Text: Write text with its own reflection underneath.

Tagged with: Coordinates, Python Turtle

Confetti Artwork Challenges

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Python - Advanced, Python Challenges, Solved Challenges

For these challenges we will produce on screen artwork by randomly positioning confetti on different shapes of canvas. Our code will use Python Turtle to draw the canvas and the confetti.

Square Canvas

Check how the code provided below randomly positions each confetti within the boundaries of a square canvas:

Circular Canvas

Check how the code provided below randomly positions each confetti within the boundaries of a circular canvas:

Challenge #1: Ring Canvas

Adapt the code provided below to randomly position each confetti within the boundaries of a ring/doughnut shape:

Challenge #2: Diamond Canvas

Adapt the code provided below to randomly position each confetti within the boundaries of a diamond shape:

Challenge #3: Triangular Canvas

Adapt the code provided below to randomly position each confetti within the boundaries of an equilateral triangle:

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
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Tagged with: Coordinates, Python Turtle

Confetti Challenge

Posted on December 7, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Python - Advanced, Python Challenges, Solved Challenges

In this Python challenge we will write a script to randomly draw confetti on a canvas while ensuring that none of the confetti overlap with each other!

Problem Decomposition

In this challenge we will need to solve the following problems:

How to draw confetti on screen?
How to randomly position a confetti on screen?
How detect if a confetti is overlapping with another confetti?
How to detect an overlap with any of the confetti already positioned on screen?
How to randomise the colour of a confetti?

Problem	Solution
How to draw confetti on screen?	Using the Python Turtle library we can easily draw circles on the screen.
How to randomly position a confetti on screen?	By generating two random numbers representing the x and y coordinates of the confetti. These coordinates will be used in Python Turtle to draw a circle on screen at the right (x,y) location.
How detect if a confetti is overlapping with another confetti?	Using Pythagoras formula we can calculate the distance between two confetti. If this distance is lower than 2*radius of a confetti, then the two confetti are overlapping.
How to detect an overlap with any of the confetti already positioned on screen?	When a confetti is placed on screen its coordinates will be appended to a list. Each time a new set of coordinates is generated we will iterate through the list of confetti one at a time (using a for loop) to check if an overlap is detected. If so, we will generate a new set of random (x,y) coordinates and repeat this process until no overlap is detected. We will then append this final set of coordinates to the list of confetti.
How to randomise the colour of a confetti?	We want all confetti to have a purple shade. To do so we will randomise their colour code using the RGB codes with a random Red value (between 50 and 255), a Green value set to 0, a random Blue value (between 50 and 255).

Implementation

Check the Python code for this challenge:

Your Python Challenge

Generate confetti of random sizes (random radius between 10 and 30 pixels).
Adapt your algorithm to make sure these confetti still don’t overlap.

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
Find out how to become a member:
➤ Members' Area

Tagged with: Coordinates, Python Turtle

Binary Shift using Python

Posted on November 27, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Computer Science, Computing Concepts, Python - Intermediate, Python Challenges, Solved Challenges

Did You Know?

Everything that is stored on a computer is stored as binary code. Binary code is made of bits (0 or 1). We often use Bytes to store data. A Byte is made of eight bits and can be used to store any whole number between 0 to 255. Check it yourself, click on the binary digits to create your own binary number:

128	64	32	16	8	4	2	1
1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1

128 + 64 + 32 + 16 + 8 + 4 + 2 + 1 = 255

Binary Left Shift

A binary left shift is used to multiply a binary number by two. It consists of shifting all the binary digits to the left by 1 digit and adding an extra digit at the end with a value of 0.

Binary Right Shift

A binary right shift is used to divide a binary number by two. It consists of shifting all the binary digits to the right by 1 digit and adding an extra digit at the beginning (to the left) with a value of 0.

Multiple-digit Left and Right Shifts

A two-digit left shift consists of two consecutive left shifts on a binary number and is the equivalent of timing this number by 2²=4.

A three-digit left shift consists of three consecutive left shifts on a binary number and is the equivalent of timing this number by 2³=8. (and so on…)

A two-digit right shift consists of two consecutive right shifts on a binary number and is the equivalent of dividing this number by 2²=4.

A three-digit right shift consists of three consecutive right shifts on a binary number and is the equivalent of dividing this number by 2³=8. (and so on…)

Python Challenge

The purpose of this challenge is to write a Python script to perform a binary shift. Our Python program will:

Ask the user to enter an 8-bit binary number,
Ask the user whether they would like to perform a left shift or a right shift,
Ask the user whether the number of digits they want to shift,
Output the resulting 8-bit binary number.

Test Plan

Test #	Input Values			Expected Output	Actual Output
Test #	Binary Number	Left/Right Shift?	Number of digits	Expected Output	Actual Output
#1	00111100	Left	1	01111000
#2	00111100	Right	1	00011110
#3	00111100	Left	2	111110000
#4	00111100	Right	2	00001111
#5	00001111	Left	3	01111000
#6	00001111	Right	3	0000001

Python Code

Solution...

The solution for this challenge is available to full members!
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Code Breaker Challenges – Series 3

Posted on November 24, 2017 by Administrator Posted in Coding Quiz, Computer Science, Computing Concepts, GCSE Concepts, GCSE Quiz, Quizzes

Crack the Codes! (open full screen)

In this set of challenges, you will analyse some pseudocode to try to get the pass codes required to move on to the next levels. Levels will get more and more complex as your progress through these challenges. Will you be able to crack all the codes?

Tagged with: Pseudocode