NodeBox 1

Description

NodeBox 1 is a Mac OS X application that lets you create 2D visuals (static, animated or interactive) using Python programming code and export them as a PDF or a QuickTime movie. It is free and well-documented. Several (free) plug-in libraries have been developed for NodeBox, for example for Core Image filters, SVG import, organic systems such as graphs, boids, L-systems, and an OSC wrapper. For an exponent of generative art made with NodeBox, see Spamghetto (Olivero, 2009).

NodeBox 1 is built on Mac OS X’s Quartz rendering engine, using PyObjC. Ports exist for other platforms that use the same API, such as Shoebot.

NodeBox 1 has been stable for a long time and is now in “maintenace mode”: we only release new versions to fix critical issues.

Example

This example demonstrates a simple NodeBox script. It draws a number of ellipses to the canvas, in random shades of transparent red, with random size and position.

for i in range(100):
    x = random(WIDTH)
    y = random(HEIGHT)
    r = 50 + random(200)
    fill(random(), 0, 0, random(0.5))
    oval(x-r, y-r, r*2, r*2)

Reference

De Bleser F., De Smedt T., Nijs L. (2004). NodeBox version 1.9.5 for Mac OS X.
Retrieved March 2012, from: http://nodebox.net/code/