Metadata-Version: 2.1
Name: nimbusinator
Version: 0.2.1
Summary: RM Nimbus GUI for Python
Home-page: https://github.com/adamstimb/nimbusinator
Author: Tim Adams
Author-email: adamstimb@gmail.com
License: UNKNOWN
Description: # ![Nimbusinator](nimbusinator.png)
        
        RM Nimbus GUI for Python
        
        ## About
        
        Nimbusinator is a graphical user-interface package for Python that mimicks the graphics and text drivers of the RM Nimbus PC186.  It is _not_ an emulation of the Nimbus itself.  This means you get the best of both worlds:  Cutting-edge Python computing power, beautifully presented in up to 16 colours!
        
        Disclaimer: Nimbusinator is a tribute project and is in no way linked to or endorsed by RM plc.
        
        [Read the docs for full details](https://nimbusinator.readthedocs.io/)
        
        ## Usage
        
        To implement a Nimbus user interface all you need to do is import the `Nimbus` and `Command` classes, like this:
        
        ```python
        from nimbusinator.nimbus import Nimbus
        from nimbusinator.command import Command
        ```
        
        Then create one object of each, and bind the `Command` object to the `Nimbus` object:
        
        ```python
        nim = Nimbus()
        cmd = Command(nim)
        ```
        
        To display the screen, call the `boot` method on the `Nimbus` object.  By default, you'll see the famous blue "Welcome Screen" before control is released back to your program.  To skip the Welcome Screen simply pass the argument `skip_welcome_screen=True` when calling `boot`, like this:
        
        ```python
        # Boot the Nimbus with Welcome Screen
        nim.boot()
        # Boot the Nimbus without Welcome Screen  
        nim.boot(skip_welcome_screen=True)
        ```
        
        Note that the original Welcome Screen reported the memory status of the computer (in kilobytes!), alongside the RM firmware version and machine serial number.  Nimbusinator also displays memory status (but in units of Megabytes) and uses your Python version as the firmware version and your OS release number as the serial number.  It also uses information from your runtime environment to simulate a short DOS-like boot sequence before finally releasing control back to your application.  All the while you can enjoy the dulcet tones of an imaginary floppy drive.
        
        To bring the Nimbus programming experience into the 21st century, the API - although Pythonic - has been modelled on the syntax of RM Basic.  For example, in RM Basic to write a greeting in big, red letters in the bottom-left corner of the screen you would use the `PLOT` command:
        
        ```basic
        PLOT "Hi kittens!", 10, 10 BRUSH 2 SIZE 4
        ```
        
        And in Python with Nimbusinator you can write the same instruction like this:
        
        ```python
        cmd.plot('Hi kittens!', (10, 10), brush=2, size=4)
        ```
        
        It is recommended to read the RM Basic manual to get familiar with the original commands and how graphics and text were handled on the Nimbus (see links below).
        
        To cleanly exit your application, call the `shutdown` method on the `Nimbus` object:
        
        ```python
        # Always do this before your app quits:
        nim.shutdown()
        ```
        
        ## Installation
        
        Nimbusinator is technically cross-platform but there are differences in the way PyGame's dependencies are installed between operating systems.  So far I have only tested installation on Ubuntu 19.04 (see below).  If you have tested PyGame successfully on other platforms please drop the magic formula in [the issues](https://github.com/adamstimb/nimbusinator/issues) and I'll add it below.
        
        ### Ubuntu 19.04
        
        ```bash
        # Install dependencies for pygame and simpleaudio:
        sudo apt-get install -y python3-dev libasound2-dev python3-setuptools python3-numpy python3-opengl libsdl-image1.2-dev libsdl-mixer1.2-dev libsdl-ttf2.0-dev libsmpeg-dev libsdl1.2-dev libportmidi-dev libswscale-dev libavformat-dev libavcodec-dev libtiff5-dev libx11-6 libx11-dev fluid-soundfont-gm timgm6mb-soundfont xfonts-base xfonts-100dpi xfonts-75dpi xfonts-cyrillic fontconfig fonts-freefont-ttf libfreetype6-dev
        
        # Then activate your Python env and install:
        pip install nimbusinator
        ```
        
        ## Quick-start
        
        ```python
        from nimbusinator.nimbus import Nimbus
        from nimbusinator.command import Command
        
        if __name__ == '__main__': 
            # Create and bind nimbusinator objects:
            nim = Nimbus()
            cmd = Command(nim)
            nim.boot()          # Boot the Nimbus
            cmd.set_mode(40)    # Low resolution mode
            cmd.set_border(1)   # Dark blue border
            cmd.set_paper(9)    # Light blue paper
            cmd.cls()           # Clear screen
            cmd.plonk_logo((8, 110))    # Show Nimbus logo
            # Display a message in cyan with shadowing
            cmd.plot('Greetings!!!', (65, 155), size=2, brush=0)
            cmd.plot('Greetings!!!', (66, 156), size=2, brush=13)
            # Wait 5 seconds then shutdown
            nim.sleep(5)
            nim.shutdown()
        ```
        
        ## Links
        
        - [Read the Docs](https://nimbusinator.readthedocs.io/) - Full documentation
        - [Center for Computing History](http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/) - original RM Nimbus manuals and technical data
        - [Center for Computing History - RM Nimbus PC (Later Beige Model)](http://www.computinghistory.org.uk/det/41537/RM-Nimbus-PC-(Later-Beige-Model)/) - online exhibit
        - [The Nimbus Museum](https://thenimbus.co.uk/) - online museum that looks like the Welcome Disk!
        - [RM Nimbus](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RM_Nimbus) - Wikipedia article
        - [mame](https://www.mamedev.org/) - comprehensive retro computer emulation project
        - [Freesound pack: Floppy disk drive](https://freesound.org/people/MrAuralization/packs/15891/) - source of the floppy drive sounds
        - [Ironstone Innovation](https://ironstoneinnovation.eu) - what I do for a living
Platform: UNKNOWN
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Classifier: Operating System :: OS Independent
Requires-Python: >=3.6
Description-Content-Type: text/markdown
