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A visual interface for kids. Some questions. — Parallax Forums

A visual interface for kids. Some questions.

markustermarkuster Posts: 184
edited 2013-04-10 06:15 in Propeller 1
Hi,

I would like to know how to create a visual interface like the GUI ( used with Basic Stamps)
or the visual interface used with the Scribbler Robot using a Propeller microcontroller.

I Would like to know if you can bring me some information like the softare I need use
or something like that to create this kind of visual interfaces.

Thanks, Mark

Comments

  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2012-12-27 07:05
    Have you looked at 12blocks by Hanno Sanders?

    http://hannoware.com

    It's a great visual programming environment for the Propeller. It also allows you to build visual interfaces to you Propeller application.

    I'm not affiliated with Hanno just a happy customer.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,665
    edited 2012-12-27 09:43
    I guess it depends a lot on your programming skills...
    12blocks, if I remember right, is designed so you can do things with very little programming.

    If you can suffer through some programming, I think Visual Basic is another way to go.
  • MicrocontrolledMicrocontrolled Posts: 2,461
    edited 2012-12-27 12:44
    I can highly recommend 12blocks as a good choice. It isn't free, but it's reliable and requires very little (if any) prior programming experience. If you are trying to teach kids the basics of programming, it should be perfect for the job.

    It's very similar to the MIT App Inventor for Android phones: http://appinventor.mit.edu/
  • Cats92Cats92 Posts: 149
    edited 2012-12-27 13:21
    Hello,

    Is it usefull to create a new visual interface for the Propeller ?

    There are some exemples like 12blocks (i have used : it is a good product ) but how many users for each product ?

    Most of this interfaces lack a large and dynamic community.

    Seems that the Arduino board has a lot of success with no graphic interface but easy to use boards and shields and good documentations.

    Jean Paul
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2012-12-28 08:31
    markuster wrote: »
    I would like to know how to create a visual interface like the GUI ( used with Basic Stamps)

    Aside from 12blocks, also consider running a stand alone programming terminal directly on the prop

    This can be done on the demo board or the quickstart.

    http://propellerpowered.com/shop/?page_id=234

    The "pocket mini computer" runs basic, this can also be done with other languages.

    The advantage is only a keyboard and monitor are needed, you can save your laptop for other uses
  • HannoHanno Posts: 1,130
    edited 2012-12-29 16:02
    Hi!
    Here some videos of 12Blocks...
    1.)Electric Mindstorms NXT Light Sensor "Hello World in 12Blocks - Interface overview"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qiEifiGIzQ

    2.) "Creating simple movement with 12Blocks"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=upQpjamrzuY

    3.) "12Blocks Working with variables"
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AU-MpvLTjtI

    Happy Holidays!
  • markustermarkuster Posts: 184
    edited 2013-01-16 13:10
    Thanks,

    But I want to design my own visual code, like the Scribbler 2 Robot.

    Do you know what I need to have in order do this (some kind of software perhaps) ?

    Thanks again.
  • RaymanRayman Posts: 14,665
    edited 2013-01-16 16:47
    I think 12-blocks is a lot like the S2 program, at least as far as I can tell from a quick look.

    There is another option: LabView

    LabView is great, but it costs a lot...
  • KeithEKeithE Posts: 957
    edited 2013-01-16 19:06
    I ran into this a while back, but don't know if it's stable - http://waterbearlang.com/ Browser based has some advantages, and you can see what's been done for Arduino.

    I think that this because Google's App Inventor - http://education.mit.edu/openblocks

    And of course you could look at all of these to see if something is appropriate - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visual_programming_language

    Edited to add - Have you downloaded the Scribbler tools? I think that they are written in Perl.
  • mindrobotsmindrobots Posts: 6,506
    edited 2013-01-16 20:24
    I believe the S2 GUI is written in perl and perl/tk. If you want to write your own GUI, you'd be looking at something like that. You might want to check out Scratch - it's graphical, kid oriented and open source so you could modify it or at least get an idea how they do it.

    Scratch.mit.edu I believe or just Google scratch source code.
  • markustermarkuster Posts: 184
    edited 2013-03-22 08:44
    Thanks.

    I am studing alternatives.

    regards.
  • prof_brainoprof_braino Posts: 4,313
    edited 2013-04-10 06:15
    We're looking into using a smart phone as GUI. Communication is via the cheap HC05 blue tooth module. Just set the serial pins as 25 & 26 instead of 30 & 31. This is nice because each device can have a used name "HEXAPOD3" or "LittleRobot5" instead of the comport9 which changes on every machine.

    There's an android app that displays "buttons" with text. Touching the button sends arbitrary (anything you want) text to the prop. The output of the prop is sent to the android app for further processing (display. logging, etc). We are using forth, so the text can be predefined commands and executed; or even source code to define more routines and definitions. The coolest part is that on startup, the prop automajically sends a "definitions" file to the app, the this initializes (pre-programs) the android apps buttons. Right now its an unsigned app, and we don't know a good way to distribute it. (Any ideas?)

    This is as far as I've gotten:

    http://code.google.com/p/propforth/wiki/AndroidGREEN

    The equivalent prop application might be implemented in SPIN or C
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