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Disney Animation Adopts Python

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the aint-that-interesting dept.

Sommelier writes " Interesting article on the O'Reilly Python site about Walt Disney Feature Animation adopting Python to accomplish a lot of their work. "

9 of 94 comments (clear)

  1. Python works well in corporate environments by alewando · · Score: 4

    There was an interesting case study about it a while back. But was several years ago, and on a much smaller project. Now that Disney's getting into the action, Python will be more palatable to other suits.

  2. Computer Animation/Visual FX doing this for years by danimal · · Score: 5
    I work in the computer animation industry. All the shops have been using perl, python, tcl, and others for years to do production tasks. At Blue Sky we use perl heavily. ILM uses python heavily.

    It's all great stuff that allows for rapid development and building (sometimes glueing) systems together.

    -danimal

  3. Debian should adopt Python by SurfsUp · · Score: 5
    Debian is a most wonderful distribution. No commercial distribution can touch Debian's level of care and attention to package building and installation. However. Have you ever looked at those install scripts? They do work, and work well - but the mix of bash, perl and sed is an unholy concoction that could stand replacing. Python can do the work of all three in a way that is readable and maintainable. Python could easily be included in the base distribution - the interpreter and builtin classes come in at around 380 K, considerably smaller than Perl.

    ls -l `which python1.5`

    Naturally it would take some time to change over those 1,000's of scripts, and why fix scripts that aren't borked. But for new packages...

    If you are a debian maintainer, please consider this carefully.
    --

    --
    Life's a bitch but somebody's gotta do it.
  4. Don't do it Guido! by mav[LAG] · · Score: 5
    Don't do it please. Resist the temptation now! Python is not a Mickey Mouse language. We get useful work done with it so don't introduce any jokes like this at your next speaking appointment.

    One a slightly less childish note (or perhaps not) I was fantasising about the potential of the EBEDA Public License (Everything But The Evil Double A's Public License). Wouldn't it give you a warm feeling to read that BeOpen Labs had taken legal action against Disney for using Python? viz.:

    "Our client has advised us that as a member of the MPAA, you are forbidden to use the Python programming language in any shape or form anywhere in your organisation."

    I know it's petty and childish but then is so is the current scenario:

    1. Python released under GPL by hackers
    2. Disney uses Python to help create next movie
    3. Disney sues hackers for wanting to watch same Disney movie on DVD

      • Sigh.

    --
    --- Hot Shot City is particularly good.
  5. about time by donglekey · · Score: 4

    Scripting languages have been a big part of production work for a while and for good reason. Lightwave, 3D studio, Maya, Softimage all have some good scripting languages that enanble some nice benefits from the productive side. I read that the many of huge battle scenes in $tar War$ the Phantom Menace were done with Maya scripts. Not some huge AI package that ILM bought or built in-house, but scripts. High end production demands some kind of programming solution but doesn't need it to be as fast as possible, half the development time and half the speed is a very nice trade off. If you wanted to make a program to automate something you are tired of doing manuall, would you do it in C or Perl? If you chose C you are eighther a glutton for punishment or running on a 286 in my opinion. Computers can be bought, but programmers must be rented, so it doesn't really surprise me, but it does intrigue me.

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    This Wiki Feeds You TV and Anime - vidwiki.org
  6. Author's TOP 10 REASONS he loves Python! by Curious__George · · Score: 5
    The author of the ZopeNewbies web site reports from the Python Conference in Long Beach, California that "the closing speaker for the conference was Bruce Eckel, of "Thinking in C++" and "Thinking in Java" fame. He was a good choice to give the closing talk, as he was without a doubt the most naturally-gifted speaker I saw this week. He says that he is in love with Python, and he reaches for it first to solve his own programming problems.

    Moving from C++ to Java results in a 2x improvement in programmer productivity, he says, while the move from C++ to Python results in a 5x to 10x improvement. He is still developing his reasons as to why this is the case, but he believes that Python allows a programmer to focus on concepts, rather than on mechanics.

    Lacking any scientific studies, Bruce offered his top ten reasons why he loves Python:

    10. Reduced Clutter - The indented nature of Python makes it easier to read, an important criteria since code is read more often than it is written. According the the extreme programming (XP) folks, consistant formatting really is important.

    9. It's not Backward Compatible in Exchange for Pain - Many popular languages promote their backward compatability, but at the cost to the programmer of awkward syntax (C++ and Perl) and lots of typing (Java).

    8. It Doesn't Value Performance Over Productivity - Rather than forcing the programmer to implement awkward coding sequences for the sake of "speed," Python implements easy-to-learn idioms (but allows extensions to be written in C when performance becomes an issue).

    7. It Doesn't Treat Me Like I'm Stupid - Python doesn't prevent operator overloading, doesn't insist on type declarations, and it doesn't pretend to be something that it isn't.

    6. I Don't Wait Forever for a Full Implementation of the Language - C++ still does not fully implement features invented by the C++ committee.

    5. It Does Not Make Assumptions About How We Discover Errors - Python does not force static type checking, moving the programmer quickly along to the discovery of errors using "real" data.

    4. Marketing People Are Not Involved... Yet -- Java and MS Visual C++ have been over-hyped.

    3. I Don't Have to Type So Much - Not obscure like APL, not endlessly inventive like Perl or FORTH, not verbose like Java.

    2. My Guesses are Usually Right - Java and C++ require programmers to constantly look up syntax in a language reference. Python idioms are easier.

    1. Python Let Me Focus on Concepts - No stumbling through Java designs, no fighting with C++ compilations or runtime bugs."

    PS...if you've been living under a rock, Zope is the Open Source Application server and is Python's "killer app". Also, Bruce's books are available for free online and available from mirrors listed at http://www.mindview.net/DownloadSites/

    Curious George

    --
    ***General Consultant to the Human Race*** My opinions are free. You get what you pay for.
  7. Alice by Happy+Monkey · · Score: 4

    The guy who's in charge of the Alice project, a Python based 3D/VR environment designed for beginners, has been working with Disney extensively. He mainly concentrates on interactive rides rather than movies, though.
    ___

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    Do ya feel happy-go-lucky, punk?
  8. I love Walt Disney! by xmutex · · Score: 5

    Wow. Disney's doing Python. That's great.. Some things we can look forward to:

    1. A complete misrepresentation of Python's history.

    2. Horrible, obnoxious, loathesome songs by Elton John singing the praises of Python and the open-source movement.

    2. Python coders being paid $0.10 a day in faraway lands to produce Disney-related work.

    3. Erections and sexually-related messages secretly embedded into all Python code.

    I love it!

    Mein Mickey, I can walk!

    --

    jack's bicycle is music to my ears
  9. In Related News... by MeowMeow+Jones · · Score: 4

    The Python software Foundation was announced on Tuesday, but I guess that isn't important enough for a story.

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    Trolls throughout history:
    Jonathan Swift