ACS1805 Introduction to Programming using Alice 2.0

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ACS-1805Introduction to Programmingusing
Alice 2.0

Ron McFadyenCourse Outline
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Alice 2.0, an introduction

• Alice 2.0 is a modern programming environment
  with
• 3-D graphics
• 3-D models of objects
• Text Learning to program with Alice contains CD
  with software
• Latest version available at www.alice.org
• Originated, and development continues, at
  Carnegie Mellon University
• A similar environment, Panda3d, exists for the
  more advanced programmer. Pand3d was originally
  developed at Disney.

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Alice 3.0
An aside (a point of interest)

• CMU and Electronic Arts are developing Alice 3.0
  to provide objects from "The Sims" in a complete
  Java environment.
• 2008 (?)

2.0 vs 3.0
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Alice 2.0

• Virtual worlds
• Start a program by playing a virtual world
• Can play like a movie, or play like an
  interactive game
• Developing a world begins with a template (e.g.
  ground sky)
• Objects
• Objects are added to the world (e.g. a person, a
  robot, a ball)
• Objects are chosen from a gallery of 3D models
• Object-oriented
• objects can do things we send them messages
  commanding them to do what is necessary for an
  animation (e.g. move, turn, speak)
• Commands are contained in methods
• Event-driven
• User can interact with a world using the mouse or
  keyboard

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Alice 2.0

• Emphasizes programming fundamentals
• Programs are composed of methods
• Methods contain Alice instructions
• Objects are asked to do things they know how to
  do
• Events can trigger execution of program
  components
• Programs always run
• Alice has a smart editor with visual drag drop
  (you tend to use the mouse more than the
  keyboard)

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Demo1 running an example

• Start Alice
• Load and run a world
• snowLove (from Examples worlds)
• Pause, Restart, Stop

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Demo2 create a world

• Create a new world
• File ? New
• Select the Templates tab
• Choose a template
• Later on remember to save your world

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Demo2 Adding objects

• Adding objects
• Click the Add Objects button
• Click on Home, Local Gallery, Animals
• Click and drag an animal to the world

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Demo2 Adding objects

• Manipulating a scene
• Use your mouse to move objects about
• Move the camera to get a different angle
• Switch to quad view to more precisely move
  objects about

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Classes

• Objects are categorized/organized into classes
• e.g. Frog
• An object is an instance of the class.
• e.g frog1, george, mary

Frog
frog1
mary
george
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Object Parts

• Objects may be complex
• aliceLiddell has a rightArm
• The rightArm comprises a shoulder, and forearm,
  and the forearm has subparts too.
• A means there are subparts that can be listed
  by clicking on the
• A - means the subparts are listed. To suppress
  the listing of subparts click the -
• The picture on the right is showing the objects
  in a tree view

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Object Parts
Consider the aliceLiddell object to the right. A
computer scientist typically uses tree diagrams
for complex hierarchical structures. Can you
complete this for neck and lowerBody?
aliceLiddell
rightArm
leftArm
neck
lowerBody


shoulder
forearm
forearm
shoulder
hand
hand
thumb
fingers
thumb
fingers
fingerTips
fingerTips