Example for interactively controlling an animation/games

I have managed to create smooth physics animations within jupyter using ipcanvas. I have also managed to successfully use ipyevents on ipycanvas to trigger events.

However I am struggling to combine events within animation loop. This would be required to run a game on ipycanvas, for example when pressing keys to change the direction of a spaceship flying across the canvas.

When the animation loop is running, it appears to block the events from being processed.

I can run my animation like this:

def run_game():
    for i in range(5000):
        with hold_canvas(space):
            space.clear()
            space.fill_style = 'black'
            space.fill_rect(0,0, width, height)
            ship.update()
            space.fill_style = 'white'
            space.fill_arc(ship.position.x, ship.position.y, ship.size, 0, math.pi * 2)

And I can specify an event changing the ship’s velocity like this:

from ipyevents import Event 
d = Event(source=space, watched_events=['keydown'])
d.on_dom_event(ship.thrusting)

Each one works on their own, but the event does not fire while the run_game() is running because it is blocking.

Is there a way to run this asynchronously?

Could you perhaps provide an example, which shows how one would write a game for ipycanvas?

[tomanizer]

Martin, you are amazing. Thanks a lot for this example! And for you work on ipycanvas. I want to use it for teaching kids. and the interactivity and graphics within a notebook make a real difference there.

[martinRenou]

I guess this is one of the first things a new user encouters with ipycanvas

I agree. It should be added to the documentation then 😃