ben challenge entry

.gitignore

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+__pycache__
+.history

INSTRUCTIONS.md

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+# Challenge accepted!
+
+please run ben.py
+
+Keep your expectations low.
+
+Terminal renderer doesn't render colors (as noted in README) so I wasn't able to test random color generator.
+
+A throwback to the first BASIC code I wrote at age 8. As was typical I was disrupting the class so the teacher banished me to the computer desk in the back of the room. It had a fancy TRS-80 that she didn't know what to do with.
+
+
+![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e4/TRS-80_Model_I_-_Rechnermuseum_Cropped.jpg)

ben.py

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+import traceback
+import random
+import time
+import sys
+from renderer_common import Colour, Pixel, ROWS, COLUMNS, LED_COUNT, CLEAR_FRAME, dim, draw_rectangle, render_text, get_pixel_index
+
+# Renderer selection according to argument. By default, it's the terminal renderer, other renderers will be used live.
+if "pi" in sys.argv:
+ from RaspberryPiRenderer import initialise_renderer
+elif "nightdriver" in sys.argv:
+ from NightDriverRenderer import initialise_renderer
+else:
+ from TerminalRenderer import initialise_renderer
+
+# red, green, or blue (based on https://stackoverflow.com/a/28999469/6837300)
+def get_random_color():
+ rgbl=[0xFF,0x00,0x00]
+ random.shuffle(rgbl)
+ return tuple(rgbl)
+
+# Brightness 1 so it doesn't burn my retina
+BRIGHTNESS = 1
+
+# Framerate in FPS
+FRAMERATE = 20
+FRAME_TIME = (60/FRAMERATE)/60
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+
+ shutdown = False
+
+ # Renderer initialisation
+ renderer, render_pipe, terminate_renderer, renderer_terminated = initialise_renderer(render_delay=2)
+
+ try:
+ while not shutdown:
+
+ colour_rgb = get_random_color()
+ colour = Colour(colour_rgb[0], colour_rgb[1], colour_rgb[2])
+
+ # Render the text
+ render_text("Ben is cool!!", render_pipe, dim(colour, BRIGHTNESS))
+ time.sleep(1)
+ # Clearing matrix by putting the pre-defined CLEAR_FRAME into the render pipe
+ render_pipe.send(CLEAR_FRAME)
+
+ print("Terminating")
+ render_pipe.send(CLEAR_FRAME)
+
+ except KeyboardInterrupt:
+ pass
+ except Exception:
+ print("Exception in main loop")
+ traceback.print_exc()
+ finally:
+ print("Terminating renderer")
+ terminate_renderer.set()
+ while not renderer_terminated.is_set():
+ time.sleep(0.1)
+ print("All processes stopped")