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STARS Exploring CS

Week 3 Homework

Lego Family

Due Friday, 04/21, at 9pm

Goals

You will program your very own Lego family. You can base it off a TV show (Simpsons is shown below), a movie, a comic, or even your own family if you want. Check Imagine by Lego for more inspiration. This assignment will also help you practice with functions, variables, declarations and assignment statements. These ideas help make computations dynamic in interesting ways.

alt text

Review

  • Sizes are always given width before height
  • Colors are given by three numbers called RGB for red, green, and blue in the range 0 – 255.
  • noStroke(); will remove the outlines around your shapes
  • Positions on the screen are numbered from (0, 0) in the upper left corner and increase to the right and down
  • A shape’s color is set with the fill, and once set all shapes are filled with that color until a new fill command changes the color
  • Use Help > Reference if you are having trouble or want to look up how to use a method

Variables

  • A variable holds a value that can change throughout the program
  • In Processing (and Java) you must declare the type of your variables
    • Use int for integers, and float for numbers with decimals
  • Variables are important to dynamic programs, because values change all the time
  • If more than one methods needs access to a variable you should declare it at the top of your code (e.g., int position = 0;)
    • Declaring and initializing a variable tells Processing that position is a variable that will be used in the program and that position starts with the value 0
    • If the variable position holds the value 21, position = 21; and then later in the program, we write position = 23; then the value of position has changed from what it was (21) to 23

Specification

  • Your canvas size should be around 800x800, but adjust as it makes sense for your project
  • Each character should be made out of rectangles, but feel free to add in more details with other shapes (like Maggie's pacifier—an ellipse)
  • At least 3 different fill colors should be used for your family
  • Your family needs to consist of a minimum of 3 characters
  • Your code must use methods to structure your code (i.e, each family member should be defined in its own method)
  • The use of parameters is optional but encouraged

Task

  1. Decide on the inspiration for your family

    • It can be a TV show, movie, comic book, or even your own family
    • Sketch out your family on paper, color it in, and label all the important points so it is easier to program
    • Note: you will be submitting your sketches, so save them!

  2. Program basic family

    • Program your family in the center of the screen, making sure each character lines up on the same baseline (reference the Simpson family portrait below)

    alt text

  3. Add variables

    • At the top of your code add an x position and y position variable for each family member, then add these variables into your code to reposition your family at the corners of your canvas
    • If you have 3 characters, pick 3 corners, if you have 4 characters use all 4 corners, if you have more than 4 characters you can have multiple characters start in a corner
    • Run your code, and make sure each character is now starting in a corner

    alt text

  4. Move your family

    • Program your family to move to the center of the screen
    • You will be adding statements similar to x = x + 1 or x = x - 1 to make this movement happen; consider the ball code shown in class

  5. Stop your family

    • Finally, you will want to program your family to stop once it has reached the center
    • To do this you will want to use the min or max functions as shown in class

Grading Rubric

Description Points
Lego family consists of at least 3 characters and uses at least 3 different fill colors 1 pt
Each Lego character is defined in its own function, and the functions are called correctly from draw 2 pts
Characters start in the corners 1 pt
Characters move to the center 2 pts
Characters stop once they have reached the center 2 pts
Code uses good style, including proper indentation and spacing (as discussed in class) 1 pt
Top of program has a comment block, each line in setup and draw has a comment, and each function besides setup and draw has a top comment 2 pts
Sketches showing planning is included in submission or added to portfolio 2 pts
Extra Credit: Uses parameters correctly 1 pt

Submission

  • Your code should have a top comment block with your name, last edited date, and a brief description of the entire program
  • Each line in setup and draw should have a comment
  • Each function that you created should have a top comment briefly explaining what that function does (note that setup and draw do not need top comments)
  • Upload your .pde file along with your planning sketch to canvas

Extra Challenge

  • Add more custom details to your family
  • Add an interesting moving background
  • After the family meets in the middle, send them back to the edges, and repeat forever
  • Use parameters in your methods (this is worth 1pt extra credit)

Reference