If you are a Python Guru, you don't have to read this Chapter - ignore it and come back only if something does not work.

Just make sure that you have installed:

• Python with ctypes (preferable 2.7): http://www.python.org
• Pyglet (of course !): http://www.pyglet.org
• The Python Image Library PIL: http://www.pythonware.com/products/pil/
• Tristam Macdonald’s Library Shader.py: http://swiftcoder.wordpress.com/2008/12/19/simple-glsl-wrapper-for-pyglet/
• euclid.py Vector Helper Library: http://code.google.com/p/pyeuclid/ or in directory App/Lib/site-packages/shader of my installation package glslpythonpack.zip).
• optional: Markus Gritsch's (Windows only!) VideoCapture Library: http://videocapture.sourceforge.net/ if you want to experiment with it

See special instructions für Linux and Windows - at least for windows you can save a lot of time.

At the moment I use the Python Image Library PIL only for generating Normalmaps from Heightmaps, but it is generally useful. It allows Pyglet to understand a lot of different image formats, for instance.

If you are ready, let's start with the First Example Program!