Welcome to madison_axi’s documentation!¶
Overview¶
madison_axi is a Python library that allows users to directly control an
AxiDraw by writing Python code.
Its source code is on GitHub.
If you’d just like to get started, check out the QuickStart guide.
The AxiDraw is a really neat little robot that can be controlled in a number of ways. The standard way of using an AxiDraw is to use a program like RoboPaint or Inkscape, draw a picture with your mouse/trackpad, and then basically hit a “print” button that sends the picture to the bot, which then automatically paints it on a piece of paper. For more information, see the bot’s official documentation.
madison_axi is a little bit different: rather than having you draw a picture by hand
using a mouse or trackpad, madison_axi lets you control the bot directly by writing Python code.
You write a line like pen_up() and the bot lifts the pen away from the page;
you write move_forward(100) and the bot moves the pen “forward” 100 “steps”; etc.
The library also makes use of the turtle module in order to allow users to visualize
what their program will paint when it’s connected to the AxiDraw.
madison_axi was written for use in an intermediate Python class in Madison High School
in Portland, Oregon.