I started by skimming over the introductory chapters. It was nice how the text addressed the reader as if the author was talking to you. It felt more personal and the programming seemed less daunting. The funny footnotes and side comments were also entertaining and provided a refreshing break from the more technical parts of the text.
I understand that this manual was written for the use of a classroom setting where the teacher could give further explanation or where the computers in the lab already have Python installed, but I think there needs to be more detailed instructions on how to download and install drPython and PyOpenGL. I had trouble installing OpenGL even though I followed the online directions. The links provided were a nice start though.
This was a great introduction to Python. I really liked the screen shots and the explanation of a Super-3 number. This exercise was simple and a good start. I felt more confident since I didn't get any errors. I like how each chapter lists out in one location (usually right after the background information is given on the topic) the exact code to use. I would type that in and then read the detailed (and very helpful) explanations of each section of the code. I also liked how the references to the code were in a different font within the text so it was easier to read.
The exercises after gave me a chance to practice and experiment.
Once again I liked how the code was dissected and explanations were given for each specific part. I would have liked a better explanation on color. At one point, I was asked to make one function red and the other green and I couldn't figure out where to place the color code so that I could get two different colors at once. I eventually figured it out but it was all guess and check (or maybe this is a good way of learning).
The exercises at the end of the sections often asked the reader to experiment further with the code. It would have been nice if there were answers/examples to the questions at the end of the chapter so that I could have referred it in case I got stuck. For example, you asked the reader to try to reflect triangles in the exercise section. I had trouble because the program in the chapter was for points. I think a hint or something to refer to would be nice since I didn't have a teacher to ask.
I really enjoyed the section on parametric equations. It will be a good introduction to people who have not seen it before. The pictures that came up were really pretty. I remember learning about this in multivariable calculus. I wasn't able to picture the equations very well in my head. This program was great for that! I think it'll be a useful and interesting tool for students in that class.
I found a typo in this section on pg 53. It says "If you are also stilling plotting x and y…" Stilling should be changed to still.
I mainly studied this chapter along with the section on Julia sets and the Mandelbrot set. For the most part it was nicely organized with good explanations. I like how there were corresponding pictures of the fractals in the exercises so that I knew what my fractal had to look like.
The code was much more complicated than the earlier chapters. Granted I did skip from chappter 5 to chapter 7 so I had to have Professor Francis go over some of the code with me, namely the color theory and while loop. I didn't understand some of the terminology such as "endit" until it was explained to me. I tried searching the manual but it was tricky to sift through the text to find explanations.
An index or glossary-type section would have been very helpful. If there was a list of terms and definitions or examples at the end of the manual, it would make it easier to look up information.
I enjoyed the sections on fractals. I had to do some background research for a better understanding but the manual serves as a good introduction. After studying it I have a grasp of how to read Python code. But I'm not sure if I would be able to write something from scratch. Maybe it just takes a lot of practice.
I went over Chapters 3,4,5 and Sections 7.5, and 7.7. I saved my work so I can show you what I did but it is very similar, if not the same as what you would find in the tutorial.