Shapes
To run any of these examples, you’ll want to save a bit of code in a python file, with any name, e.g. shape.py
, and then run that file by navigating to it on the command line and constructing a call like, coldtype shape.py
Basic Shapes
Let’s start with a classic rectangle.
from coldtype import *
@renderable((300, 300))
def rectangle(r):
return P().rect(r.inset(50)).f(hsl(0.9))

That’s how to draw a rectangle with a 50px padding around the edges (the padding comes from the r.inset(50)
call). (I’m re-reading this now and if you’re thinking to yourself: that’s a square — well that makes sense, but a square’s just a rectangle with the same width & height.)
How about an oval?
@renderable((300, 300))
def oval(r):
return P().oval(r.inset(45)).f(hsl(0.6))

That’s an oval. Sweeet.
What if you want to combine an oval and a rect?
@renderable((300, 300))
def ovalrect(r):
return (P()
.oval(r.inset(60))
.translate(30, 30)
.union(P()
.rect(r.inset(65))
.translate(-30, -30))
.f(hsl(0.05, l=0.6, s=0.75)))

Or maybe you want just the parts of those two shapes that don’t overlap? And maybe you want to fill the shape with a gradient and rotate the rect a little bit and then eyeball how it should be centered in its frame?
@renderable((300, 300))
def ovalrect_diff(r):
return (P()
.oval(r.inset(60))
.translate(30, 30)
.xor(P()
.rect(r.inset(65))
.translate(-30, -30)
.rotate(-5))
.f(Gradient.Horizontal(r,
hsl(0.05, l=0.6, s=0.75),
hsl(0.8, l=0.6, s=0.5)))
.translate(7)) # & eyeball it

Modifying Shapes
Here’s an example of building up a chain of effects to modify a simple vector shape.
@renderable((300, 300))
def ovalmod(r):
return (P()
.oval(r.inset(60))
.flatten(5) # <- breaks the oval down into non-curves, 5 is the length of the segment
.roughen(15) # <- randomizes the vertices of the shape
.smooth() # <- attempts to "smooth" the lines
.f(hsl(0.05, l=0.6, s=0.75)))
