Recommended Software for PEP

Computer Science

Students worked with the following in previous semesters of PEP Comp Sci:

  • Python + IDLE
    • IDLE is Python’s Integrated Development and Learning Environment.
    • IMPORTANT: Python 2 and Python 3 are VERY different. The same version of Python should be installed in the entire lab. (We installed Python 2 in the PEP lab back in 2019, but Python 2 is increasingly deprecated.)
  • Free Textbook: Think Python
  • Free Python Games (download Zip file here)
    • Students can learn Python by modifying the code for these free, simple games.

3D Animation

Recommended free software: Blender, which does not require web connectivity to use. Blender is very popular with young animators today.

Some (all?) PEP lab computers already have Microsoft 3D Viewer, but this software can only be used to view 3D models. It can’t be used to make models or animation.