Projects

Flappy Bird with Pygame Zero and Phidgets

Pygame Zero allows you to create simple games in Python. In this project, you will modify a Flappy Bird game to use the buttons from your Getting Started Kit!

Start

Prerequisites Setup Install Create Project Structure Write Code Code Review Practice

Prerequisites

You should review the following before moving on:

Buttons with Pygame Zero.

Setup

All you need for this project is the Getting Started Kit.

Kit/ Getting Started Kit

Getting Started Kit

Install Pygame Zero

In order to use Pygame Zero, you first have to install it. You do this in the same way you previously installed the Phidget22 library. Simply navigate to your package manager, search for pgzero and press install!

Thonny

If you're using Thonny, select Tools > Manage Packages and search for pgzero.

PyCharm

If you're using PyCharm, select File > Settings > Python Interpreter and use the + symbol to install pgzero.

PyScripter

If you're using PyScripter, select Tools > Tools > Install Packages with pip and enter pgzero.

Create Project Structure

Create a python script called flappybird.py in a location of your choice. Download the required images here and place them in a folder called images in the same location as your python file.

Write code (Python)

Copy the code below into your python script flappybird.py.

  
#Add Phidgets Library
from Phidget22.Phidget import *
from Phidget22.Devices.DigitalInput import *

import pgzrun
import random

TITLE = 'Flappy Bird with Getting Started Kit'
WIDTH = 400
HEIGHT = 708

# These constants control the difficulty of the game
GAP = 130
GRAVITY = 0.3
FLAP_STRENGTH = 6.5
SPEED = 3

bird = Actor('bird1', (75, 200))
bird.dead = False
bird.score = 0
bird.vy = 0

def reset_pipes():
    pipe_gap_y = random.randint(200, HEIGHT - 200)
    pipe_top.pos = (WIDTH, pipe_gap_y - GAP // 2)
    pipe_bottom.pos = (WIDTH, pipe_gap_y + GAP // 2)


pipe_top = Actor('top', anchor=('left', 'bottom'))
pipe_bottom = Actor('bottom', anchor=('left', 'top'))
reset_pipes()  # Set initial pipe positions.


def update_pipes():
    pipe_top.left -= SPEED
    pipe_bottom.left -= SPEED
    if pipe_top.right < 0:
        reset_pipes()
        if not bird.dead:
            bird.score += 1


def update_bird():
    uy = bird.vy
    bird.vy += GRAVITY
    bird.y += (uy + bird.vy) / 2
    bird.x = 75

    if not bird.dead:
        if bird.vy < -3:
            bird.image = 'bird2'
        else:
            bird.image = 'bird1'

    if bird.colliderect(pipe_top) or bird.colliderect(pipe_bottom):
        bird.dead = True
        bird.image = 'birddead'

    if not 0 < bird.y < 720:
        bird.y = 200
        bird.dead = False
        bird.score = 0
        bird.vy = 0
        reset_pipes()


def update():
    update_pipes()
    update_bird()

def draw():
    screen.blit('background', (0, 0))
    pipe_top.draw()
    pipe_bottom.draw()
    bird.draw()
    screen.draw.text(
        str(bird.score),
        color='white',
        midtop=(WIDTH // 2, 10),
        fontsize=70,
        shadow=(1, 1)
    )

#Phidgets Code Start
#Event - this will take the place of the spacebar 
def onRedButton_StateChange(self, state):
    if not bird.dead and state:
        bird.vy = -FLAP_STRENGTH
#Create
redButton = DigitalInput()
#Address
redButton.setIsHubPortDevice(True)
redButton.setHubPort(0)
#Subscribe to Events 
redButton.setOnStateChangeHandler(onRedButton_StateChange)
#Open
redButton.openWaitForAttachment(5000)
#Phidgets Code End

pgzrun.go()

Run Your Program

You will see the bird fly when you press the red button.

Code Review

Pygame Zero uses event hooks to allow programmers to easily create games. In this example, we are simply copying the functionality of the on_key_down hook and using it in our button's state change event.

Practice

Add new functionality to your game using the green button. Some examples may be pausing the game, ending the game, speeding the game up, slowing the game down, etc.

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