This is an idea for a playful project that uses scripting and meta programming. The application consists of two windows (or panels, whatever), one is for rendering, and the other is for editing. The renderer will initially be blank, but gradually will display some sort of animated image. The editor window will have some control features, but will primarily consist of a simple editor window, where the user can enter in code and then try to load it into the renderer.

The primary mechanic for working is not to create and replace, but to add new drawing scripts on top of each other. Over time, the drawing will become lively and complex. The idea is to enable the user to do things that are more feasible and straightforward in code than in some graphical or symbolic system.

One of the challenges is that, in order for it to work well, the editor needs to be good. Ideally it should be possible to embed some real editor, which would be difficult, but it can be done. The interface for creating the drawing scripts would need to be clear, too. Whatever code is necessary for drawing should be something that will be familiar to the user, or easy to pick up immediately.

It looks like an interesting idea. It should be straightforward to pull off in my copious free time. Right?