When I was getting started with python, my first solution is to buy a book because you have to learn first the fundamentals of the language before writing software. What amazes me about python is that once you learn the basics, you can choose which GUI (Graphical User Interface) toolkit you would like to use. These are GTK (using Glade), Tkinter (which comes with python), wxPython, MFC, and Swing, and of course Qt.
The best way to learn programming is by practice. Therefore, I decided to write a small program that shows a VU meter when music is playing. I decided to use Gstreamer since it is used in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX.
My goal of writing this blog is to get other people new to Gstreamer, Python, and Qt and help them get started.
First, I would recommend reading PyQt's site to learn how to use Qt in python. Then, read this blog to have an introduction in Gstreamer, and this python tutorial.
Requirements:
1.Python
2.Qt
3.PyQt
4.Gstreamer 0.10 and plug-ins
Here is the source code:
The best way to learn programming is by practice. Therefore, I decided to write a small program that shows a VU meter when music is playing. I decided to use Gstreamer since it is used in Linux, Windows, and Mac OSX.
My goal of writing this blog is to get other people new to Gstreamer, Python, and Qt and help them get started.
First, I would recommend reading PyQt's site to learn how to use Qt in python. Then, read this blog to have an introduction in Gstreamer, and this python tutorial.
Requirements:
1.Python
2.Qt
3.PyQt
4.Gstreamer 0.10 and plug-ins
Here is the source code:
from PyQt4 import QtCore, QtGui
import pygst
import sys, os, time, math
pygst.require("0.10")
import gst
import gobject
#This class runs the code it contains in another thread using QThread
class Player(QtCore.QThread):
def __init__(self):
QtCore.QThread.__init__(self)
def run(self):
#create the pipeline
player = gst.Pipeline("player")
#filesrc element
source = gst.element_factory_make("filesrc", "file-source")
#volume element to adjust volume of audio
volume = gst.element_factory_make("volume", "volume")
#level element to get the rms/peak property
level = gst.element_factory_make("level", "volume-level")
#decoder to play mp3 files
decoder = gst.element_factory_make("mad", "mp3-decoder")
#convert the audio to play to speakers
conv = gst.element_factory_make("audioconvert", "converter")
#autosink if not alsa
sink = gst.element_factory_make("autoaudiosink", "audio-output")
#add the elements to the pipeline
player.add(source, volume, level, decoder, conv, sink)
#link the elements in order
gst.element_link_many(source, decoder, conv, volume, level, sink)
#set properties of elements
player.get_by_name("volume").set_property('volume', 1)
player.get_by_name("volume-level").set_property('peak-ttl' , 0)
player.get_by_name("volume-level").set_property('peak-falloff', 20)
#add bus to listen signal from
bus = gst.Pipeline.get_bus(player)
gst.Bus.add_signal_watch(bus)
#the source of the player
filepath = "the path of your mp3 file"
#set the property of the element filesrc
player.get_by_name("file-source").set_property('location', filepath)
#play the file
player.set_state(gst.STATE_PLAYING)
#get the current thread in Qt
play_thread_id = self.currentThread
#set the minimum decibels
MIN_DB = -45
#set the maximum decibels
MAX_DB = 0
#if current thread is running
while play_thread_id == self.currentThread:
#listen to messages that emit during playing
messagePoll = bus.poll(gst.MESSAGE_ANY,-1)
#if the message is level
if messagePoll.src == level:
#get the structure of the message
struc = messagePoll.structure
#if the structure message is rms
if struc.has_key('rms'):
rms = struc["rms"]
#get the values of rms in a list
rms0 = abs(float(rms[0]))
#compute for rms to decibels
rmsdb = 10 * math.log(rms0 / 32768 )
#compute for progress bar
vlrms = (rmsdb-MIN_DB) * 100 / (MAX_DB-MIN_DB)
#emit the signal to the qt progress bar
self.emit(QtCore.SIGNAL("setLabel"), abs(vlrms))
#set timer
time.sleep(0.05)
#this code produced using pyuic from qt designer
class Ui_Dialog(object):
def setupUi(self, Dialog):
Dialog.setObjectName("Dialog")
Dialog.resize(QtCore.QSize(QtCore.QRect(0,0,94,300).size()).expandedTo(Dialog.minimumSizeHint()))
self.progressBar = QtGui.QProgressBar(Dialog)
self.progressBar.setGeometry(QtCore.QRect(10,10,31,281))
self.progressBar.setProperty("value",QtCore.QVariant(24))
self.progressBar.setOrientation(QtCore.Qt.Vertical)
self.progressBar.setObjectName("progressBar")
self.progressBar.setValue(0)
self.progressBar.setMinimum(0)
self.progressBar.setMaximum(100)
self.retranslateUi(Dialog)
QtCore.QMetaObject.connectSlotsByName(Dialog)
#sets the value of the progress bar emited
def setLabel(self,value):
self.progressBar.setValue(value)
def retranslateUi(self, Dialog):
Dialog.setWindowTitle(QtGui.QApplication.translate("Dialog", "Dialog", None, QtGui.QApplication.UnicodeUTF8))
if __name__ == "__main__":
app = QtGui.QApplication(sys.argv)
window = QtGui.QDialog()
ui = Ui_Dialog()
ui.setupUi(window)
window.show()
#creates instance of the Player class
player=Player()
#connect to signal emitted in Player class
QtCore.QObject.connect(player, QtCore.SIGNAL("setLabel"), ui.setLabel, QtCore.Qt.QueuedConnection)
#run the Player class thread
player.start()
app.exec_()
