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Controlling Sprites with Python

In PictoBlox Python mode, every sprite is an object with a set of built-in functions you can call in your code. These functions let you move, rotate, resize, show, hide, and animate your sprites — all through Python!

Diagram of the Tobi sprite with labeled arrows pointing to different properties — position (x, y), direction, size, and visibility

Motion Functions

Sprite Motion Functions

Function	What it Does	Example
sprite.move(steps)	Moves the sprite forward by a number of steps	tobi.move(10)
sprite.go_to(x, y)	Moves the sprite to a specific position	tobi.go_to(0, -100)
sprite.set_x(value)	Sets the sprite's X position	tobi.set_x(50)
sprite.set_y(value)	Sets the sprite's Y position	tobi.set_y(-50)
sprite.change_x(value)	Changes the sprite's X position by a value	tobi.change_x(10)
sprite.change_y(value)	Changes the sprite's Y position by a value	tobi.change_y(10)
sprite.point_in_direction(angle)	Points the sprite in a direction	tobi.point_in_direction(90)
sprite.turn_right(degrees)	Rotates the sprite clockwise	tobi.turn_right(15)
sprite.turn_left(degrees)	Rotates the sprite counter-clockwise	tobi.turn_left(15)

PictoBlox Stage coordinate grid showing x-axis from -240 to 240 and y-axis from -180 to 180 with the center marked as 0,0 and Tobi placed at various positions

Appearance Functions

Sprite Appearance Functions

Function	What it Does	Example
sprite.show()	Makes the sprite visible	tobi.show()
sprite.hide()	Hides the sprite	tobi.hide()
sprite.set_size(percent)	Sets the sprite's size as a percentage	tobi.set_size(50)
sprite.change_size(value)	Changes the sprite's size by a value	tobi.change_size(10)
sprite.say(message, duration)	Shows a speech bubble for a duration	tobi.say("Hello!", 2)

Three versions of the Tobi sprite side by side at 30%, 60%, and 100% size to illustrate the set_size function

Timing Functions

To create smooth animations and delays between actions, Python provides the time module with a sleep() function.

import time tobi.move(10) time.sleep(0.5) # Wait 0.5 seconds tobi.move(10)

Always import the time module at the top of your script before using time.sleep(). Forgetting to import it will cause an error!