A py5 plug-in for Thonny
This plug-in for the Thonny IDE can install py5, a modern Python framework that leverages Processing's core libraries, adding an imported mode for py5 feature to Thonny, making it a great alternative for creative coding with Python in a simplified manner similar to the Processing IDE (PDE).
If you have the latest version of Thonny on your computer, you can skip straight to step 2.
You can download it for Mac, Windows and Linux from https://thonny.org or from Thonny's repository releases.
Then you launch Thonny, and If you're running it for the first time, just accept the Standard settings.
From Thonny's menu, choose the Tools > Manage plug-ins... menu item.
Search for thonny-py5mode it needs to be typed exactly like this.
Click on the blue thonny-py5mode link.
Click on the Install button. When the installation is complete, you'll need to restart Thonny.
Once restarted, a new py5 menu should appear in Thonny's interface, click on the py5 > Imported mode for py5 menu option.
When you first select this, the plug-in will download, extract and configure the JDK for you (in Thonny's user-config directory).
Allow it to proceed, and be patient as this process can be lengthy depending on your connection, but it only happens the first time you select the menu option.
A message will appear when it is finished.
You can apply recommended py5 settings to make a few configuration tweaks to your IDE, including enabling the blue Kianite theme!
With the py5 > imported mode for py5 option on, you can run the following code using the green arrow button or CTRL+R (COMMAND+R on a Mac). Creative coders usually call their programs sketches.
def setup():
size(300, 200)
rect_mode(CENTER)
def draw():
square(mouse_x, mouse_y, 10)If you have trouble getting your program to execute, try stopping any other execution that is still running.
The thonny-py5mode plug-in creates a py5 menu in the Thonny interface, inside the py5 menu, there is an Imported mode for py5 option that can be turned on or off. When Imported mode for py5 is on you can write your sketches in a simplified manner, called imported mode. It works by making Thonny run your code using the py5 sketch runner, a special tool that can also be called from the command line if you are not using Thonny.
Important note: The imported mode option is not appropriate for executing Python code that doesn't make use of the py5 library!
In imported mode the vocabulary of py5, that is, the names of functions, constants and system variables (such as the mouse position), are available without the py5. prefix (needed on module mode, more about it later), and your program will be automatically executed by the run_sketch function from py5.
With imported mode on, you can also run static mode sketches, that is, programs without animation or interactivity because they do not have a draw() function defined.
When you disable the imported mode for py5 menu option, you return Thonny to its normal behavior for executing any Python code.
In this case, you can use py5 in module mode, which is how most Python libraries are handled, i.e. importing the library at the beginning of the program with import, and calling its functions with the library name as a prefix.
import py5
def setup():
py5.size(300, 200)
py5.rect_mode(py5.CENTER)
def draw():
py5.square(py5.mouse_x, py5.mouse_y, 10)
py5.run_sketch()Note that you will need to use import py5 at the beginning of your code, and py5.run_sketch() at the end, as well as the py5. prefix for all functions, constants and variables offered by the py5 library.
- The official py5 documentation at py5coding.org
- The py5 discussions forum on GitHub
- The py5 category at the Processing Foundation Forum
- tabreturn's py5 quick reference
- Villares' daily sketches at sketch-a-day, mostly done with py5.
The thonny-py5mode plug-in was initially developed by @tabreturn, who was inspired by a proof of concept by @villares, being thankful to @hx2A for the py5 project, and the Thonny folks for their fantastic IDE. The Color selector incorporates Juliette Monsel's excellent tkColorPicker module. From 2025 onward the plug-in became a part of the py5 project and is maintained by its community.
Follow discussions on the thonny-py5mode plug-in GitHub repository and report issues.