Use unicode braille characters to draw a picture in the terminal

braille.py

import math
import shutil

# Braille bit order:
# 0 3
# 1 4
# 2 5
# 6 7

# bit: (x, y)
dot_positions = {
    0: (0, 0),
    1: (0, 1),
    2: (0, 2),
    3: (1, 0),
    4: (1, 1),
    5: (1, 2),
    6: (0, 3),
    7: (1, 3),
}
bit_positions = { pos: i for (i, pos) in dot_positions.items() }

n_columns, n_lines = shutil.get_terminal_size()
n_columns, n_lines = (40, 20)
cell_width, cell_height = (2, 4)
width = n_columns * cell_width
height = n_lines * cell_height

screen_lines = [ bytearray(n_columns) for _ in range(n_lines) ]

def set_dot(x, y):
    cell_x, rem_x = divmod(x, cell_width)
    cell_y, rem_y = divmod(y, cell_height)
    bit_index = bit_positions[(rem_x, rem_y)]
    screen_lines[cell_y][cell_x] |= (1 << bit_index)


braille_offset = 0x2800

def show_screen():
    for line in screen_lines:
        line_chars = [ chr(braille_offset + b) for b in line ]
        print(''.join(line_chars))


if __name__ == '__main__':
    for i in range(80):
        set_dot(i, i)
        set_dot(i, 80 - i - 1)
    for a in range(256):
        theta = 2*math.pi * a / 256
        x = round(40 + 38*math.cos(theta))
        y = round(40 + 38*math.sin(theta))
        set_dot(x, y)
    show_screen()