Graphical sandbox for pathfinding

Question

If you needed a clean and consistent sandbox for pathfinding what would you use?

I want to experiment with different pathfinding algorithms by sending virtual units (robots) around obstacles on a geometric plane.

But I don't need a feature overkill like a game engine or Flash might have, just an animated report and native collision detector.

I prefer it to be scripted in python, but if there are java or C++ alternatives I would appreciate them as well.

Answer 1

I've never used it before, but the robotics class here uses Player/Stage, and I've seen them doing pathfinding. In fact, one of their assignments was exactly what you mentioned, experimenting with different pathfinding algorithms.

http://playerstage.sourceforge.net/