manim

# manim Manim (Manim Community edition) renders animations from Python: a `Scene` subclass whose `construct()` plays animations on mobjects. The render lands as MP4 under `out/`. Tools: `$MANIM` (the pinned CLI), `$MANIM_PYTHON` (its interpreter). Never install another. ## Render (the verdict comes with it) ```bash "$MANIM_PYTHON" "$MANIM_TOOLCHAIN/render.py" scenes/intro.py Intro # quick: 480p15, the default "$MANIM_PYTHON" "$MANIM_TOOLCHAIN/render.py" -qm scenes/intro.py Intro # medium: 720p30 "$MANIM_PYTHON" "$MANIM_TOOLCHAIN/render.py" -qh scenes/intro.py Intro # final: 1080p60 "$MANIM_PYTHON" "$MANIM_TOOLCHAIN/render.py" --format gif scenes/x.py Name # a gif instead ``` `render.py` is `manim render` with the same flags, output and tracebacks, plus what the pane needs: `--media_dir out --save_sections`, a live progress file (the pane plays each animation as it is written and shows a failure with its line), a record of the render's animations and chapters, and the verdict at the end. Use it for every render; plain `$MANIM render` still works but the pane sees less. Renders go to `out/videos/<file>/<quality>/<Scene>.mp4`. Render at `-ql` while iterating (fast), `-qh` once at the end. ## Chapters The pane shows a scene's sections as chapters — on the timeline, in a list, as `1`…`9` keys. Mark every beat of the storyboard with a section, named the way a chapter title reads: ```python def construct(self): self.next_section("The question") ... self.next_section("Squares on the sides") ... self.next_section("9 + 16 = 25") ``` Three to eight sections for a 20–60 s scene; a name is two to five words; the first call comes before the first `play`. A section with no animation is dropped. Keep names stable between renders: the pane marks a chapter "changed" or "new" by its name. ## Writing scenes - One file per scene under `scenes/`; class name = the scene's name; a docstring says what it shows. - **Mobjects**: `Text`, `MathTex` (needs LaTeX — check `command -v latex` first; without it, formulas are `Text(...)` with Unicode superscripts and the render still lands), `Circle`, `Square`, `Rectangle`, `Line`, `Arrow`, `Dot`, `Axes`, `NumberPlane`, `VGroup`, `Table`, `BarChart`, `ImageMobject`. - **Animations**: `Create`, `Write`, `FadeIn/FadeOut` (with `shift=`), `Transform`, `ReplacementTransform`, `MoveToTarget`, `Indicate`, `Circumscribe`, `LaggedStart`, `AnimationGroup`, `.animate` (e.g. `self.play(dot.animate.shift(RIGHT * 2))`), `run_time=`, `rate_func=`. - **Layout**: `.next_to(other, DOWN, buff=0.3)`, `.to_edge(UP)`, `.move_to(ORIGIN)`, `.scale()`, `.arrange(RIGHT)` on groups. The frame is 14.2 × 8 units; keep text within ±6 horizontally. - **Timing**: 0.6–1.2 s per beat, `self.wait(0.5)` between ideas, never more than one new idea on screen at a time. A 60-second explainer is 8–12 beats. - **Look**: dark background (`self.camera.background_color = "#0b0b0c"`), one accent colour, a sans-serif via `Text(..., font="Helvetica Neue")`, big type (scale 0.8–1.4). - **Graphs and data**: `Axes(x_range=[0, 10, 1], y_range=[0, 5, 1])`, `axes.plot(lambda x: ...)`, `axes.get_graph_label`, `BarChart(values, bar_names=...)`. - **Camera moves**: subclass `MovingCameraScene` and animate `self.camera.frame`. ## Rules - Save early: a first render within the first minute (title + one beat), then add beats. - Every beat is a section (see Chapters): a proof or an explainer arrives chaptered. - Every request that says "explain" is a sequence: what it is, why it matters, the mechanism, the result. One scene, or one scene per section for long ones. - Assets (images, data) live under `assets/`; reference them relatively. - A render that fails prints a Python traceback (and the pane shows the error and its line); fix the line it names, render again. The pane keeps playing the last good render meanwhile.