Skip to content

Creative coding log 1

See also: creative-coding-with-python

Getting set up#

  1. New repo
  2. Virtual environment with venv

  3. Project structure following this advice

    Which is probably over kill

First program#

Following the getting started tutorial

Structure of manim code

At a minimum, Manim code needs to have a class that inherits from Scene and a method called construct. The construct method is where the animation is written.

Calling the play method appropriately contributed to animation.

Tutorial uses scene.py reinforcing this is about producing animations and in particular a scene

Manim conceptual model#

  • Scene describes/creates the video produced by Manim.

    Your video is a class that inherits from Scene. The constructor will populate the scene.

  • Mobjects are added (displayed) and removed from the scene

  • any/every animation has to be played using the Scene's play method
  • wait specifies a period of time where no change happens and eventually use the play method to play a particular animation (and produce the video or other outputs). All of the uses of the play method are animated in sequence as they appear in the constructor.

Scenes can contain one or more Mobjects (mathematical objects).

Creating a Mobject creates the object, but does not show it in the scene. It appears you need to call a Create function with the object as an argument.

Concept Description
Scene Describes/creates the video produced by Manim. Your video is a class that inherits from Scene. The constructor will populate the scene and eventually use the play method to play a particular animation (and produce the video or other outputs). All of the uses of the play method are animated in sequence as they appear in the constructor.
Mobject (Mathematical) object that can be displayed.
Sections Way to split a Scene into multiple output videos

Coordinate system#

(0,0) in Manim is the centre of the screen

Output settings#

manim -pql hello.py SquareToCircle is one of the example command lines above

  • -pql are the output settings
  • hello.py is the Python file I created
  • SquareToCircle is one of the classes in the Python file
Setting Description
p Preview the animation once it renders
ql Render at a low quality (480p15 fps)
qm Render at a medium quality (720p30)
qh Render at a high quality (1080p60)
a Render all scenes (as separate videos)

See configuration guide for more

Manipulating Mobjects#

Adding them#

Not visible until added to the scene

  • self.add - Scene method, can take multiple mobjects
  • self.play( Create(<mobject>)) - playing the animation of creating it

Mobject properties#

Coordinates#

There are methods to get the coordinators of a mobject (e.g., get_center)

Moving mobjects#

Styling mobjects#

Animating objects#

Animation is done by interpolation. Any property of a mobject that can be changed, can be animated (by adding .animate before the call to change the property ).

Create custom annimations by extending the Animation class and overriding the interpolate_mobject method.

Transform function will transform one mobject into another.

Plugins#

There are plugins - but not many and early exploration finds them all in early days.

RevalJS plugin looks interesting.