manimgl-best-practices Checked

• examples/basic_animations.py (examples/basic_animations.py) - Basic shapes, text, and animations
• examples/math_visualization.py (examples/math_visualization.py) - LaTeX equations and mathematical content
• examples/graph_plotting.py (examples/graph_plotting.py) - Axes, functions, and graphing
• examples/3d_visualization.py (examples/3d_visualization.py) - 3D scenes with camera control and surfaces
• examples/updater_patterns.py (examples/updater_patterns.py) - Dynamic animations with updaters

Scene Templates

Copy and modify these templates to start new projects:

• templates/basic_scene.py (templates/basic_scene.py) - Standard 2D scene template
• templates/interactive_scene.py (templates/interactive_scene.py) - InteractiveScene with self.embed()
• templates/3d_scene.py (templates/3d_scene.py) - 3D scene with frame.reorient()
• templates/math_scene.py (templates/math_scene.py) - Mathematical derivations and equations

Quick Reference

### Basic Scene Structure

from manimlib import *

class MyScene(InteractiveScene):
    def construct(self):
        # Create mobjects
        circle = Circle()

        # Add to scene (static)
        self.add(circle)

        # Or animate
        self.play(ShowCreation(circle))  # Note: ShowCreation, not Create

        # Wait
        self.wait(1)

### Render Command

# Render and preview
manimgl scene.py MyScene

# Interactive mode - drop into shell at line 15
manimgl scene.py MyScene -se 15

# Write to file
manimgl scene.py MyScene -w

# Low quality for testing
manimgl scene.py MyScene -l

### Key Differences from ManimCE

| Feature | ManimGL (3b1b) | Manim Community |

|---------|----------------|-----------------|

| Import | from manimlib import * | from manim import * |

| CLI | manimgl | manim |

| Math text | Tex(R"\pi") | MathTex(r"\pi") |

| Scene | InteractiveScene | Scene |

| Create anim | ShowCreation | Create |

| Camera | self.frame | self.camera.frame |

| Fix in frame | mob.fix_in_frame() | self.add_fixed_in_frame_mobjects(mob) |

| Package | manimgl (PyPI) | manim (PyPI) |

### Interactive Development Workflow

ManimGL's killer feature is interactive development:

# Start at line 20 with state preserved
manimgl scene.py MyScene -se 20

In interactive mode:

# Copy code to clipboard, then run:
checkpoint_paste()           # Run with animations
checkpoint_paste(skip=True)  # Run instantly (no animations)
checkpoint_paste(record=True) # Record while running

### Camera Control (self.frame)

# Get the camera frame
frame = self.frame

# Reorient in 3D (phi, theta, gamma, center, height)
frame.reorient(45, -30, 0, ORIGIN, 8)

# Animate camera movement
self.play(frame.animate.reorient(60, -45, 0))

# Fix mobjects to stay in screen space during 3D movement
title.fix_in_frame()

### LaTeX with Tex class

# Use raw strings with capital R
formula = Tex(R"\int_0^1 x^2 \, dx = \frac{1}{3}")

# Color mapping with t2c
equation = Tex(
    R"E = mc^2",
    t2c={"E": BLUE, "m": GREEN, "c": YELLOW}
)

# Isolate substrings for animation
formula = Tex(R"\sum_{n=1}^{\infty} \frac{1}{n^2} = \frac{\pi^2}{6}")
formula.set_color_by_tex("n", BLUE)

### Common Patterns

#### Embedding for debugging

def construct(self):
    circle = Circle()
    self.play(ShowCreation(circle))
    self.embed()  # Drops into IPython shell here

#### Set floor plane for 3D

self.set_floor_plane("xz")  # Makes xy the viewing plane

#### Backstroke for text readability

text = Text("Label")
text.set_backstroke(BLACK, 5)  # Black outline behind text

### Installation

# Install ManimGL
pip install manimgl

# Check installation
manimgl --version

### Common Pitfalls to Avoid

1. **Version confusion** - Ensure you're using manimgl, not manim (community version)

2. **ShowCreation vs Create** - ManimGL uses ShowCreation, not Create

3. **Tex vs MathTex** - ManimGL uses Tex with capital R raw strings

4. **self.frame vs self.camera.frame** - ManimGL uses self.frame directly

5. **fix_in_frame()** - Call on the mobject, not the scene

6. **Interactive mode** - Use -se flag for interactive development

License & Attribution

This skill contains example code adapted from 3Blue1Brown's video repository by Grant Sanderson.

**License:** CC BY-NC-SA 4.0

• **Attribution required** - Credit both 3Blue1Brown and the adapter
• **NonCommercial** - Not for commercial use
• **ShareAlike** - Derivatives must use the same license

See LICENSE.txt (LICENSE.txt) for full details.