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Manim – Objects, Animations and Plugins

Manim Manim Icon, released 27. 11. 2022, updated 19. 7. 2023

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, → Part 5 ←, Part 6

This part of the series covers creating custom objects and animations, and also showcases some interesting community-made plugins.

Custom objects

For more complex scenes, it might be a good idea to create custom Manim objects. These usually reperesent more complex objects where simple primitives don’t suffice.

To see how to create them, let’s look at an example of a stack:

from manim import *


class Stack(VMobject):
    def __init__(self, size, **kwargs):
        # initialize the vmobject
        super().__init__(**kwargs)

        self.squares = VGroup()
        self.labels = VGroup()
        self.index = 0
        self.pointer = Arrow(ORIGIN, UP * 1.2)

        for _ in range(size):
            self.squares.add(Square(side_length=0.8))

        self.squares.arrange(buff=0.15)

        self.pointer.next_to(self.squares[0], DOWN)

        # IMPORTANT - we have to add all of the subobjects for them to be displayed
        self.add(self.squares, self.pointer, self.labels)

    def __peek(self) -> VMobject:
        """Return the current top element in the stack."""
        return self.squares[self.index]

    def __create_label(self, element) -> VMobject:
        """Create the label for the given element (given its color and size)."""
        return (
            Tex(str(element))
            .set_height(self.__peek().height / 2)
            .set_color(self.__peek().get_color())
            .move_to(self.__peek())
            .set_z_index(1)  # labels on top!
        )

    def __animate_indicate(self, element, increase: bool = True) -> Animation:
        """Return an animation indicating the current element."""
        return Indicate(
            element,
            color=self.__peek().get_color(),
            scale_factor=1.1 if increase else 1/1.1,
        )

    def push(self, element) -> Animation:
        """Pushes an element onto the stack, returning an appropriate animation."""
        label = self.__create_label(element)
        self.labels.add(label)

        self.index += 1

        return AnimationGroup(
            FadeIn(label),
            self.pointer.animate.next_to(self.__peek(), DOWN),
            self.__animate_indicate(self.squares[self.index - 1], increase=True),
        )

    def pop(self) -> AnimationGroup:
        """Pops an element from the stack, returning an appropriate animation."""
        label = self.labels[-1]
        self.labels.remove(label)

        self.index -= 1

        return AnimationGroup(
            FadeOut(label),
            self.pointer.animate.next_to(self.__peek(), DOWN),
            self.__animate_indicate(self.__peek(), increase=False),
        )

    def clear(self) -> AnimationGroup:
        """Clear the entire stack, returning the appropriate animation."""
        result = Succession(*[self.pop() for _ in range(self.index)])

        self.index = 0

        return result


class StackExample(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        stack = Stack(10)

        self.play(Write(stack))

        self.wait(0.5)

        for i in range(5):
            self.play(stack.push(i))

        self.play(stack.pop())

        self.wait(0.5)

        # we can even use the animate syntax!
        self.play(stack.animate.scale(1.2).set_color(BLUE))

        self.wait(0.5)

        for i in range(2):
            self.play(stack.push(i))

        self.play(stack.pop())

        self.play(stack.clear())

        self.play(FadeOut(stack))

As the code suggests, every custom Manim object must inherit the Mobject class (or VMobject, if it’s a vector object). The stack consists of other Manim objects, added to it via the add method. And, since it’s a regular Manim object, we can interact with it like we would with any other Manim object.

Custom animations

Custom animations are again very useful when you are dealing with more complex scenes or encounter the limitations of the builtin ones (like our MoveAndFade animation from the previous part).

To see how to create them, it is again best to look at an example:

from manim import *


class ColorfulFadeIn(Animation):
    """An animation that fades in an object... but colorfully."""

    def __init__(self, mobject: Mobject, introducer=True, **kwargs):
        # we're using the introducer keyword argument
        # because the animation adds the objects to the scene

        # the original version of the object will be useful,
        # since we'll be changing it
        self.original = mobject.copy()

        super().__init__(mobject, introducer=introducer, **kwargs)

    def interpolate_mobject(self, alpha: float) -> None:
        """A function that gets called every frame, for the animation to... animate."""

        # the animation could have a custom rate function, but alpha is linear (0 to 1)
        # this means that we will have to apply it to get the appropriate behavior
        new_alpha = self.rate_func(alpha)

        colors = ["#ffd166", RED, "#06d6a0", BLUE] + [self.original.get_color()]

        for i, color in enumerate(colors):
            if i + 1 >= new_alpha * len(colors):
                new_color = interpolate_color(
                    colors[i - 1],
                    colors[i],
                    1 - (i + 1 - new_alpha * len(colors)),
                )
                break

        new_mobject = self.original.copy().set_opacity(new_alpha).set_color(new_color)

        self.mobject.become(new_mobject)


class Roll(Animation):
    """A rolling animation."""

    def __init__(self, mobject: Mobject, angle, direction, scale_ratio=0.85, **kwargs):
        # the original version of the object will be useful, since we'll be changing it
        self.original = mobject.copy()

        self.scale_ratio = scale_ratio
        self.angle = angle
        self.direction = direction

        super().__init__(mobject, **kwargs)

    def interpolate_mobject(self, alpha: float) -> None:
        """A function that gets called every frame, for the animation to... animate."""

        actual_alpha = self.rate_func(alpha)

        # each function will have scale 1 in the beginning, scale_ration in the middle
        # and 1 at the end (probably not the most elegant way to achieve this)
        scale_alpha = 1 - (1 - self.scale_ratio) * 2 * (0.5 - abs(actual_alpha - 0.5))

        # we want the object to move there and back
        direction_alpha = there_and_back(actual_alpha)

        self.mobject.become(self.original.copy())\
            .rotate(actual_alpha * self.angle)\
            .scale(scale_alpha)\
            .shift(self.direction * direction_alpha)


class Dissolve(AnimationGroup):
    """An animation that dissolves an object (shrinks + flashes)."""

    def __init__(self, mobject: Mobject, remover=True, **kwargs):
        # we're using the remover keyword argument, because the animation adds the
        # objects to the scene (can be seen when running self.mobjects after)

        self.original = mobject.copy()

        a1 = mobject.animate.scale(0)
        a2 = Flash(mobject, color=mobject.color)

        super().__init__(a1, a2, lag_ratio=0.75, remover=remover, **kwargs)


class StarFox(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        square = Square(color=BLUE, fill_opacity=0.75).scale(1.5)

        self.play(ColorfulFadeIn(square), run_time=3)

        self.play(Roll(square, angle=PI, direction=LEFT * 0.75))
        self.play(Roll(square, angle=-PI, direction=RIGHT * 0.75))

        self.play(Dissolve(square))

The example implements three new animations: ColorfulFadeIn, Roll and Dissolve.

The first (ColorfulFadeIn) inherits from the Animation class and implements an interpolate_mobject function, which is called every frame for the animation to play out. It is also an introducer (as seen from the introducer keyword argument), meaning that it “introduces” objects to the scene (important for animations to function properly).

The second (Roll) also inherits from the Animation class.

The last (Dissolve) inherits from the AnimationGroup (which itself inherits from the Animation class) and is used to define animations made out of subanimations. It is also a remover (as again seen by the remover keyword argument), meaning that it “removes” objects from the scene (again, quite important for everything to work).

Plugins

Since we now know how to create custom Manim objects and animation, it is a good idea to explore plugins. Plugins extend Manim’s basic functionality in various ways, be it defining new classes and objects, or implementing an editor simplifying working with Manim. This part includes some more interesting plugins that you might find into.

Physics

The first plugin to look at is manim-physics [GitHub] [doc], which (as the name suggests) adds classes to work with various branches of physics. It can be installed by running

pip install manim-physics

Here are a few interesting examples of animations that you can create with this plugin:

from manim import *


# example from https://github.com/Matheart/manim-physics
# SpaceScene is a class that supports physical interactions
class FallingObjectsExample(SpaceScene):
    def construct(self):
        circle = Circle().shift(UP)
        circle.set_fill(RED, 1)
        circle.shift(DOWN + RIGHT)

        rect = Square().shift(UP)
        rect.rotate(PI / 4)
        rect.set_fill(YELLOW_A, 1)
        rect.shift(UP * 2)
        rect.scale(0.5)

        ground = Line([-4, -3.5, 0], [4, -3.5, 0])
        wall1 = Line([-4, -3.5, 0], [-4, 3.5, 0])
        wall2 = Line([4, -3.5, 0], [4, 3.5, 0])
        walls = VGroup(ground, wall1, wall2)
        self.add(walls)

        self.play(
            DrawBorderThenFill(circle),
            DrawBorderThenFill(rect),
        )

        # it was regular Manim code until here
        self.make_rigid_body(rect, circle)  # squares are rigid (they move)
        self.make_static_body(walls)        # walls are static (they don't move)

        # now we wait for the objects to fall
        self.wait(5)

from manim import *


# example from https://github.com/Matheart/manim-physics
class ElectricFieldExample(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        charge1 = Charge(-1, LEFT + DOWN)
        charge2 = Charge(2, RIGHT + DOWN)
        charge3 = Charge(-1, UP)

        def rebuild(field):
            """Funkce která přestaví elektrické pole."""
            field.become(ElectricField(charge1, charge2, charge3))

        field = ElectricField(charge1, charge2, charge3)

        self.add(field, charge1, charge2, charge3)

        self.play(Write(field), FadeIn(charge1), FadeIn(charge2), FadeIn(charge3))

        field.add_updater(rebuild)

        self.play(
            charge1.animate.shift(LEFT),
            charge2.animate.shift(RIGHT),
            charge3.animate.shift(DOWN * 0.5),
            run_time=2,
        )

from manim import *


# example from https://github.com/Matheart/manim-physics
class MagnetismExample(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        current1 = Current(LEFT * 2.5)
        current2 = Current(RIGHT * 2.5, direction=IN)

        def rebuild(field):
            """Funkce která přestaví magnetické pole."""
            field.become(MagneticField(current1, current2))

        field = MagneticField(current1, current2)

        self.play(Write(field), FadeIn(current1), FadeIn(current2))

        field.add_updater(rebuild)

        self.play(
            Rotate(current1, about_point=ORIGIN, angle=PI),
            Rotate(current2, about_point=ORIGIN, angle=PI),
            run_time=2,
        )

from manim import *


# example from https://github.com/Matheart/manim-physics
class PendulumExample(SpaceScene):
    def construct(self):
        # positions of the pendulum balls
        bob_positions = [RIGHT * 1.5 + UP, RIGHT * 1.5 + UP * 2]

        pendulum = MultiPendulum(
            *bob_positions,
            pivot_point=UP,
            bob_style={"color": WHITE, "fill_opacity": 1, "radius": 0.15},
        )

        self.make_rigid_body(pendulum.bobs)
        pendulum.start_swinging()

        self.add(pendulum)

        # we will track the movement of the pendulum balls
        for i, bob in enumerate(pendulum.bobs):
            self.bring_to_back(TracedPath(bob.get_center, stroke_color=DARK_GRAY))

        self.wait(12)

Chemistry

The second plugin is chanim [GitHub], which implements classes for animating chemistry notation.

It can be installed similarly using

pip install chanim

Here are a few examples of animating chemistry compounds:

from manim import *


class ChanimExample(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        # internally uses ChemFig syntax (https://www.ctan.org/pkg/chemfig)
        chem = ChemWithName(
            "*6((=O)-N(-CH_3)-*5(-N=-N(-CH_3)-=)--(=O)-N(-H_3C)-)",
            "Caffeine"
        )

        chem.move_to(ORIGIN)

        self.play(chem.creation_anim())