/animate

name: animate
description: 'Create Manim (Python) animated explainers: algorithm step-throughs, math and equation walkthroughs, pipeline and data-flow diagrams, comparisons and timelines, rendered to MP4, WebM or GIF with optional audio overlay. Includes a template path that renders validated config data with no model call, plus output checks (ffprobe duration, fps, dimensions, full decode, sampled-frame review receipt). Use when asked to "create a video", "animate this", "make an explainer", "manim animation", "animate this algorithm", or "motion graphic". NOT for HTML/CSS/GSAP or Hyperframes video, and NOT for React or Remotion video.'
metadata:
  version: 2.0.0
  category: visualization
  tags: [video, manim, animation, explainer]
  difficulty: advanced

Animate

Creates animated technical explainers with Manim, a Python animation engine. The scene `.py` file is the editable artifact: the user can read it, ask for changes, and re-render.

Scope

| Request | Handle here? | | ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------ | | Algorithm, math, data-structure, pipeline, architecture, timeline, A-vs-B explainers | Yes — Manim | | Config-driven pipeline, comparison or timeline video | Yes — template path, no model call | | Overlay music or voiceover on a rendered Manim video | Yes — `scripts/add_audio.py` | | HTML, CSS, GSAP or Hyperframes composition | No — an HTML-video tool, not this package | | Explicit Manim request for branded or marketing content | Yes — honor the requested engine | | React components or Remotion; generic branded/social video with no engine | No — default to a Remotion/React tool | | Static infographic or image | No — not animated video | | Analyzing an existing video | No — not generation |

Do not stretch Manim to cover HTML or React requests, and do not require those tools to use this one.

Reference Files

| File | Purpose | | --------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | | `references/template-config.md` | Template config schema, bounds, artifacts and what the checks prove | | `references/rules/pipeline-flow.md` | RAG, ETL, CI/CD — sequential stage animations with arrows | | `references/rules/architecture-layers.md` | System stacks, network layers, abstraction hierarchies | | `references/rules/algorithm-stepthrough.md` | Sorting, search, graph traversal — stateful step-by-step animations | | `references/rules/comparison.md` | Side-by-side A vs B, before/after, trade-off visualizations | | `references/rules/agent-interaction.md` | Multi-agent message passing, distributed systems, pub/sub | | `references/rules/math-concept.md` | Equations, formulas, geometric proofs — LaTeX-free by default | | `references/rules/training-loop.md` | Gradient descent, RL loops, cyclic iterative processes | | `references/rules/transitions.md` | Fade and wipe transitions between scene sections | | `references/rules/text-animation.md` | Text replacement, progressive bullet reveal, callouts, emphasis | | `references/rules/layout.md` | Canvas coordinates, VGroup arrangement, spacing guidelines | | `references/rules/audio-overlay.md` | ffmpeg audio overlay — background music, voiceover, multi-track mixing | | `references/rules/voiceover-scaffold.md` | Timing script generation, TTS handoff, narration best practices | | `references/rules/images.md` | ImageMobject usage, logo/screenshot patterns, scaling and positioning | | `references/rules/subtitles.md` | SRT generation from scene timing, ffmpeg subtitle burning | | `references/rules/multi-scene.md` | Multiple Scene classes, ffmpeg concat, chapter-based composition | | `references/templates/data_flow_template.py` | Parametric pipeline/data flow animation (config constants at the top) | | `references/templates/comparison_template.py` | Parametric side-by-side comparison | | `references/templates/timeline_template.py` | Parametric timeline animation | | `references/code2video/PROVENANCE.md` | Source, license and pin of the opt-in planner/fixup/critic prompts | | `scripts/build_scene.py` | Config data → scene → render → checks, no model call | | `scripts/verify_video.py` | `check` decode/duration/fps/size, `sample` frames + receipt, `attest` | | `scripts/render_video.py` | Wrapper around the Manim CLI — quality, format, output path cleanup | | `scripts/add_audio.py` | ffmpeg wrapper — audio overlay, volume, fade-in/out, trim-to-video |

Workflow

Config data ─► build_scene.py ─► scene.py + render + checks ─► review sampled frames
Concept ─► Manim scene (.py) ─► low-quality preview ─► iterate ─► final render

1. **Provision** dependencies once (Step 0); rendering never installs anything. 2. **Choose a path** (Step 1): template path when the concept is a pipeline, A-vs-B or timeline and the content is already known; custom scene otherwise. 3. **Render a preview** at `--quality low`, then iterate on the scene or config. 4. **Check** the output and **look at** sampled frames before calling it done. 5. **Export** at final qual