NAMSSN UI Chapter
Manim Lab • Text, mathematics & shapesA slow, patient walkthrough of the objects that appear in almost every Manim project: scenes, text, LaTeX mathematics, simple shapes, and positions on the screen.
This page is a detailed commentary on the early modules in the main Manim Lab. You can read this when you want the “why” behind each line of code, then jump back to the main lab to experiment in the editor.
← Return to the Manim learning path when you are ready to test ideas in the live editor.
Module A • First scene, line by line
Every Manim project starts with the same pattern: import Manim, define a Scene subclass,
and implement the construct method where the animation happens.
🧩 The smallest useful scene Pattern to memorise
from manim import *
class HelloNAMSSN(Scene):
def construct(self):
text = Tex(r"Hello, NAMSSN UI!")
self.play(Write(text))
self.wait(1)from manim import *– brings in all the standard Manim classes.HelloNAMSSN(Scene)– defines a new scene type. The name will be used in the command line.construct(self)– Manim calls this method to build and play the animation.Tex(...)– creates a LaTeX object (mathematical text).self.play(Write(text))– tells Manim to animate writing the text.self.wait(1)– holds the final frame for one second.
hello_namssn.py, open a terminal in the same
folder, and run manim hello_namssn.py HelloNAMSSN -pql. The
setup guide explains this command carefully.
- • Replace the text with a sentence that mentions your name or a course (e.g. “MTS 201 revision”).
- • Change the final
self.wait(1)toself.wait(3)and observe the difference.
Module B • Plain text, LaTeX, and alignment
Manim offers two main text classes for everyday use:
Text for normal writing and MathTex / Tex for LaTeX.
✏️ Text vs. mathematical text
from manim import *
class TextAndMath(Scene):
def construct(self):
title = Text("Geometric series")
formula = MathTex(r"1 + x + x^2 + \cdots = \frac{1}{1 - x}")
title.to_edge(UP)
formula.next_to(title, DOWN, buff=0.5)
self.play(Write(title))
self.play(Write(formula))
self.wait(2)Textuses your system fonts and is good for headings or narration.MathTextypesets LaTeX mathematics cleanly.to_edge(UP)moves the object to the top edge of the frame.next_to(..., DOWN)positions one object relative to another.
🪄 Emphasising part of a formula
class HighlightTerm(Scene):
def construct(self):
expr = MathTex(r"x^2 + 2x + 1 = (x + 1)^2")
expr.to_edge(UP)
self.play(Write(expr))
self.wait(0.5)
brace = Brace(expr[0:3], DOWN) # x^2 + 2x + 1
label = brace.get_text("quadratic in x")
self.play(Create(brace), FadeIn(label))
self.wait(2)- LaTeX formulas are broken into small parts (submobjects) you can reference by index.
Braceandget_texthelp you annotate a piece of a formula.- This pattern is powerful for ODE, series, and algebra explanations.
- • Use
Textfor a heading (e.g. “Cauchy–Schwarz inequality”). - • Use
MathTexfor the formula itself. - • Place the heading at the top and the formula in the centre.
Module C • Shapes, number lines, and grouping
Beyond text, Manim represents visual objects as “mobjects”: circles, rectangles, number lines, arrows, graphs, and more.
🔷 Basic shapes and colours
from manim import *
class ShapesAndColours(Scene):
def construct(self):
circle = Circle(radius=1, color=BLUE)
square = Square(side_length=1.4, color=GREEN).shift(RIGHT * 2)
triangle = Triangle().set_color(RED).shift(LEFT * 2)
self.play(Create(circle), Create(square), Create(triangle))
self.wait(1)
self.play(circle.animate.set_fill(BLUE, opacity=0.3))
self.play(square.animate.set_fill(GREEN, opacity=0.3))
self.play(triangle.animate.set_fill(RED, opacity=0.3))
self.wait(2)Circle,Square, andTriangleare ready-made shapes.shift(RIGHT * 2)moves a shape two units to the right..animate.set_fill(...)is a common pattern: animate a change of style.
📏 Number lines and dots
class NumberLineDemo(Scene):
def construct(self):
line = NumberLine(x_range=[-3, 3, 1])
dot = Dot(color=YELLOW).move_to(line.n2p(0))
self.play(Create(line))
self.play(FadeIn(dot))
self.wait(0.5)
self.play(dot.animate.move_to(line.n2p(2)))
self.wait(1)NumberLinebuilds a 1D axis with tick marks.n2pconverts a numeric coordinate (e.g. 2) into a screen position.- Moving a dot along a number line is the basis for many “parameter” animations.
- • Place three shapes in a horizontal row.
- • Give each a different colour.
- • Animate them appearing one after another.
Module D • Styles, configuration, and reusable patterns
As you create more scenes, you do not want to repeat the same styling code everywhere. Manim lets you define helper methods and use configuration variables to keep things consistent.
🎨 Defining your own colour palette
from manim import *
NAMSSN_BLUE = "#0ea5e9"
NAMSSN_GREEN = "#22c55e"
class PaletteDemo(Scene):
def construct(self):
title = Text("NAMSSN palette", color=NAMSSN_BLUE)
bar = Rectangle(width=4, height=0.3, color=NAMSSN_GREEN)
bar.next_to(title, DOWN, buff=0.4)
self.play(Write(title))
self.play(GrowFromCenter(bar))
self.wait(2)- Define colours once at the top of the file and reuse them across scenes.
- This helps the visual identity of your videos match NAMSSN posters and slides.
♻️ Reusing a small helper function
def heading(text):
return Text(text).to_edge(UP)
class WithHelper(Scene):
def construct(self):
title = heading("Small helper example")
body = Text("You can reuse this heading in many scenes.")
body.next_to(title, DOWN, buff=0.5)
self.play(Write(title))
self.play(Write(body))
self.wait(2)- Helpers keep your code shorter and easier for collaborators to read.
- Later, you can move common helpers into a separate file and import them.
- • Create a function
title(text)that returns aTextobject with your favourite colour. - • Use it in at least two different scenes.
When you feel comfortable with the patterns on this page, return to the main Manim Lab and try loading some of these examples into the editor. From there you can start combining text, shapes, and number lines into short, coherent clips.