NAMSSN UI Chapter

0 • What this page is for

Manim installation can be confusing the first time. This guide is written for real UI laptops and common devices, not a perfect lab setup.

• • Understand where Manim runs (terminal or notebook).
• • Install Manim Community Edition correctly.
• • Render a first animation without guessing commands.

Any student struggling with installation can always land here and follow the steps exactly.

Important: There are two Manims online. This page is for the Manim Community Edition installed through pip install manim.

1 • Big picture in three steps

1. Step 1 – Python: Install Python 3.9 or newer.
2. Step 2 – Manim: Install Manim using pip.
3. Step 3 – Test: Run a small script to confirm installation.

For high-quality outputs, install LaTeX and ffmpeg.

2 • Windows installation (recommended)

These steps match typical UI laptops.

1. Install Python 3.9 or newer:
   Download from the official site. Tick Add python.exe to PATH before proceeding.
2. Open Command Prompt:
   Press Win → type cmd → Enter.
3. Install Manim:

   py -m pip install --upgrade pip
   py -m pip install manim

4. (Recommended) Install LaTeX and ffmpeg:
   • • TeX Live or MiKTeX for LaTeX.
   • • ffmpeg for video rendering.
5. Check Manim:

   manim -h

If manim fails, try:
py -m manim

3 • macOS installation

Terminal uses python3 by default.

1. Install Python 3.9+ (installer or Homebrew).
2. Open Terminal:
   Spotlight → “Terminal”.
3. (Optional) Create virtual environment:

   python3 -m venv manim-env
   source manim-env/bin/activate

4. Install Manim:

   python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
   python3 -m pip install manim

5. Test:

   manim -h

4 • Linux installation

1. Install Python 3.9+ and pip.
2. Create virtual environment (optional):

   python3 -m venv manim-env
   source manim-env/bin/activate

3. Install Manim:

   python3 -m pip install --upgrade pip
   python3 -m pip install manim

4. Install LaTeX & ffmpeg (Ubuntu example):

   sudo apt install texlive-full ffmpeg

5 • Online Manim notebooks

When students cannot install Manim locally, a shared online notebook works perfectly.

• • A mentor creates a Colab/Jupyter notebook with Manim installed.
• • Students run animations directly in the browser.
• • No terminal or installation needed on their personal device.

Once NAMSSN UI maintains a permanent shared notebook, the link will live here.

6 • Your first test scene (works everywhere)

1. Create a file:

   from manim import *
   
   class HelloNAMSSN(Scene):
       def construct(self):
           text = Text("Hello, NAMSSN UI!")
           self.play(Write(text))
           self.wait(1)

2. Open terminal inside that folder.
3. Run Manim:

   manim hello_manim.py HelloNAMSSN -pql

4. Check output:
   - A preview window should appear - Video saved inside media folder

If manim fails, try: python -m manim hello_manim.py HelloNAMSSN -pql

7 • Troubleshooting common errors

• “manim not recognized”
  Fix:
  • • Close and reopen the terminal.
  • • Try python -m manim (or py -m manim on Windows, python3 -m manim on macOS/Linux).
  • • Ensure Python was added to PATH during installation.
• LaTeX errors
  Install full TeX Live or MiKTeX, then test with a simple formula scene.
• ffmpeg not found
  Install ffmpeg and confirm with:

  ffmpeg -version

• Notebook says “Module not found: manim”
  Inside the notebook, run:

  !pip install manim

• Following outdated tutorials
  Ignore any code starting with from manimlib — that belongs to an older Manim version.

During installation sessions, mentors can keep this page open and walk through it with students.