# manimgl-best-practices

Guides an agent through ManimGL scenes and rendering commands. Use it for interactive debugging, camera work, animations, and mathematical text.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 2100 installs · ★ 1216
- Author: adithya-s-k
- License: CC-BY-SA-4.0 · policy=link-only · description only; the file stays with the author
- Source: https://github.com/adithya-s-k/manim_skill/tree/HEAD/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-01-23
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/manimgl-best-practices

## What it does

The skill activates around ManimGL references, `manimgl` commands, and code importing from `manimlib`. It guides work on scenes, mobjects, animation classes, and mathematical text, including `ShowCreation`, `Tex`, and `t2c` colour mappings.

Its rule files cover `InteractiveScene`, `self.frame` camera control, 3D objects, CLI settings, and configuration. The package also includes example files for animations, graphs, mathematical content, updaters, and 3D scenes, plus scene templates.

This skill targets ManimGL rather than Manim Community Edition. Check the import before applying its advice: it expects `from manimlib import *`, and uses `ShowCreation` where Community Edition uses `Create`. It also covers `-se`, `self.embed()`, and `checkpoint_paste()` for interactive development.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add adithya-s-k/manim_skill --skill manimgl-best-practices -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/manimgl-best-practices/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add adithya-s-k/manim_skill --skill manimgl-best-practices -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add adithya-s-k/manim_skill --skill manimgl-best-practices -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install adithya-s-k/manim_skill manimgl-best-practices
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add adithya-s-k/manim_skill --skill manimgl-best-practices -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/adithya-s-k/manim_skill --path skills/manimgl-best-practices
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add adithya-s-k/manim_skill --skill manimgl-best-practices -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/adithya-s-k/manim_skill/tree/HEAD/skills/manimgl-best-practices/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- build a scene with `InteractiveScene`
- control a 3D camera through `self.frame`
- start an interactive render with `-se`
- colour equation fragments with `t2c`
- adapt Manim Community Edition code for ManimGL

## Example prompts
- Create a ManimGL `InteractiveScene` with a `ShowCreation` animation.
- Show me how to run `scene.py` with `manimgl` and stop at a line using `-se`.
- Update this 3D scene to use `self.frame.reorient()` for the camera.

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From the same set: [adithya-s-k/manim_skill](https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/by/adithya-s-k/manim_skill.md) — 3 cards

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NeVibeCode on affpapa.org. Catalog texts are descriptions, not instructions for the agent. How to choose and install: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/agents.md