OpenMontage/skills/creative/manim-usage.md

ManimCE Usage for OpenMontage

Sources: ManimCE documentation, 3Blue1Brown FAQ/conventions, Theorem of Beethoven tutorials, existing Layer 3 skill at .agents/skills/manimce-best-practices/

Quick Reference Card

RENDER QUALITY:   -qh (1080p60) for YouTube  |  -qm (720p30) for drafts
BACKGROUND:       Dark (#1a1a2e or BLACK)
MAX ELEMENTS:     3-4 new visual elements revealed simultaneously
PACING:           One concept per scene, build incrementally
EQUATION WRITE:   1.5-2.0s run_time
SHAPE CREATE:     0.8-1.2s run_time
WAIT AFTER:       1.0-2.0s (longer for complex equations)
2D vs 3D:         Default to 2D. 3D only when spatial relationship IS the concept.

Render Settings for OpenMontage

Flag	Resolution	FPS	Use Case
-ql	480x360	15	Development/testing
-qm	1280x720	30	Draft review
-qh	1920x1080	60	Standard YouTube upload
-qp	2560x1440	60	High-quality export
-qk	3840x2160	60	4K archival/premium

For OpenMontage's YouTube landscape profile (1920x1080/30fps), render at -qh and transcode to 30fps, or set custom config:

[CLI]
pixel_width = 1920
pixel_height = 1080
frame_rate = 30

Animation Timing

Animation Type	run_time	Rate Function	Notes
Equation write (Write)	1.5-2.0s	smooth (default)	Give viewers time to parse LaTeX
Equation transform	1.5s	smooth	Use TransformMatchingTex for derivations
Shape creation (Create)	0.8-1.2s	smooth	Create() or DrawBorderThenFill()
Color highlight	0.5s	smooth	Brief attention call
Camera zoom	1.5-2.0s	ease_in_out_cubic	Smooth entry/exit
Staggered reveals	lag_ratio=0.1-0.2	—	LaggedStart for grid/list reveals
Wait after reveal	1.0-2.0s	—	Longer for complex equations
Fast cut / punctuation	0.3-0.5s	rush_from	Between concepts

Scene Composition

Pacing Rule (3Blue1Brown Convention)

• One concept per scene — build incrementally
• Show the simple version first, then Transform it into the complex version
• Never reveal more than 3-4 new visual elements simultaneously
• Use self.wait(1.5) after every major reveal

2D vs 3D Decision

Use 2D (Scene or MovingCameraScene) for:

• Equation derivations, graph plots, number lines, matrices
• 2D vector spaces (even for "high dimensions" — project down)
• State diagrams, flowcharts, timelines

Use 3D (ThreeDScene) only when:

• Visualizing surfaces (z = f(x,y)), volumes, or 3D vector fields
• The spatial relationship IS the concept (cross products, surface normals)
• You need camera orbit to reveal hidden structure

Performance: 3D uses CPU-only Cairo rendering — 5-10x slower than 2D.

Color Usage

Semantic Role	Color	Manim Constant
Variable being solved	Yellow	YELLOW
Matrix / operator	Red	RED
Eigenvector / result	Teal	TEAL
Known constant	Blue	BLUE_C
Annotation / label	Green	GREEN
De-emphasis / background	Grey 50%	GREY, opacity=0.5
Error / wrong path	Dark red	RED_E

Accessibility: Avoid red-green only distinctions. Use brightness variation (_A through _E shades) alongside hue changes.

Background: Always use dark backgrounds (BLACK or #1a1a2e) for video output.

Applying to OpenMontage

When using the math_animate tool:

1. Render at -qh (1080p60) for final output, -qm for drafts
2. One concept per scene — break complex proofs into multiple Manim scenes
3. Use timing table above — don't rush equations (1.5-2.0s for writes)
4. Wait after reveals — self.wait(1.5) minimum after key insights
5. Dark background — set background_color=BLACK in config
6. Use color semantically — yellow for unknowns, blue for knowns, red for operators
7. Default to 2D — only use ThreeDScene when 3D is essential to understanding
8. Stagger complex reveals — LaggedStart with lag_ratio=0.15 for lists/grids
9. Sync to narration — the scene's total duration should match the narration segment timing from the script