Are you interested in machine learning? Then you have probably heard of TensorFlow. There are lots of things to learn for Tensorflow, especially mathematics such as calculus/linear algebra. The Tensorflow website provides various resources for math learning. I want to share one of my favorites, 3blue1brown.
Their youtube videos are educational with eye-catching animations. I was always wondering how they have made their mathematical animations and finally, I found the source, which was available since 2019.
I was amazed that I could make the same quality animation video as 3blue1brown. Not long enough I realized why this library is not so popular.
It is not easy to start with. I have spent more than 24 hours to install it on my computer. So I will share my experience with you on Medium.
I will update the article ASAP, so stay tuned and visit this article again.
I. Python 3.8 works.
Since Manim is a Python module, you need Python. A few tutorials such as TheoremOfBeethoven or Talking Physic recommend Python 3.7, but I always want to be updated. I tested on Python 3.8 and it works.
II. You need to know how to use cmd.
When I first learned the PC, there was a black screen on the monitor all the time, so it is not weird for me to see a black screen. Whether you are afraid of the black screen or not, you should be familiarized with cmd commands. The following is the wiki page for cmd. You don’t have to be an expert in cmd commands, we just need some of them.
III. You need Cairo.
I am afraid that this is the most confusing part of the whole installation. Usually, I use
pip install somepackagenameto install python packages, but for Cairo, it does not work. The reason is that the Windows version of Cairo is not available.
I had to use the “Unofficial Windows Binaries for Python Extension Packages”. Hmm… I don’t like the unofficial version but there is no alternative unless you want to spend more than 48 hours to compile with C++ compilers.
So I downloaded “pycairo‑1.19.1‑cp38‑cp38‑win_amd64.whl” and ran it. Be sure to match your Python version with cp-xx, otherwise, you will be messed up.
pip install pycairo‑1.19.1‑cp38‑cp38‑win_amd64.whlHow do I check this weird thing is really installed?
Go to your Python and try to import it.
import cairoStrangely enough, it is not pycairo, just cairo. If you see any errors, then you are fine.
IV. You are almost done.
Now the most difficult part is over. The rest is to install several packages needed for Manim: ffmpeg, latex, and sox (which is for sound, I don’t think we need this.)
Then download the zip version of 3b1b’s git and install the requirements. If you don’t know how-to, there are several resources you can rely on for the rest of the process. I list up some of them. The most recent one is the following youtube video by “The Lazy AZ”.
- “3b1b” is the main source of information, but they are not so friendly. https://github.com/3b1b/manim
- “Theorem of Beethoven” is a Spanish and English speaking mechanical engineering student who was eager to spread his manim knowledge to others. https://github.com/Elteoremadebeethoven
- “Talking Physics” wrote several blog posts that help you to learn manim, but not useful for installation. https://talkingphysics.wordpress.com/2019/01/08/getting-started-animating-with-manim-and-python-3-7/
- 박희진 is making a very helpful Korean document for manim at https://wikidocs.net/book/4381. He is active on https://www.reddit.com/r/manim/ with the user name heejin_park.
V. I hope you succeed.
You can find some of my works at https://github.com/Joocheol/Financial-Engineering.
