In Part 1, we explored what makes Manim powerful: programmatic animation that treats mathematical visuals as computable outputs rather than manually crafted artifacts. We also acknowledged the elephant in the room—a tool designed to make math accessible is itself not particularly accessible.
This is where AI assistants change the equation.
Claude isn’t just another chatbot that writes code and wishes you luck. It has capabilities that make it genuinely useful for Manim workflows—and in this post, we’ll show you exactly how to leverage them.
Why Claude Works for Manim
Most AI coding assistants hit a wall: they can write code, but you still have to copy it somewhere, run it, interpret the errors, and relay those errors back. The feedback loop is slow and frustrating.
Claude operates differently. Here’s what makes it particularly suited for Manim work:
Actual Code Execution Environment. Claude has access to a full Linux container. For Manim, this means it can actually pip install manim, run your scene, and render it to a real MP4 file—not just show you the code and hope for the best.
File Export Within Chat. When Claude renders a Manim animation, the resulting .mp4 (or .gif, .png, etc.) becomes a downloadable file right in the conversation. No copy-pasting code into your local terminal, no hunting for output directories. You get the video directly.
Iterative Debugging Loop. If the render fails or the animation doesn’t look right, Claude can read the error output, adjust the code, and re-run—all without you having to relay terminal messages back and forth. The feedback loop stays tight.
Artifacts for Quick Visualizations. For simpler or interactive content (diagrams, UI mockups, quick math visualizations), artifacts let Claude render React/HTML/SVG directly in chat. This is great for rapid prototyping before committing to a full Manim render.
Persistent Working Directory. Within a session, Claude can build up files incrementally—create a base scene class, add helper functions, then compose them into a final animation. It’s closer to working in an actual project folder than a stateless Q&A.
The practical upshot: you can describe a Pythagorean theorem visualization, Claude can code it, render it, and hand you the MP4—all in one conversation thread.
Prompting Claude for Manim: What Actually Works
Getting good results from Claude requires more than “make me an animation.” Here’s how to prompt effectively:
1. Describe the Mathematical Concept First
Don’t jump straight to animation instructions. Start with the math you’re trying to visualize.
Weak prompt:
“Create a Manim animation of a sine wave”
Strong prompt:
“I want to visualize how a sine wave emerges from circular motion. Show a point moving around a unit circle, and trace its y-coordinate over time to form the sine wave on a separate axis. The connection between rotation and the resulting wave should be visually obvious.”
The second prompt gives Claude the pedagogical intent, not just the visual output. This leads to better design decisions—like whether to use connecting lines, color coding, or synchronized timing.
2. Specify the Audience and Context
Who’s watching this? A middle school student needs different pacing and annotation than a calculus professor.
Include context like:
- “This is for a high school geometry class”
- “Assume the viewer has never seen this concept before”
- “This is a quick refresher for students who’ve already learned the basics”
Claude will adjust the level of annotation, the speed of animations, and whether to include explanatory text.
3. Request Incremental Builds
Complex animations are easier to debug in pieces.
Instead of:
“Create a full animation explaining the chain rule with examples”
Try:
“Let’s build this in steps. First, create a scene that shows a simple function f(x) and its graph. We’ll add the derivative visualization in the next iteration.”
This keeps renders fast, errors isolated, and gives you control over the creative direction.
4. Reference 3Blue1Brown’s Style When Appropriate
Manim was built for a specific aesthetic. If you want that look, say so.
“Use the classic 3Blue1Brown style: dark background, smooth transforms, equations that animate term-by-term, and that signature blue-to-yellow color gradient for highlighting.”
Claude knows what this means and can apply it consistently.
5. Be Explicit About Timing and Pacing
Animation timing is half the pedagogy. Don’t leave it to defaults.
“Hold on the initial equation for 2 seconds before starting the transform. The rearrangement should take about 3 seconds. Pause for 1 second on the final form before the scene ends.”
6. Ask for the Code Structure You Want
If you plan to modify the animation later, tell Claude how to organize the code.
“Structure this as a reusable class with separate methods for each major section. I want to be able to easily change the example values later without rewriting the whole scene.”
Example: Building a Pythagorean Theorem Visualization
Let’s walk through a real example. Here’s how you might prompt Claude:
“Create a Manim animation that proves the Pythagorean theorem visually. Start with a right triangle with sides labeled a, b, and c. Then show squares being constructed on each side. Animate the areas of the two smaller squares combining to equal the area of the larger square—use color and motion to make the proof intuitive. Target audience is middle school students seeing this for the first time. Use the classic 3Blue1Brown dark background style.”
Claude would:
- Set up the scene with a right triangle
- Label the sides with mathematical notation
- Animate square construction on each side
- Use color coding (perhaps blue for a², green for b², red for c²)
- Animate the visual proof showing area equivalence
- Render and return the MP4
If something’s off—maybe the squares overlap awkwardly or the timing feels rushed—you can simply say “the squares are overlapping, can you add more spacing?” and Claude will adjust and re-render.
Tips for Complex Animations
Use LaTeX for Equations
Manim has excellent LaTeX support. Don’t settle for plain text.
“Display the quadratic formula using proper LaTeX rendering, then animate each component being highlighted as you explain what it represents.”
Request Camera Movement for 3D
If you’re working in three dimensions, camera movement is essential.
“Slowly rotate the camera around the 3D surface so viewers can see the shape from multiple angles. Start with a front view, rotate 180 degrees over 10 seconds, then settle on a three-quarter view.”
Ask for Color Consistency
“Use a consistent color scheme throughout: blue for the original function, orange for derivatives, green for integrals. Apply this to both the graphs and the equations.”
Build a Style Guide for Series
If you’re creating multiple related videos:
“I’m creating a series on calculus fundamentals. Establish a consistent style: dark background (#1a1a2e), primary accent (#4361ee), secondary accent (#f72585), equation font size 48, animation default runtime 1 second. Apply this to all future scenes.”
When to Use Artifacts vs. Full Renders
Claude offers two paths for visualization:
Artifacts (React/HTML/SVG): Best for interactive diagrams, quick mockups, or content that doesn’t need to be a video file. Renders instantly.
Full Manim renders: Best for polished, shareable video content. Takes longer but produces broadcast-quality output.
A good workflow: sketch the concept in an artifact first, confirm the visual logic works, then commit to a full Manim render for the final version.
Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them
Too much in one scene. Break complex topics into multiple shorter animations rather than one long one. Easier to debug, easier to edit, easier for viewers to digest.
Forgetting about timing. Default animation speeds are often too fast for educational content. Explicitly slow things down and add pauses.
Skipping the narrative. A beautiful animation without clear pedagogical flow is just eye candy. Always specify what you want the viewer to understand at each step.
Not iterating. Your first render won’t be perfect. Plan for 2-3 rounds of refinement. This is normal.
Conclusion
Manim democratized mathematical visualization by making it programmable. AI assistants like Claude democratize it further by removing the programming barrier.
You don’t need to master Python. You don’t need to memorize Manim’s API. You need to clearly understand what you want to teach and be able to describe it.
The combination is powerful: Manim’s precision and visual elegance, paired with Claude’s ability to translate natural language into working code, debug in real-time, and deliver finished video files directly.
If you’re an educator, a student creating study materials, or anyone who wants to make mathematical concepts visually intuitive—the tools are now genuinely accessible.
Describe what you want to teach. Let Claude handle the code. Focus on the pedagogy.
That’s the new workflow.
