Setup virtual env for Manim

SetupManimVenv.md

Setup Manim Virtual Environment

Create Project Location

cd \
cd projects/<path-to-place>
mkdir myanimations
cd myanimations

Create Virtual Environment

virtualenv -p python env
.\env\scripts\activate # Windows
source env/scripts/activate # mac

Clone manim

• Make sure the virtual environment is activate

git clone https://github.com/3b1b/manim

Remove .git

cd manim
rm -rf .git # Remove develoer's 
git init # Start your own

Load to Visual Student Code

• Make sure you are in manim directory

code .

Modify requirements.txt If in Windows

• In Visaul Studio Code, open file requirements.txt
• Remove last line ; sys_platform == 'win32'
• Remove pycairo because we need to install it manully in separated process
• Save the file and run command below in command line

Check Current Installed Packages in Virtual Environment

• It should be empty

python -m pip freeze

Install Packages List on requirements.txt

python -m pip install -r requirements.txt
python -m pip freeze

Manually Download and Install pycairo

Download

• In Google Search Engine, type unofficial python packages
• The Unofficial Windows Binaries for Python Extension Packages will show on the top
• Ctrl+F to activate Find field and type pycairo to search
• Click on pycairo, you will be located into the download place
• Chose the one can match your system. In my case, I chose pycairo‑1.19.1‑cp38‑cp38‑win_amd64.whl
• Download and move it in anywhere in your computer and you can easy to remebered. I put in C:\data\wheels\

Install pycairo

• In your command line, make sure
  • the project is activated
  • your virtual environment package env and manim directories should be parallel
  • Make sure you underneath manim directory

python -m pip install c:\data\wheels\pycairo-1.19.1-cp38-cp38-win_amd64.whl
python -m pip freeze

(Optional) Remove Unused manim Stuff

• Underneath manim, remove
  • .github folder
  • travis.yml
  • all docker files

Run Test

• In command line type

python -m manim example_scenes.py -pl