hermes-agent/skills/creative/manim-video/references/camera-and-3d.md

Camera and 3D Reference

MovingCameraScene (2D Camera Control)

class ZoomExample(MovingCameraScene):
    def construct(self):
        circle = Circle(radius=2, color=BLUE)
        self.play(Create(circle))
        # Zoom in
        self.play(self.camera.frame.animate.set(width=4).move_to(circle.get_top()), run_time=2)
        self.wait(2)
        # Zoom back out
        self.play(self.camera.frame.animate.set(width=14.222).move_to(ORIGIN), run_time=2)

Camera Operations

self.camera.frame.animate.set(width=6)     # zoom in
self.camera.frame.animate.set(width=20)    # zoom out
self.camera.frame.animate.move_to(target)  # pan
self.camera.frame.save_state()             # save
self.play(Restore(self.camera.frame))      # restore

ThreeDScene

class ThreeDExample(ThreeDScene):
    def construct(self):
        self.set_camera_orientation(phi=60*DEGREES, theta=-45*DEGREES)
        axes = ThreeDAxes()
        surface = Surface(
            lambda u, v: axes.c2p(u, v, np.sin(u) * np.cos(v)),
            u_range=[-PI, PI], v_range=[-PI, PI], resolution=(30, 30)
        )
        surface.set_color_by_gradient(BLUE, GREEN, YELLOW)
        self.play(Create(axes), Create(surface))
        self.begin_ambient_camera_rotation(rate=0.2)
        self.wait(5)
        self.stop_ambient_camera_rotation()

Camera Control in 3D

self.set_camera_orientation(phi=70*DEGREES, theta=-45*DEGREES)
self.move_camera(phi=45*DEGREES, theta=30*DEGREES, run_time=2)
self.begin_ambient_camera_rotation(rate=0.2)

3D Mobjects

sphere = Sphere(radius=1).set_color(BLUE).set_opacity(0.7)
cube = Cube(side_length=2, fill_color=GREEN, fill_opacity=0.5)
arrow = Arrow3D(start=ORIGIN, end=[2, 1, 1], color=RED)
# 2D text facing camera:
label = Text("Label", font_size=30)
self.add_fixed_in_frame_mobjects(label)

Parametric Curves

helix = ParametricFunction(
    lambda t: [np.cos(t), np.sin(t), t / (2*PI)],
    t_range=[0, 4*PI], color=YELLOW
)

When to Use 3D

• Surfaces, vector fields, spatial geometry, 3D transforms

When NOT to Use 3D

• 2D concepts, text-heavy scenes, flat data (bar charts, time series)

ZoomedScene — Inset Zoom

Show a magnified inset of a detail while keeping the full view visible:

class ZoomExample(ZoomedScene):
    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
        super().__init__(
            zoom_factor=0.3,           # how much of the scene the zoom box covers
            zoomed_display_height=3,   # size of the inset
            zoomed_display_width=3,
            zoomed_camera_frame_starting_position=ORIGIN,
            **kwargs
        )

    def construct(self):
        self.camera.background_color = BG
        # ... create your scene content ...

        # Activate the zoom
        self.activate_zooming()

        # Move the zoom frame to a point of interest
        self.play(self.zoomed_camera.frame.animate.move_to(detail_point))
        self.wait(2)

        # Deactivate
        self.play(self.get_zoomed_display_pop_out_animation(), rate_func=lambda t: smooth(1-t))

Use cases: zooming into a specific term in an equation, showing fine detail in a diagram, magnifying a region of a plot.

LinearTransformationScene — Linear Algebra

Pre-built scene with basis vectors and grid for visualizing matrix transformations:

class LinearTransformExample(LinearTransformationScene):
    def __init__(self, **kwargs):
        super().__init__(
            show_coordinates=True,
            show_basis_vectors=True,
            **kwargs
        )

    def construct(self):
        matrix = [[2, 1], [1, 1]]

        # Add a vector before applying the transform
        vector = self.get_vector([1, 2], color=YELLOW)
        self.add_vector(vector)

        # Apply the transformation — grid, basis vectors, and your vector all transform
        self.apply_matrix(matrix)
        self.wait(2)

This produces the signature 3Blue1Brown "Essence of Linear Algebra" look — grid lines deforming, basis vectors stretching, determinant visualized through area change.