Blocks, charts and finishing¶

Blocks¶

A block is a ready-made scene component, copied into your project so you own it.

manimvox add --list          # every block, with what it draws
manimvox add bar-ranking     # writes blocks/bar_ranking.py and prints the import line

from blocks.bar_ranking import bar_ranking, grow, value_x

The eleven blocks: venn, bar-ranking, line-by-level, log-scatter, bug-grid, token-panel, request-flow, sequence-diagram, code-diff, surface-plot (a 3D surface) and mesh-model (a 3D model from a file), the last two for an Episode3D. manimvox add never replaces a block already in the project; --force does.

Charts¶

manimvox.scenes turns frames from Pillow, Cairo, Matplotlib, Plotly or a 3D model into a clip you place and play like any mobject, in the theme's colours.

import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
from manimvox.scenes import from_matplotlib, mpl_style
with plt.rc_context(mpl_style()):
    fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=(9.6, 5.4)); ax.plot([1, 2, 3], [2, 5, 3])
clip = from_matplotlib(fig)   # then clip.move_to(...), self.add(clip), self.play(clip.play(), ...)

Install the matplotlib or plotly extra for them (see the extras table). Plotly exports through Kaleido, which needs Chrome; manimvox never downloads it for you.

Finishing¶

series.json may hold a post object that manimvox render applies after the audio check:

"post": {"music": "music/bed.mp3", "music_db": -16, "duck_db": -12, "captions": "burn", "end_card": ["Sources: FACTS.md"], "card_seconds": 3}

music is a file you provide; it loops under the narration and dips by duck_db while someone speaks. captions is "srt" (default) or "burn". end_card is up to 4 lines. manimvox join then makes one video of the rendered episodes: a title card, then each episode with its own end card.

Every block¶

`bar-ranking`¶

bar-ranking

Horizontal bars ranked by value with labels and values; highlight the leaders, mark a threshold.

manimvox add bar-ranking

from blocks.bar_ranking import bar_ranking, grow, value_x

Parameter	What it is
`rows`	list of (label, value), top to bottom
`max_value`	the value of a full-width bar; default the largest value
`width`	full bar width in scene units
`row_h`	row height in scene units
`colors`	row index → colour; other rows are muted; default
`size`	font size
`fmt`	format of the value text, e.g. "{:.1f}" or "{:,.0f}"
`label_w`	widest a label may be before it shrinks

Returns: VGroup with .rows (each VGroup(label, bar, value)); grow(chart) reveals them; value_x(chart, v) gives a value's x

`bug-grid`¶

bug-grid

One square per item (bugs, tests, files) in a grid; light a slice of it as they are counted.

manimvox add bug-grid

from blocks.bug_grid import bug_grid, light

Parameter	What it is
`n`	how many squares
`cols`	squares per row
`size`	square width in scene units
`gap`	space between squares
`fill`	fill colour before lighting; default PANEL
`stroke`	outline colour before lighting; default LINE

Returns: VGroup of squares in reading order; light(grid[:k], colour) fills the first k

`code-diff`¶

code-diff

Code before and after a change, side by side, with removed and added lines banded in colour.

manimvox add code-diff

from blocks.code_diff import code_diff

Parameter	What it is
`before`	source text before the change
`after`	source text after the change
`title_before`	label of the left panel
`title_after`	label of the right panel
`size`	font size of the code
`w`	width of each panel in scene units

Returns: VGroup with .left and .right panels (.bg, .title, .rows) and .removed and .added bands

`line-by-level`¶

line-by-level

A line chart over named steps (effort levels, versions, weeks), one labelled line per series.

manimvox add line-by-level

from blocks.line_by_level import line_by_level, point

Parameter	What it is
`levels`	names of the x steps, left to right
`series`	list of (name, values, colour), one value per level
`y_max`	top of the y axis
`y_ticks`	values that get a gridline; default quarters of y_max
`width`	plot width in scene units
`height`	plot height in scene units
`size`	font size

Returns: VGroup with .grid, .xlabels, .lines (VGroup(line, dots, labels) per series), .legend; point(chart, i, v) gives a position

`log-scatter`¶

log-scatter

A labelled scatter chart on a log-scale x axis (cost, size, time) against a linear y axis.

manimvox add log-scatter

from blocks.log_scatter import log_scatter, place

Parameter	What it is
`points`	list of (label, x, y, colour), x above 0
`x_range`	(low, high) of the log x axis
`y_range`	(low, high) of the y axis
`x_ticks`	list of (value, text) under the x axis
`y_ticks`	list of (value, text) left of the y axis
`width`	plot width in scene units
`height`	plot height in scene units
`size`	font size

Returns: VGroup with .axes and .marks (VGroup(dot, label) per point); place(chart, x, y) gives a position

`mesh-model`¶

mesh-model

A 3D model from a glTF, OBJ or STL file (Blender exports glTF) as shaded faces the 3D camera orbits. Use in an Episode3D.

manimvox add mesh-model

from blocks.mesh_model import mesh_model, mesh_part

Parameter	What it is
`source`	a .glb, .gltf, .obj, .stl or .ply file, or (vertices, faces) arrays
`size`	the model's largest side in scene units
`color`	theme colour for faces the model gives no colour
`max_faces`	simplify to at most this many triangles, 4 to 5000; fewer renders faster
`up`	the source's up axis: "y" for glTF and OBJ, "z" for STL and CAD
`wire`	draw face edges in the background colour, for a low-poly look

Returns: VGroup of faces with .mesh, .parts and .centres; mesh_part(model, name, inside) picks the faces of one part

`request-flow`¶

request-flow

A value travelling through a chain of stages, boxes joined by arrows, with a token that hops along.

manimvox add request-flow

from blocks.request_flow import request_flow, hop

Parameter	What it is
`stages`	box labels, left to right
`w`	box width in scene units
`color`	box outline colour
`gap`	space between boxes
`size`	font size
`token_color`	the token's starting colour

Returns: VGroup with .nodes, .arrows, .token; hop(flow, i, colour) moves the token above stage i

`sequence-diagram`¶

sequence-diagram

Actors as lifelines and the messages between them in order, replies dashed: who calls whom.

manimvox add sequence-diagram

from blocks.sequence_diagram import sequence_diagram

Parameter	What it is
`actors`	column names, left to right
`messages`	list of (from, to, label) or (from, to, label, "reply")
`top`	y of the actor boxes
`bottom`	y where the lifelines end
`width`	distance from the first actor to the last
`colors`	one colour per actor; default BLUE
`size`	font size of message labels

Returns: VGroup with .lifelines and .messages (in order)

`surface-plot`¶

surface-plot

A 3D surface z = f(x, y) over axes, shaded by height: a loss landscape, a density, a field. Use in an Episode3D.

manimvox add surface-plot

from blocks.surface_plot import surface_plot, surface_point, surface_path, downhill

Parameter	What it is
`f`	the height function f(x, y), finite over the ranges
`x_range`	(low, high) of x
`y_range`	(low, high) of y
`z_range`	(low, high) of the z axis; default fits the surface
`size`	width and depth of the axes in scene units
`height`	height of the z axis in scene units
`colors`	theme colours shading the surface from low to high
`resolution`	patches along each side, 4 to 64; more is smoother and slower

Returns: VGroup with .axes, .surface and .f; surface_point(plot, x, y), surface_path(plot, points) and downhill(plot, x, y) place things on it

`token-panel`¶

token-panel

A monospace panel of short lines (token fields, config, a request); box rows as they are named.

manimvox add token-panel

from blocks.token_panel import token_panel, mark

Parameter	What it is
`lines`	the rows, as strings
`title`	small label in the top-left corner
`size`	font size of the rows
`pad`	space inside the panel, in scene units

Returns: VGroup with .bg, .title, .rows; mark(panel, i, j, colour) boxes rows i..j

`venn`¶

venn

Two overlapping circles with a count in each region: only A, both, only B.

manimvox add venn

from blocks.venn import venn

Parameter	What it is
`left`	label above the left circle
`right`	label above the right circle
`counts`	(only left, both, only right)
`colors`	(left colour, right colour), theme colours; default (BLUE, TEAL)
`r`	circle radius in scene units
`d`	distance between the centres
`size`	font size of the counts

Returns: VGroup with .A .B (circles), .la .lb (labels), .ta .tm .tb (counts) to reveal one by one

Blocks, charts and finishing¶