API Reference

API Reference

All modules live under the top-level package real_time_manim. The wheel has no re-exported __init__ API, so import from the submodules directly.

---

MLWindow — the live renderer

real_time_manim.vulkan_bind

from real_time_manim.vulkan_bind import MLWindow
win = MLWindow(w=1920, h=1080)
win.scene = my_scene          # bind a Manim Scene
win.play(...)                 # run animations
win.close()

Member	Type / Signature	Purpose
MLWindow(w=1920, h=1080)	ctor	Open a real-time Vulkan window.
.scene	attribute	Bind the Manim Scene being driven.
.play(*animations, **kwargs)	method	Run one or more animations (respects run_time, lag_ratio, …).
.close()	method	Shut the window down (releases the Vulkan device).
.screenshot(path)	method	Save the current frame (framebuffer readback) to a BMP.
.screenshot_printwindow(path)	method	Capture the client area (screen-based; occlusion-sensitive).
.start_record(path, fps=60)	method	Begin real-time capture of the visible window (background thread).
.stop_record()	method	Stop capture, encode frames to the MP4, clean temp frames.
.enable_fast_record(path, fps=60, segment=None, hidden=True, count_only=False)	method	Begin offline capture (pipe or BMP mode).
._finish_fast_record()	method	Flush/encode an offline capture.

Prefer the high-level helpers in record.py over driving start_record/enable_fast_record by hand.

---

record — one-call recording

real_time_manim.record

Both helpers accept a Scene subclass, a Scene instance, or a no-arg callable, run it, auto-record every MLWindow it opens, and (by default) clean up the transient media/ folder afterwards. Return {"out_path", "windows", "files"}.

fast_record_scene(scene, out_path=None, *, fps=60, hidden=True, count_only=False, segment=None, overwrite=True, cleanup=True, verbose=True)

Offline, windowless-by-default recording via framebuffer readback piped to ffmpeg. Output defaults to ~/Downloads/output.mp4.

Param	Default	Meaning
out_path	None → ~/Downloads/output.mp4	Destination MP4 (or a directory in segment mode).
fps	60	Output frame rate.
hidden	True	Hide the Vulkan window while capturing.
count_only	False	Probe mode — count frames without capturing/rendering.
segment	None	(start_frame, end_frame) → capture a frame range into BMP files (then out_path is a directory).
overwrite	True	If False, raise FileExistsError when the target exists.
cleanup	True	Remove transient manim media/ after recording.
verbose	True	Print per-window progress.

record_scene(scene, out_path=None, *, fps=60, overwrite=True, cleanup=True, verbose=True)

Records a live, visible window in a background thread (the interactive path). Same return shape and defaults as fast_record_scene (no hidden/count_only/segment — it needs a visible window).

from real_time_manim.record import fast_record_scene, record_scene
fast_record_scene(MyScene)                       # ~/Downloads/output.mp4
fast_record_scene(MyScene, "a.mp4", fps=30, hidden=False)
record_scene(MyScene, "live.mp4")

A scene that opens several windows produces out.mp4, out_part2.mp4, …

---

util — LaTeX cache & cleanup

real_time_manim.util

from real_time_manim.util import restore_tex_cache, save_tex_cache, clear_media

Function	Purpose	Notable params
restore_tex_cache(cache_dir, media_dir=None, *, tex_subdir="Tex", only_ext=(".svg",), overwrite=False, dry_run=False, verbose=True)	Copy cached SVGs into manim's compile dir so unchanged math is reused (returns count copied).	media_dir, tex_subdir, only_ext, overwrite, dry_run, verbose
save_tex_cache(cache_dir, media_dir=None, *, ...)	Store newly compiled SVGs back into the cache (returns count saved).	same knobs
clear_media(media_dir=None, *, verbose=True)	Force-remove the transient media folder. Not optional — always attempts full removal.	media_dir, verbose

media_dir defaults to <cwd>/media; manim writes LaTeX SVGs into its Tex sub-folder by default.

---

Animations

real_time_manim.animations (re-exported by real_time_manim.vulkan_bind)

from real_time_manim.vulkan_bind import Create, Write, Transform, FadeOut, ...

Category	Names
Transforms	Transform, ReplacementTransform, FadeTransform, FadeTransformPieces, TransformMatchingShapes, TransformMatchingTex
Drawing	Create, Uncreate, DrawBorderThenFill, ShowIncreasingSubsets, SpiralIn
Fading	FadeIn, FadeOut
Movement / scaling	MoveToTarget, MoveAlongPath, GrowFromCenter, GrowFromEdge, GrowFromPoint, GrowArrow, SpinInFromNothing
Text	Write, Unwrite, TypeWithCursor, UntypeWithCursor
Rotation	Rotate, Rotating
Effects	ApplyWave, Circumscribe, Indicate, ShowPassingFlash, Blink, Homotopy
Grouping / timing	AnimationGroup, Succession
Numeric	TextDecimalNumber
Base	Animation, Wait, Add

See Recording for the recorders and Internals for how animations are tracked on mobjects.