alt Hacker NewsShow HN: Manim (3Blue1Brown's animation engine) in the browser via WebGPU
Grant Sanderson (3Blue1Brown) created Manim, the Python library he uses to make the math animations in his videos.
We reimplemented Manim with the same Python API, but the implementation underneath is Rust, connected to Python through PyO3. The Rust code uses wgpu, so rendering happens on the GPU.
To run it in the browser, we compiled the Rust parts to WebAssembly so the PyO3 extension loads in Pyodide. In the browser, wgpu targets the WebGPU API, so animations render in real time on your GPU through the browser.
The editor is Monaco (the editor that powers VS Code) with a live preview: write your Manim code on one side, watch the animation update on the other.
There's also a built-in AI agent if you'd rather vibe-code your animations.
Comments
So you vibe ported manim to rust, kept it closed source, and you’re selling access to it with a monthly subscription? This isn’t satire?
manim mcp is open source and works with your existing agent
This is very cool!! I'm also mesmerized about the opening animation that transforms the interface of the editor to a complete viewport state. For some reason is pretty laggy on Chrome (macbook air M1) but Firefox is super smooth. Besides that, awesome idea :)
All of the examples besides the first one that is itself underwhelming are behind a paywall. For all we know it could be pre-recorded. Hard pass.
Looks interesting, but to be honest I'm put off by the idea that you had AI rewrite someone's library and now you're using their name and brand to promote your $20-$100 per month tool based on their work.
Calling it Manim in the browser and using 3Blue1Brown's name is really misleading when you discover that it's none of those things and you're trying to charge for it.
This is a very bad misappropriation of someone else's work and fame for your personal gain.
I can only hope that this inspires some people to vibecode and equivalent service but make it open source and free to all.