Getting Started with Animo
Welcome to Animo! This guide walks you through installing the Animo desktop app and rendering your first animation locally on your machine using AI and Manim.
What is Animo?
Animo is a lightweight (~6 MB) native desktop app for macOS, Windows, and Linux. You describe what you want in plain English, an AI coding agent generates clean Manim code, and the animation renders locally on your machine. No cloud uploads. You own the code and the videos.
Animo runs on top of an AI coding CLI you already have installed: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, or OpenCode. If you already pay for ChatGPT or Claude, there is no extra AI cost.
Step 1: Install Prerequisites
Animo renders animations on your machine, so a few tools need to be installed first:
- Python 3.9+ with the Manim Community Edition library installed (
pip install manim) - FFmpeg for encoding the rendered frames into MP4 video
- An AI coding CLI: Claude Code, OpenAI Codex, Gemini CLI, or OpenCode (you choose during onboarding)
Don't have these yet? The first-run onboarding inside the app will check for each one and walk you through installing whatever is missing.
Step 2: Download and Install the App
Grab the right build for your operating system from the download page:
- Visit animo.video/download
- Pick your platform: macOS (Apple Silicon or Intel), Windows (.msi/.exe), or Linux (.deb for Debian/Ubuntu)
- Run the installer and launch Animo from your Applications, Start Menu, or app launcher
The first time you open the app, you'll go through a short onboarding that verifies your environment, lets you sign in, and connects your preferred AI coding CLI.
Step 3: Activate Your License
Animo is a one-time purchase of $49 for a lifetime license, including all future updates. The license works on one machine at a time and is transferable.
- Buy a license at animo.video/pricing
- You'll receive a license key by email
- Paste the key into the app's activation screen
You can also start with a free trial to test rendering before you buy.
Step 4: Create Your First Animation
Once you're inside the app:
- Click "New Project" and give it a name (e.g., "My First Animation")
- Pick a folder on your machine where the project files and rendered videos will live
- In the chat panel, describe what you want to see. The AI generates Manim code in the editor on the right
- Click Render to run Manim locally and preview the result
Example Prompt
"Animate the Pythagorean theorem. Draw a right triangle with legs labeled a and b and hypotenuse c, then morph squares onto each side and show that a² + b² = c²."
Effective prompts: Be specific about objects, labels, motion, timing, and color. The clearer the description, the less iteration the agent needs.
Step 5: Iterate on the Code
Unlike a black box, Animo gives you full control of the underlying Manim code. You can:
- Send a follow-up message like "make the squares semi-transparent and slow the morph to 2 seconds" and let the agent edit the code
- Edit the Python directly in the built-in editor and re-render
- Commit it to git — the project folder is just a normal directory of
.pyfiles you own
Common mistake: Cramming a whole lesson into one render. Break long ideas into several short scenes — they're faster to render, easier to fix, and simpler to edit together later.
Step 6: Export and Share
When you're happy with the result:
- Pick a quality preset (draft, medium, or high) and click Render for the final pass
- The MP4 is written straight to your project folder — open it in Finder, Explorer, or your file manager
- Drop it into YouTube, a Keynote/PowerPoint slide, a class lesson, or your video editor of choice
Power user tip: Because everything is local Python, you can script batch renders, version-control your animations, or import your own Manim modules and assets into a project.
Tips for Great Animations
- Be specific about objects, labels, colors, and motion
- Render in draft quality while iterating, then switch to high for the final pass
- One idea per scene — short scenes render faster and are easier to fix
- Read the code the agent writes; small manual tweaks are often faster than another prompt
- Reuse projects as templates — duplicate a working folder and adapt it for the next video
Next Steps
Now that you've created your first animation, here are some next steps to explore:
- Try our tutorials for more advanced techniques
- Explore templates for quick, professional results
- Learn about adding narration to your animations
- Discover how to customize animation styles
Need Help?
If you have any questions or need assistance:
- Visit our Help Center
- Contact support@animo.video
- Join our Discord community for tips and inspiration
We're excited to see what you create with Animo!
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