How to Use Animo with Cursor: A Complete Walkthrough

Cursor is an AI code editor. Animo is an extension that creates Manim animations. Together, they’re probably the easiest way to make math videos right now.

This guide shows how they work together.

Why Cursor + Animo?

Cursor has built-in AI that understands code. When you add Animo, that AI learns how to write Manim animations. It knows the syntax, understands timing, and writes code that actually runs.

You describe what you want and get a video back.

Setting up

1. Download Cursor

If you don’t have Cursor yet, download it from cursor.sh. It’s free and works on Mac, Windows, and Linux.

2. Install the Animo extension

Open Cursor and press Cmd+Shift+X (Mac) or Ctrl+Shift+X (Windows) to open Extensions. Search for “Animo” and click Install.

3. Sign in to Animo

Click the Animo icon in the left sidebar. Sign in with your Animo account. If you don’t have one, create it at animo.video.

Once signed in, Animo installs its tools automatically.

How it works

A typical session:

Step 1: Open the AI chat

Press Cmd+L (Mac) or Ctrl+L (Windows) to open Cursor’s AI chat panel.

Step 2: Describe your animation

Type a clear description of what you want. For example:

Create an animation that shows how derivatives work. Start with a curve, then show a tangent line at a point. Move the tangent line along the curve while showing the slope value.

Be specific. Mention what shapes or objects should appear, the order of events, any colors or styles you prefer, and the math concept you’re explaining.

Step 3: Let the AI work

The AI will:

1. Create a new Python file with Manim code
2. Run the animo command to render the animation
3. Get feedback about the result
4. Make fixes if needed

You’ll see the code being written in real time. You don’t need to understand it.

Step 4: Watch the result

Once rendering finishes, the video appears in the Animo sidebar panel. Watch it. Does it match what you had in mind?

Step 5: Ask for changes

If something’s off, tell the AI:

The tangent line is too thin. Make it thicker and change it to red. Also, make the animation 50% slower.

The AI updates the code and renders again. Repeat until you’re happy with it.

Real example: making a sine wave animation

Your prompt:

Create an animation showing a sine wave being drawn. Start from the left side of the screen and draw the wave moving right. Use blue for the wave. Add axis lines in gray.

What the AI does:

1. Creates a file called sine_wave.py
2. Writes code that creates axes and a sine curve
3. Animates the wave drawing from left to right
4. Sets colors as you asked
5. Renders and shows the result

The code it produces looks something like:

from manim import *

class SineWave(Scene):
    def construct(self):
        axes = Axes(
            x_range=[-1, 10, 1],
            y_range=[-2, 2, 1],
            color=GRAY
        )

        sine_curve = axes.plot(
            lambda x: np.sin(x),
            color=BLUE,
            x_range=[0, 8]
        )

        self.play(Create(axes))
        self.play(Create(sine_curve), run_time=3)
        self.wait()

You don’t need to write or understand any of this. The AI handles it.

Tips

Templates

If you have Animo+, you can use premium templates. Tell the AI:

Use the “Graph Animation” template as a starting point, but change it to show a parabola instead.

Longer videos

For videos with multiple parts:

Create three scenes: First, show the problem. Second, show the solution step by step. Third, show the final answer with a summary.

Text overlays

Animo can add explanatory text:

Add text that appears at the bottom of the screen explaining each step. Change the text as the animation moves forward.

Iterative building

Instead of describing everything at once, build piece by piece:

1. “Create a circle in the center”
2. “Now add a square next to it”
3. “Move the circle into the square”
4. “Change the colors to match my brand: #FF5733 for the circle”

This gives you more control over the final result.

Troubleshooting

Animation won’t render? Make sure you’re signed in to Animo. Check the sidebar panel.

AI doesn’t understand what you want? Be more specific. Instead of “make it better,” say exactly what to change.

Video quality is low? Ask for higher quality: “Render this at 1080p quality.”

Colors look wrong? Use exact color codes: “Use #3498db for blue instead of the default.”

What you can make

With Cursor + Animo, you can create:

• Math explainers (algebra, calculus, geometry)
• Physics simulations (motion, forces, waves)
• Data charts and graphs
• Algorithm animations (sorting, searching, trees)
• Educational content for any visual concept

Next steps

1. Try making your first animation right now
2. Read Getting Started with Animo for more basics
3. Look at Templates for inspiration