How to Make Videos Like 3Blue1Brown (2026) | QuantumSketch
To make videos like 3Blue1Brown, use Manim — the Python engine Grant Sanderson built — or an AI tool that writes the Manim for you. Full guide.
To make videos like 3Blue1Brown, you use Manim — the Python animation engine Grant Sanderson built — or an AI tool that writes the Manim for you. The signature style comes from Manim's smooth transforms, term-by-term equation animation, and a dark background with blue-to-yellow highlights.
The three ingredients of the 3Blue1Brown look
- Manim itself. Every 3Blue1Brown frame is rendered by Manim. It's deterministic: a derivative curve is computed, not "imagined." That precision is the whole aesthetic.
- Term-by-term math. Equations don't pop in — they
Transformfrom one form to the next usingMathTex, so the viewer follows each algebraic step. - Spatial intuition. Grids morph (
ApplyMatrix), vectors slide, and numbers ride along aNumberLine. Abstract ideas become motion.
Path A: Learn Manim (the classic route)
Install Python 3.8+, FFmpeg, and a LaTeX distribution, then pip install manim. A minimal scene:
from manim import *
class Intro(Scene):
def construct(self):
eq = MathTex(r"e^{i\pi} + 1 = 0")
self.play(Write(eq))
self.wait()
Expect 2–4 hours for your first polished animation. Worth it if you want total control. Start with Learn Manim in 30 Minutes and Mobjects, Scenes & Animations Explained.
Path B: Let AI write the Manim (the 2026 route)
Describe the video in plain English and an LLM produces the Manim, renders it, and narrates it:
"Explain the chain rule using f(g(x)) = sin(x²), highlighting each layer."
QuantumSketch does exactly this — no Python, no install. It uses real Manim, so you keep the deterministic 3Blue1Brown precision. See Manim Without Code.
Matching the style (whichever path)
| Element | How to get it |
|---|---|
| Dark canvas | Manim's default BLACK background |
| Blue→yellow accents | BLUE, YELLOW on key terms |
| Smooth motion | Transform, rate_func=smooth |
| Narration | TTS aligned to beats |
Start your first video
→ quantumsketch.app — type a concept, get a 3Blue1Brown-style render. Then explore concept walkthroughs like Visualize the Fourier Transform and Visualize a Neural Network.
Written by Shihab Shahriar Antor · Shahriar Labs
FAQ
Q.What software does 3Blue1Brown use?
3Blue1Brown is made by Grant Sanderson using Manim, a Python animation engine he wrote himself. The original version (often called ManimGL) lives at github.com/3b1b/manim, and a community fork called Manim Community Edition (ManimCE) is more stable and beginner-friendly. Manim renders mathematical objects — equations, graphs, vectors, transforms — frame by frame using OpenGL and FFmpeg, which is why the motion is so smooth and the equations animate term by term. The signature look (dark background, blue-to-yellow highlights) comes from Manim's default color palette plus Grant's editing choices.
Q.Do I need to be a programmer to animate like 3Blue1Brown?
Not anymore. Historically you needed solid Python skills to write Manim Scene classes by hand. In 2026, AI tools like QuantumSketch let you describe the animation in plain English and generate the Manim code automatically, then render it in the cloud. You still benefit from understanding the math you want to explain — the clearer your storyboard, the better the animation — but you do not need to know Python, install LaTeX, or configure FFmpeg yourself.