Adding the ability to pass lists and generators to .play()

manim/animation/composition.py

@@ -3,11 +3,13 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
-from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable, Sequence
+import types
+from typing import TYPE_CHECKING, Callable, Iterable, Sequence
 
 import numpy as np
 
 from manim.mobject.opengl.opengl_mobject import OpenGLGroup
+from manim.utils.parameter_parsing import flatten_iterable_parameters
 
 from .._config import config
 from ..animation.animation import Animation, prepare_animation
@@ -54,14 +56,15 @@ class AnimationGroup(Animation):
 
     def __init__(
         self,
-        *animations: Animation,
+        *animations: Animation | Iterable[Animation] | types.GeneratorType[Animation],
         group: Group | VGroup | OpenGLGroup | OpenGLVGroup = None,
         run_time: float | None = None,
         rate_func: Callable[[float], float] = linear,
         lag_ratio: float = 0,
         **kwargs,
     ) -> None:
-        self.animations = [prepare_animation(anim) for anim in animations]
+        arg_anim = flatten_iterable_parameters(animations)
+        self.animations = [prepare_animation(anim) for anim in arg_anim]
         self.rate_func = rate_func
         self.group = group
         if self.group is None:

manim/mobject/types/vectorized_mobject.py

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from manim.utils.parameter_parsing import flatten_iterable_parameters
+
 __all__ = [
     "VMobject",
     "VGroup",
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@
         Vector3,
         Zeros,
     )
+from types import GeneratorType
 
 # TODO
 # - Change cubic curve groups to have 4 points instead of 3
@@ -1903,8 +1906,9 @@ def construct(self):
     """
 
     def __init__(self, *vmobjects, **kwargs):
+        vm_arg = flatten_iterable_parameters(vmobjects)
         super().__init__(**kwargs)
-        self.add(*vmobjects)
+        self.add(*vm_arg)
 
     def __repr__(self) -> str:
         return f'{self.__class__.__name__}({", ".join(str(mob) for mob in self.submobjects)})'

manim/renderer/cairo_renderer.py

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import typing
-from typing import Any
 
 import numpy as np
 
@@ -15,6 +14,10 @@
 from ..utils.iterables import list_update
 
 if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    import types
+    from typing import Any, Iterable
+
+    from manim.animation.animation import Animation
     from manim.scene.scene import Scene
 
 
@@ -51,7 +54,12 @@ def init_scene(self, scene):
             scene.__class__.__name__,
         )
 
-    def play(self, scene, *args, **kwargs):
+    def play(
+        self,
+        scene: Scene,
+        *args: Animation | Iterable[Animation] | types.GeneratorType[Animation],
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
         # Reset skip_animations to the original state.
         # Needed when rendering only some animations, and skipping others.
         self.skip_animations = self._original_skipping_status

manim/scene/scene.py

@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 
 from __future__ import annotations
 
+from manim.utils.parameter_parsing import flatten_iterable_parameters
+
 __all__ = ["Scene"]
 
 import copy
@@ -13,7 +15,6 @@
 import time
 import types
 from queue import Queue
-from typing import Callable
 
 import srt
 
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@
     dearpygui_imported = True
 except ImportError:
     dearpygui_imported = False
+import typing
+from typing import Iterable
+
 import numpy as np
 from tqdm import tqdm
 from watchdog.events import FileSystemEventHandler
@@ -48,6 +52,9 @@
 from ..utils.file_ops import open_media_file
 from ..utils.iterables import list_difference_update, list_update
 
+if typing.TYPE_CHECKING:
+    from typing import Callable
+
 
 class RerunSceneHandler(FileSystemEventHandler):
     """A class to handle rerunning a Scene after the input file is modified."""
@@ -865,7 +872,11 @@ def get_moving_and_static_mobjects(self, animations):
         )
         return all_moving_mobject_families, static_mobjects
 
-    def compile_animations(self, *args: Animation, **kwargs):
+    def compile_animations(
+        self,
+        *args: Animation | Iterable[Animation] | types.GeneratorType[Animation],
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
         """
         Creates _MethodAnimations from any _AnimationBuilders and updates animation
         kwargs with kwargs passed to play().
@@ -883,7 +894,9 @@ def compile_animations(self, *args: Animation, **kwargs):
             Animations to be played.
         """
         animations = []
-        for arg in args:
+        arg_anims = flatten_iterable_parameters(args)
+        # Allow passing a generator to self.play instead of comma separated arguments
+        for arg in arg_anims:
             try:
                 animations.append(prepare_animation(arg))
             except TypeError:
@@ -1027,7 +1040,7 @@ def get_run_time(self, animations: list[Animation]):
 
     def play(
         self,
-        *args,
+        *args: Animation | Iterable[Animation] | types.GeneratorType[Animation],
         subcaption=None,
         subcaption_duration=None,
         subcaption_offset=0,
@@ -1157,7 +1170,11 @@ def wait_until(self, stop_condition: Callable[[], bool], max_time: float = 60):
         """
         self.wait(max_time, stop_condition=stop_condition)
 
-    def compile_animation_data(self, *animations: Animation, **play_kwargs):
+    def compile_animation_data(
+        self,
+        *animations: Animation | Iterable[Animation] | types.GeneratorType[Animation],
+        **play_kwargs,
+    ):
         """Given a list of animations, compile the corresponding
         static and moving mobjects, and gather the animation durations.
 

manim/utils/parameter_parsing.py

@@ -0,0 +1,29 @@
+from types import GeneratorType
+from typing import Iterable, TypeVar
+
+T = TypeVar("T")
+
+
+def flatten_iterable_parameters(
+    args: Iterable[T | Iterable[T] | GeneratorType],
+) -> list[T]:
+    """Flattens an iterable of parameters into a list of parameters.
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    args
+        The iterable of parameters to flatten.
+        [(generator), [], (), ...]
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    :class:`list`
+        The flattened list of parameters.
+    """
+    flattened_parameters = []
+    for arg in args:
+        if isinstance(arg, (Iterable, GeneratorType)):
+            flattened_parameters.extend(arg)
+        else:
+            flattened_parameters.append(arg)
+    return flattened_parameters