Add --preview_command cli flag

manim/_config/utils.py

@@ -318,6 +318,7 @@ class MyScene(Scene): ...
         "zero_pad",
         "force_window",
         "no_latex_cleanup",
+        "preview_command",
     }
 
     def __init__(self) -> None:
@@ -767,6 +768,7 @@ def digest_args(self, args: argparse.Namespace) -> Self:
             "force_window",
             "dry_run",
             "no_latex_cleanup",
+            "preview_command",
         ]:
             if hasattr(args, key):
                 attr = getattr(args, key)
@@ -1016,6 +1018,14 @@ def no_latex_cleanup(self) -> bool:
     def no_latex_cleanup(self, value: bool) -> None:
         self._set_boolean("no_latex_cleanup", value)
 
+    @property
+    def preview_command(self) -> str:
+        return self._d["preview_command"]
+
+    @preview_command.setter
+    def preview_command(self, value: str) -> None:
+        self._set_str("preview_command", value)
+
     @property
     def verbosity(self) -> str:
         """Logger verbosity; "DEBUG", "INFO", "WARNING", "ERROR", or "CRITICAL" (-v)."""

manim/cli/render/global_options.py

@@ -105,4 +105,9 @@ def validate_gui_location(ctx, param, value):
         help="Prevents deletion of .aux, .dvi, and .log files produced by Tex and MathTex.",
         default=False,
     ),
+    option(
+        "--preview_command",
+        help="The command used to preview the output file (for example vlc for video files)",
+        default="",
+    ),
 )

manim/utils/file_ops.py

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 
 from manim import __version__, config, logger
 
-from .. import console
+from .. import config, console
 
 
 def is_mp4_format() -> bool:
@@ -204,8 +204,12 @@ def open_file(file_path, in_browser=False):
                 commands = ["open"] if not in_browser else ["open", "-R"]
         else:
             raise OSError("Unable to identify your operating system...")
+
+        # check after so that file path is set correctly
+        if config.preview_command:
+            commands = [config.preview_command]
         commands.append(file_path)
-        sp.Popen(commands)
+        sp.run(commands)
 
 
 def open_media_file(file_writer: SceneFileWriter) -> None: