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Understanding the Interface

Let's explore the AniMathIO interface to help you navigate and use the software effectively.

Main Layout​

Dashboard​

When you first launch AniMathIO, you'll see the dashboard where you can view recent projects, create new ones, or open existing projects. After selecting or creating a project, you'll enter the editor interface described below.

AniMathIO Dashboard Overview

Editor Interface​

AniMathIO's interface is designed with clarity and functionality in mind, divided into several key areas:

AniMathIO Menu Bar Overview AniMathIO Interface Overview

  • File: Quit the application
  • Settings: Configure the application theme and Gemini API settings, view keyboard shortcuts, and optionally enable the local MCP server for AI agent integration. MCP is disabled by default; Settings provides the endpoint URL and authentication token for your client. Your preferences are saved for future sessions.
  • Help: From here you can access the documentation, the website and the community Discord server

The left sidebar contains all the tools and components you'll need to create your mathematical videos:

  • Videos: Here you can upload and manage your videos
  • Images: Import and manage your images
  • Mathematical Objects: Access various mathematical components like points, lines, functions, and more
  • Audios: Import and manage your audio files
  • Audio Mixer: Control the volume of your audio files
  • Text: Create and manage text elements
  • Animations: Create and manage animations
  • Effects: Apply various effects to your images and videos
  • Background Fill: Customize the background color
  • Export: Set video lenght, aspect ratio, format. Here you can save/save as your project or render it as a video after you're done
  • Manim Import: Paste or load a Manim Community Python scene and turn it into editable timeline elements — see Importing Manim Scenes

Secondary Left Sidebar - Media Pool​

  • Here you can see, and delete the active elements in your project that are also present in the canvas and the timeline

Canvas​

The central area is your canvas - this is where you'll see your creation take shape:

  • Drag and resize elements directly on the canvas
    • You can also move the elements using the ctrl + arrow keys keyboard shortcut, and remove elements using the ctrl + delete keyboard shortcut
  • Preview how your animation will look in real-time

Timeline​

The bottom section contains the timeline where you can:

  • Control the timing of each element's appearance and animations
  • Preview the animation in real-time, you can see where the current time is by the red indicator line
  • Jump forward and backward in time using the arrow keys or the buttons
  • Jump to the beginning and end of the animation using the buttons

Next Steps​

Now that you're familiar with the interface, let's learn how to work with mathematical components to create your first animation.