Manim - positions of words in a sentence are squeezed together

Question

I want to

1. create a sentence

2. Create a square

3. make the square move from word to word in the sentence

   from manim import *

   class QuoteScene(Scene):

   def construct(self):
       quote = Text("Imagination is more important than knowledge.", font_size=24, line_spacing=1.5)
       quote.to_edge(UP)
   
       # 2. Create a square
       square = Square(color=RED)
       square.set_width(0.5)
   
       # Define a list of words (indices) the square will visit in order
       word_indices = [0, 6, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3]
   
       # Play the animation to write the quote
       self.play(Write(quote), run_time=2)
   
       # Debug: Mark positions of the first few words
       for i in range(min(len(word_indices), len(quote))):
           dot = Dot(color=BLUE).move_to(quote[i].get_center())
           self.add(dot)
   
       # Move the square to the first word initially
       first_word = quote[word_indices[0]]
       square.move_to(first_word.get_center())
       self.add(square)
   
       # Animate the square moving from word to word
       for word_idx in word_indices:
           word = quote[word_idx]
           self.play(square.animate.move_to(word.get_center()), run_time=1, rate_func=linear)
   
       self.wait(3)
   

I have market the word's position here. They are squeezed together. and the sqare of course, only move a bit in the first word.

the blue dot are the word's position as marked in the picture.

Answer 1

Using Tex instead of Text class makes this relatively simple:

def construct(self):
    quote = Tex("Imagination ","is ","more ","important ","than ","knowledge.", font_size=42)
    quote.to_edge(UP, buff=1)

    # Define a list of words (indices) the square will visit in order
    word_indices = [0, 5, 4, 1, 2, 3]

    # 2. Create a square
    buff=0.2
    rect = Rectangle(color=RED)
    rect.set(height=quote.height+buff)

    # Move the square to the first word initially
    first_word = quote[word_indices[0]]
    rect.stretch_to_fit_width(width=first_word.width+buff)
    rect.move_to(first_word.get_center())

    # Play the animation to write the quote
    self.play(Write(quote), run_time=2)

    # Debug: Mark positions of the first few words
    for i in range(min(len(word_indices), len(quote))):
        dot = Dot(color=BLUE).move_to(quote[i].get_center())
        self.add(dot)

    self.add(rect)
    # Animate the square moving from word to word
    for word_idx in word_indices:
        word = quote[word_idx]
        self.play(rect.animate.move_to(word.get_center()).stretch_to_fit_width(width=word.width+buff),
                   run_time=1, rate_func=linear)
        self.wait(0.5)

    self.wait(3)