# Question: Can I modify and save figures without regenerating each from scratch?
**URL:** https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/question-can-i-modify-and-save-figures-without-regenerating-each-from-scratch/3488
**Category:** PyGMT Q&A
**Created:** [November 27, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/question-can-i-modify-and-save-figures-without-regenerating-each-from-scratch/3488 "2022-11-27T20:13:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ianfoster](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/ianfoster)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2022, 8:13pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/question-can-i-modify-and-save-figures-without-regenerating-each-from-scratch/3488/1 "2022-11-27T20:13:40Z")
I want to generate a sequence of PNGs that I will then turn into an animation with ffmpeg. With matplotlib, I can do this roughly as below. Can I do similar things with GMT?
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
plt.figure()
… Add a bunch of stuff to the figure …
for index in range(1000): # Create a sequence of images with numbers 0…1000
text\_ptr = plt.text(x, y, f’{index}’)
plt.savefig(f’fig{index:03}.png’
text\_ptr.remove() # Remove 'previous text
… create animation by using the resulting 1000 .png files
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### Author:  [@KristofKoch](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/KristofKoch)
#### Post date: [November 27, 2022, 9:17pm UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/question-can-i-modify-and-save-figures-without-regenerating-each-from-scratch/3488/2 "2022-11-27T21:17:24Z")
Hi Ian, welcome to the GMT universe.
I’m sure you found the [`movie` module](https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/movie.html) already. I’m not quite sure I understood your objective: You want to animate text superimposed on your static plot?
You could achieve something like this in [classic mode](https://docs.generic-mapping-tools.org/latest/modules-classic.html): Generate the plot layer once and then all the frames with your text. Then bake them into your final frames. Be warned: classic mode is _very_ powerful and has an equally steep learning curve.
If you just want to animate some text over a static plot a detour into your favourite post production software might be the easiest solution. Just animate it right in there.
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### Author:  [@pwessel](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/u/pwessel)
#### Post date: [November 28, 2022, 8:23am UTC](https://forum.generic-mapping-tools.org/t/question-can-i-modify-and-save-figures-without-regenerating-each-from-scratch/3488/3 "2022-11-28T08:23:37Z")
Hi Ian, unfortunately the **movie** module has not been wrapped in PyGMT yet as it is nontrivial. For bash command line scripting and movie making you can see what can be done by visiting the [GMT YouTube channel](https://www.youtube.com/c/TheGenericMappingTools).