Allow passing iterables to Scene.add() and improve comments for flatten_iterable_parameters()

manim/scene/scene.py

@@ -464,6 +464,9 @@ def add(self, *mobjects: Mobject):
             The same scene after adding the Mobjects in.
 
         """
+        # Allows passing an iterable of mobjects without unpacking it first
+        mobjects = flatten_iterable_parameters(mobjects)
+
         if config.renderer == RendererType.OPENGL:
             new_mobjects = []
             new_meshes = []
@@ -899,9 +902,10 @@ def compile_animations(
         Tuple[:class:`Animation`]
             Animations to be played.
         """
-        animations = []
+        # Allow passing a generator or any iterable to self.play instead of comma separated arguments
+        # and also without needing to unpack it first
         arg_anims = flatten_iterable_parameters(args)
-        # Allow passing a generator to self.play instead of comma separated arguments
+        animations = []
         for arg in arg_anims:
             try:
                 animations.append(prepare_animation(arg))

manim/utils/parameter_parsing.py

@@ -25,8 +25,14 @@ def flatten_iterable_parameters(
     """
     flattened_parameters: list[T] = []
     for arg in args:
-        if isinstance(arg, (Iterable, GeneratorType)):
+        # If we want to pass a Mobject, we must consider that it is technically iterable
+        # because it defines `__iter__()`. However, Mobject and its subclasses should be
+        # treated as single objects rather than being expanded. To identify them,
+        # we check for the `submobjects` attribute.
+        if isinstance(arg, (Iterable, GeneratorType)) and not hasattr(
+            arg, "submobjects"
+        ):
             flattened_parameters.extend(arg)
         else:
-            flattened_parameters.append(arg)
+            flattened_parameters.append(arg)  # type: ignore[arg-type]
     return flattened_parameters