Codex Hands-On Tutorial: Generate MG Animation with an AI Agent in One Sentence

What Exactly Is Codex?

If you're only going to learn one AI tool, Codex deserves to be at the very top of your priority list. It's fundamentally different from the conversational AIs we usually deal with—tools like ChatGPT and Claude are more like "smart advisors": you ask, they answer. Codex, on the other hand, is positioned much closer to a genuine AI employee (AI Agent).

Its core capability isn't "answering" but "executing." You give it a command, and it proactively calls various tools, breaks down the task, and gets the job actually done step by step. In other words, you're no longer the person glued to the screen doing manual operations—you become the "commander" who sets the goals and reviews the results.

This role shift from "tool" to "employee" is precisely the core logic behind the current AI Agent wave. This article, based on a beginner-friendly hands-on tutorial, walks through the complete Codex workflow—from project creation and plugin configuration to actually generating animation.

Interface and Projects: Capability Zone + Workspace

Codex's interface design is quite intuitive, divided into left and right sides:

• The left side is the capability zone: This is where you add various "capabilities" to Codex, equivalent to equipping this AI employee with a dedicated toolbox.
• The right side is the workspace: The core area for issuing commands and interacting with the AI.

Creating a new project is simple: click the add button → select "Create Blank Project" → enter the project name. Once done, the newly created project appears on the left side.

It's worth noting that before you start using it properly, there are a few settings you must get right—configure them correctly and your efficiency can literally double. This is also the key step that many beginners tend to overlook, yet it directly determines the user experience.

Plugin Configuration: Giving the AI Employee "Hands and Feet"

Plugins are the direct source of Codex's capabilities. The tutorial recommends focusing on installing the following types of plugins:

Core Plugin Recommendations

• Computer Use: Lets Codex directly operate your computer, and even call editing software to complete video editing. This is the plugin most worth installing first, because it connects the AI with your local environment.
• Notion, Figma, Verso: Mainly used for product design and website development scenarios.
• Remotion / Hexfield-type plugins: Used for animation rendering and video generation respectively—the stars of this MG animation demo.

The basic principle is: install every plugin you might need. Plugins determine which tools Codex can call for specific tasks—the more comprehensive your setup, the wider the range of tasks it can cover. Once installation is complete, return to the project to enter the conversation configuration stage.

Conversation Configuration: How to Choose Between Two Working Modes?

Click the bottom-left corner of the dialog box, and you'll see the two working modes Codex offers. This is key to understanding how an Agent operates.

Plan Mode

In Plan Mode, the AI first figures out how to do it: breaking down the task, listing the execution steps, then advancing step by step. If you haven't figured out the specific operation path yet, Plan Mode is a safe bet. For most everyday scenarios, it's more than enough.

Goal Mode

Goal Mode is more "aggressive": you directly tell the AI the final goal and acceptance criteria, and it keeps executing and continuously comparing results until the task is complete. This mode is better suited for tasks with clear goals and complex workflows.

Simply put, Plan Mode emphasizes "process," while Goal Mode emphasizes "results." Beginners are advised to start with Plan Mode, then try Goal Mode once they're familiar with the AI's execution logic.

Permissions and Models: Balancing Safety and Efficiency

Three Permission Tiers

Codex offers three permission tiers, which essentially strike a trade-off between "safety" and "degree of automation":

1. Default Permission: Requires manual confirmation at every key node—the safest, and the top choice for beginners.
2. Auto Review: Also confirms at key nodes, sitting in between the other two.
3. Full Access: Most operations are done automatically by the AI—the most efficient, but requires you to trust it enough.

Three Dimensions of Model Selection

Model selection mainly comes down to three things: intelligence level, model type, and working speed. There's a basic rule here—the better the results, the faster tokens are usually consumed. So there's no need to blindly chase the most powerful model; choose based on task complexity to avoid unnecessary compute waste.

Additionally, when calling plugins, you can also upload images and documents as references, helping the AI understand your intent more precisely.

Hands-On Demo: Generate an MG Animation in One Sentence

Once everything is configured, it's time to put it to the test—let Codex create an MG (Motion Graphics) animation demo video.

The workflow is surprisingly simple:

1. Add the animation-making plugins (Remotion, etc.);
2. Enter your prompt in the dialog box;
3. Click submit and wait for the result.

What follows is the moment that showcases the AI Agent's capabilities—it will automatically analyze the requirements, break down the tasks, and execute step by step. The whole process requires almost no intervention from you; just wait a few minutes.

The final animation is in no way inferior to something made by hand. For ordinary users without professional animation skills, this means the barrier to creation is drastically lowered—one sentence gets you a near-professional-grade MG animation.

Final Thoughts: The Right Mindset for the Agent Era

The value of AI Agents like Codex lies not in replacing any specific software, but in transforming how humans and AI collaborate. You shift from executor to commander, handing repetitive and tedious operations over to the AI while focusing on defining goals and reviewing results.

For those looking to get up to speed quickly, here's a recommended starting path:

• Prioritize configuring your plugins completely (especially Computer Use);
• Start with Plan Mode + Default Permission, first building trust in the AI's execution logic;
• Run through the complete workflow with a small task (like generating an MG animation), then gradually advance to complex scenarios such as website development and office automation.

As Agent capabilities continue to mature, AI programming, automated site building, mini-program development, and office automation will all become everyday operations within reach. "Completing a job in one sentence" is moving from demo to reality.