def animate_panel(panel, keys=None, columns=None, interval=1000, blit=False, titles='', path='animate_panel', xlabel='Time', ylabel='Value', ext='gif', 
                  replot=False, linewidth=3, close=False, fontsize=24, background_color='white', alpha=1, figsize=(12,8), xlabel_rotation=-25, plot_kwargs=(('rotation', 30),), 
                  verbosity=1, **video_kwargs):
    """Animate a pandas.Panel by flipping through plots of the data in each dataframe

    Arguments:
      panel (pandas.Panel): Pandas Panel of DataFrames to animate (each DataFrame is an animation video frame)
      keys (list of str): ordered list of panel keys (pages) to animate
      columns (list of str): ordered list of data series names to include in plot for eath video frame
      interval (int): number of milliseconds between video frames
      titles (str or list of str): titles to place in plot on each data frame.
        default = `keys` so that titles changes with each frame
      path (str): path and base file name to save *.mp4 animation video ('' to not save) 
      kwargs (dict): pass-through kwargs for `animation.FuncAnimation(...).save(path, **kwargs)`
        (Not used if `not path`)

    TODO: 
      - Work with other 3-D data formats:
          - dict (sorted by key) or OrderedDict
          - list of 2-D arrays/lists
          - 3-D arrays/lists
          - generators of 2-D arrays/lists
          - generators of generators of lists/arrays?
      - Write json and html5 files for d3 SVG line plots with transitions!

    >>> x = np.arange(0, 2*np.pi, 0.05)
    >>> panel = pd.Panel(dict((i, pd.DataFrame({
    ...        'T=10': np.sin(x + i/10.),
    ...        'T=7': np.sin(x + i/7.),
    ...        'beat': np.sin(x + i/10.) + np.sin(x + i/7.),
    ...        }, index=x)
    ...    ) for i in range(50)))
    >>> animate_panel(panel, interval=200, path='animate_panel_test')  # doctest: +ELLIPSIS, +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
    Drawing frames for a ".gif" animation...
    Saving video to animate_panel_test.gif...
              T=10       T=7      beat
    0.00  0.000000  0.000000  0.000000
    0.05  0.049979  0.049979  0.099958
    ...

    [126 rows x 3 columns]
    """
    plot_kwargs = plot_kwargs or {}
    plot_kwargs = dict(plot_kwargs)
    ext_kwargs = {
        'mp4': {'writer': 'ffmpeg', 'codec': 'mpeg4', 'dpi': 100, 'bitrate': 2000},
        'gif': {'writer': 'imagemagick', 'dpi': 100, 'bitrate': 2000},
        'imagemagic.gif': {'writer': 'imagemagick_gif', 'dpi': 100, 'bitrate': 2000},
        }
    ext = str(ext).lower().strip() or 'gif'
    default_kwargs = ext_kwargs.get(ext, {})

    keys = keys or list(panel.keys())
    if titles:
        titles = listify(titles)
        if len(titles) == 1:
            titles *= len(keys)
    else:
        titles = keys
    titles = dict((k, title) for k, title in zip(keys, titles))
    columns = columns or list(panel[keys[0]].columns)
    
    fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=figsize)

    fig.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
    fig.patch.set_alpha(alpha)


    i = 0
    df = panel[keys[i]]
    x = df.index.values
    y = df[columns].values
    lines = ax.plot(x, y)
    ax.grid('on')
    ax.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
    ax.patch.set_alpha(alpha)
    ax.title.set_text(titles[keys[0]])
    ax.title.set_fontsize(fontsize)
    ax.title.set_fontweight('bold')
    ax.xaxis.label.set_text(xlabel)
    plt.setp(ax.get_xticklabels(), rotation=xlabel_rotation)
    ax.yaxis.label.set_text(ylabel)
    ax.legend(columns)


    def animate(k):
        df = panel[k]
        x = df.index.values
        y = df[columns].values.T
        if replot:
            # plt.cla()
            # fig, ax = plt.subplots(figsize=figsize)
            fig = ax.figure
            fig.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
            fig.patch.set_alpha(alpha)
            lines = ax.plot(x, y.T, linewidth=linewidth)
            ax.grid('on')
            ax.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
            ax.patch.set_alpha(alpha)
            ax.title.set_text(titles[k])
            ax.title.set_fontsize(fontsize)
            ax.title.set_fontweight('bold')
            ax.xaxis.label.set_text(xlabel)
            plt.setp(ax.get_xticklabels(), rotation=xlabel_rotation)
            ax.yaxis.label.set_text(ylabel)
            ax.legend(columns)
        else:
            lines = ax.lines
            fig = ax.figure

            for i in range(len(lines)):
                lines[i].set_xdata(x)  # all lines have to share the same x-data
                lines[i].set_ydata(y[i])  # update the data, don't replot a new line
                lines[i].set_linewidth(linewidth)
                lines[i].figure.set_facecolor(background_color)
                lines[i].figure.set_alpha(alpha)
                lines[i].axes.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
                lines[i].axes.patch.set_alpha(alpha)
            ax.patch.set_facecolor(background_color)
            ax.figure.patch.set_alpha(alpha)
            ax.title.set_text(titles[k])
            ax.title.set_fontsize(fontsize)
            ax.title.set_fontweight('bold')
        if blit:
            return lines

    # FIXME: doesn't work with ext=mp4
    # init_func to mask out pixels to be redrawn/cleared which speeds redrawing of plot
    def mask_lines():
        if verbosity > 0:
            print('Initialing mask_lines. . .')
        df = panel[0]
        x = df.index.values
        y = df[columns].values.T
        for i in range(len(lines)):
            # FIXME: why are x-values used to set the y-data coordinates of the mask?
            lines[i].set_xdata(np.ma.array(x, mask=True))
            lines[i].set_ydata(np.ma.array(y[i], mask=True))
        return lines

    if verbosity > 0:
        print('Drawing frames for a ".{0}" animation{1}. . .'.format(ext, ' with blitting' if blit else ''))
    animate(keys[0])
    ani = animation.FuncAnimation(fig, animate, keys, interval=interval, blit=blit) #, init_func=mask_lines, blit=True)

    kwargs = dict(default_kwargs)
    for k, v in six.iteritems(default_kwargs):
        kwargs[k] = video_kwargs.get(k, v)
    # if 'bitrate' in kwargs:
    #     kwargs['bitrate'] = min(kwargs['bitrate'], int(8e5 / interval))  # low information rate (long interval) might make it impossible to achieve a higher bitrate ight not
    if path and isinstance(path, basestring):
        path += '.{0}'.format(ext)
        if verbosity > 0:
            print('Saving video to {0}. . .'.format(path))
        ani.save(path, **kwargs)

    if close:
        plt.close(fig)
    return df
Animate a pandas.Panel by flipping through plots of the data in each dataframe

    Arguments:
      panel (pandas.Panel): Pandas Panel of DataFrames to animate (each DataFrame is an animation video frame)
      keys (list of str): ordered list of panel keys (pages) to animate
      columns (list of str): ordered list of data series names to include in plot for eath video frame
      interval (int): number of milliseconds between video frames
      titles (str or list of str): titles to place in plot on each data frame.
        default = `keys` so that titles changes with each frame
      path (str): path and base file name to save *.mp4 animation video ('' to not save) 
      kwargs (dict): pass-through kwargs for `animation.FuncAnimation(...).save(path, **kwargs)`
        (Not used if `not path`)

    TODO: 
      - Work with other 3-D data formats:
          - dict (sorted by key) or OrderedDict
          - list of 2-D arrays/lists
          - 3-D arrays/lists
          - generators of 2-D arrays/lists
          - generators of generators of lists/arrays?
      - Write json and html5 files for d3 SVG line plots with transitions!

    >>> x = np.arange(0, 2*np.pi, 0.05)
    >>> panel = pd.Panel(dict((i, pd.DataFrame({
    ...        'T=10': np.sin(x + i/10.),
    ...        'T=7': np.sin(x + i/7.),
    ...        'beat': np.sin(x + i/10.) + np.sin(x + i/7.),
    ...        }, index=x)
    ...    ) for i in range(50)))
    >>> animate_panel(panel, interval=200, path='animate_panel_test')  # doctest: +ELLIPSIS, +NORMALIZE_WHITESPACE
    Drawing frames for a ".gif" animation...
    Saving video to animate_panel_test.gif...
              T=10       T=7      beat
    0.00  0.000000  0.000000  0.000000
    0.05  0.049979  0.049979  0.099958
    ...

    [126 rows x 3 columns]