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>>> import numpy as np
>>> X, Y, Z = np.array([1,2,3]), np.array([2,3,4]), np.array([4,5,6])
>>> plot_3D_animation(X, Y, Z)

import numpy
import matplotlib.pyplot as plt
import matplotlib.animation as animation
import mpl_toolkits.mplot3d.axes3d as p3

def plot_3D_animation(X, Y, Z, n_frame=None,
                      xlim=None, ylim=None, zlim=None,
                      step=None, saveanime=None, show=True):
    """3D plotting animation"""
    fig = plt.figure()
    ax = p3.Axes3D(fig)

    if step is None:
        step = 1
    X = X[range(0, len(X), step)]
    Y = Y[range(0, len(Y), step)]
    Z = Z[range(0, len(Z), step)]

    data = [numpy.vstack((X, Y, Z))]

    lines = [ax.plot(dat[0, 0:1], dat[1, 0:1],
                     dat[2, 0:1])[0] for dat in data]

    # Setting the axes properties
    if xlim is None:
        ax.set_xlim3d([X.min(), X.max()])
    elif len(xlim) == 2:
        ax.set_xlim3d(xlim)
    ax.set_xlabel('X')
    if ylim is None:
        ax.set_ylim3d([Y.min(), Y.max()])
    elif len(ylim) == 2:
        ax.set_ylim3d(ylim)
    ax.set_ylabel('Y')
    if zlim is None:
        ax.set_zlim3d([Z.min(), Z.max()])
    elif len(zlim) == 2:
        ax.set_zlim3d(zlim)
    ax.set_zlabel('Z')
    ax.set_title('3D animation')
    ax.view_init(-10, 30)

    def update_lines(num, dataLines, lines):
        for line, data in zip(lines, dataLines):
            line.set_data(data[0:2, :num])
            line.set_3d_properties(data[2,:num])
        return lines

    if n_frame is None:
        n_frame = len(X)

    # Creating the Animation object
    anim = animation.FuncAnimation(fig,
                                   update_lines,
                                   n_frame,
                                   fargs=(data, lines),
                                   interval=1,
                                   blit=False)

    if type(saveanime) == str:
        writer = animation.FFMpegWriter()
        anim.save(saveanime, writer=writer)

    if show is True:
        plt.show()

    plt.clf()
    plt.close()