Master Figma's Smart Animate and Drag Triggers with this Tutorial

Master Figma's Smart Animate and Drag Triggers with this Tutorial

Table of Contents:

  1. Introduction
  2. What is Smart Animate?
  3. How to Use Smart Animate with Existing Animated Transition Types 3.1. Connecting Frames and Changing Animation Types 3.2. Enhancing Realism with Sticky Elements
  4. Using Smart Animate as a Standalone Animation Type 4.1. Creating New Frames and Duplicating Components 4.2. Unique Naming of Layers for Better Matching
  5. Using Smart Animate with Drag Trigger Type 5.1. Deleting an Email with Swipe Gesture 5.2. Adding an Informational Component for Feedback
  6. Wrapping Up the Prototype
  7. Conclusion

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore the powerful animation feature called Smart Animate in Figma. Smart Animate allows us to Create smooth and realistic transitions between frames by intelligently rendering animation Based on matching layer names. We will learn how to use Smart Animate with existing animated transition types, as a standalone animation type, and with the drag trigger type. By the end of this tutorial, You will have a thorough understanding of how to leverage Smart Animate to enhance the user experience of your designs.

What is Smart Animate?

Smart Animate is a feature in Figma that enables designers to create seamless and realistic animations in their prototypes. It automatically maps layers with matching names between two frames and intelligently renders animation frames between the two states. Even if you use a different animation type, such as move in, you can still use Smart Animate to animate matching layers. This feature is especially useful for creating more realistic experiences by allowing users to progress through a smart animation.

How to Use Smart Animate with Existing Animated Transition Types

3.1. Connecting Frames and Changing Animation Types

To start using Smart Animate, we will prototype part of a mobile email app. We have a sign-in page and an initial loading state that displays all emails. When a user clicks the sign-in button, we want them to navigate to the Second frame. To achieve this, we can click the prototype tab and connect the button to the second frame. We can also change the animation type to move in from right to left. This creates a smooth transition from the sign-in page to the emails view.

3.2. Enhancing Realism with Sticky Elements

However, in the presentation view, we Notice that the status bar at the top of the frame is replaced entirely. This is not an accurate representation of a real-world application or mobile OS, where the status bar is almost always sticky at the top of the screen. To improve this, we can click on the status bar in both frames to confirm that their layer names match. By matching the layer names, Figma can determine which layers to smart animate. Now, when we log into the app, the status bar stays affixed to the top, creating a more realistic experience.

Using Smart Animate as a Standalone Animation Type

4.1. Creating New Frames and Duplicating Components

In the editor, we can select the second frame and duplicate it. This frame will define the ending state of the animation. We can select the nested frame that contains multiple instances of the email component and use the Smart Selection interface to duplicate the top email component. We can then swap it with an unread version of the component and reset the instance state from the toolbar. This way, when we preview the animation, the older emails move down to make space for the newly received email, which dissolves into the empty space.

4.2. Unique Naming of Layers for Better Matching

Although Figma can still match components with the same names, it is recommended to name layers uniquely as a best practice. We can rename these layers by adding a unique number to the end of their names using Figma's bulk rename feature. This ensures better matching and organization. With the renamed layers, we can head back to the presentation view and preview our animation. After loading the page, the Read emails animate down, and a new unread email dissolves into the empty space.

Using Smart Animate with Drag Trigger Type

5.1. Deleting an Email with Swipe Gesture

To delete an email, we want the user to swipe the email from right to left. We start by duplicating our frame and moving the flight alert email all the way to the left within the frame. We can adjust the x-coordinate to hide the component but keep it contained within the frame. By toggling the clip content checkbox, we can see the component is still masked by the frame. We fill the empty space with an informational component to communicate the swiping action for deleting the email.

5.2. Adding an Informational Component for Feedback

We send the informational component to the back of the layer stack to ensure it is behind all the email components. Since this component doesn't exist in the previous frame, it will dissolve in instead of moving with the drag. To fix this, we copy the component and paste it into the initial frame, moving it to the right. We create a connection between the initial frame and the next frame, change the interaction trigger to on drag, and keep the animation as Smart Animate. Now, when we drag the email to the left, the delete message appears.

Wrapping Up the Prototype

To complete the prototype, we add a final state where the message disappears after one second, and the remaining emails move up to fill the empty space. We duplicate the frame, delete the layers we want to disappear, and reposition the remaining emails so they shift up. We create an after delay trigger of one second and smart animate the transition. In the presentation view, we can see the full experience of the emails shifting up and the new email disappearing after one second.

Conclusion

Smart Animate in Figma is a powerful tool that allows designers to create realistic and engaging animations in their prototypes. By leveraging Smart Animate with existing animated transition types, as a standalone animation type, and with the drag trigger type, designers can enhance the user experience and bring their designs to life. Smart Animate takes care of the hard work of rendering smooth transitions, letting designers focus on creating engaging interactions. Start implementing Smart Animate in your designs and see how it elevates your prototypes to the next level.

FAQ

Q: Can Smart Animate be used with any type of animation? A: Yes, Smart Animate can be used with various animation types, such as move, dissolve, and more. It intelligently renders animation frames based on matching layer names between frames.

Q: Do I need to name my layers uniquely for Smart Animate to work? A: While Smart Animate can still match components with the same names, it is recommended to name layers uniquely for better organization and matching.

Q: Can Smart Animate be used for complex animations? A: Yes, Smart Animate can be used to create complex animations by combining it with other animation types and triggers. It offers a wide range of possibilities for creating engaging prototypes.

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