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SVG ANIMATION

Separation of Concerns: Structure First, Animation Later​

  • The hardest part of SVG animation is structuring your SVG in a way that makes it easy to animate.
  • Actual animation is often just a single line of CSS (transition + transform).

Use <g> Elements for Reusability and Grouping​

  • Group related elements (e.g. lid or body) using <g>.
  • Apply shared attributes and transformations at the group level.
  • Improves maintainability and reduces duplication.

Not All SVG Attributes Are CSS-Compatible​

  • Only presentation attributes (e.g. fill, stroke) and some geometry properties (e.g. x, y) can be used in CSS.
  • Attributes like x1, y1, y2 cannot be animated directly via CSS.

Use transform for Position Changes​

  • transform: translateY(...) is a reliable way to move SVG elements in CSS.
  • It works consistently across browsers, unlike geometry properties.
  • Transformations apply to entire groups as well.

CSS Transitions Make Animation Smooth​

  • Use transition: transform 0.2s to animate changes.
  • Works when toggling states (e.g., via :hover).
  • Transitions animate between any two transform states automatically.

ViewBox Units Map to CSS Pixels in Transforms​

  • transform: translateY(-2px) moves an element 2 SVG units, not device pixels.
  • Be aware of the viewBox scale when using px in CSS transforms.

Class-Based Styling Enables Interaction​

  • Add class names (e.g. .lid, .body) to SVG elements to target them with CSS.
  • Use pseudo-classes like button:hover .lid to trigger animations on interaction.

References​