Chapter 5 › Lesson 24

24. Create Smart Animate Transitions Between Variants

Skills: Set transition to Smart Animate; Control duration and easing; Matching layer names between variants; Animate position, size, opacity, colour changes

Smart Animate detects matching layer names between two variants and animates the differences — position, size, opacity, colour — creating smooth transitions without any manual keyframes.

Step-by-step

1. Create a component with two variants: Variant A and Variant B
2. In Variant A, add 3 coloured rectangles stacked vertically. Name them clearly (e.g. "Item 1", "Item 2", "Item 3")
3. In Variant B, change the colours and positions of the same named layers. Move one, resize another, change opacity
4. Switch to Prototype mode
5. Select the element that triggers the change (e.g. a button), add interaction: On click → Navigate to ... select your Variant B
6. In the Transition panel, change the animation type from Instant to Smart Animate
7. Set duration: 300ms, Easing: Ease In-Out for a polished feel
8. Test by pressing Present and triggering the interaction — layers with matching names animate smoothly
9. Mismatched layer names won't animate — they'll just appear/disappear. Rename layers carefully
10. Smart Animate works between screens, overlays, and component variants in prototypes