2. Lottie vs GIF: Which one is healthier?
You would possibly nonetheless be questioning why you need to change to Lotties, particularly since GIFs are already really easy to make use of (plus they have been round eternally). So let’s take a look at Lottie vs. GIF and break all of it down:
- Smaller file dimension: Whereas GIFs might be enormous and sluggish to load, Lottie animations are tiny and cargo immediately.
- Scales completely: GIFs get blurry when resized, in comparison with Lottie recordsdata that keep crisp at any dimension.
- Smoother efficiency: Lottie animations play seamlessly, however GIFs can lag or stutter.
- Interactive: Lottie can react to clicks, scrolls, or hovers, whereas GIFs simply loop endlessly.
- Helps transparency: Lottie recordsdata work with clear backgrounds, whereas GIFs typically want a stable background.
When utilizing GIFs nonetheless is smart
So now that we have in contrast Lottie vs. GIF, there should be instances when GIFs have the benefit. Effectively, GIFs are nice for fast social media posts, response memes, and brief looping animations the place file dimension and interactivity do not actually matter. And you may be taught to make inventive GIF animations in After Results as nicely.
What about changing a Lottie to GIF?
Now that we have established when to make use of GIFs and in contrast Lottie vs. GIF, you may be questioning, “Is there ever a time when changing a Lottie to a GIF is smart?” Whereas Lottie is the higher alternative for many conditions, there are a number of circumstances the place a GIF is definitely the extra sensible choice. Let’s check out a number of instances the place changing a Lottie to a GIF is a good suggestion:
- Sharing on social media: Platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Fb don’t help Lottie recordsdata. If you wish to share an animation as a publish, a GIF is the simplest format to make use of.
- Sending animations in chat apps (like Slack & WhatsApp): Most messaging apps don’t help Lottie, however they do help GIFs. If you wish to ship a fast animated response or a enjoyable UI mockup, a GIF works higher.
- Utilizing animations in e-mail advertising and marketing: Lottie animations stay unsupported by most e-mail shoppers, whereas GIFs are supported. So changing Lottie to GIF could be a good workaround.
- Embedding animations in PowerPoint or Keynote: There is no such thing as a help for Lottie recordsdata in presentation software program. So utilizing GIFs is likely one of the solely methods so as to add animations to your slides.
Easy methods to convert Lottie to GIF
If you happen to ever have to convert a Lottie animation right into a GIF, you should utilize:
- LottieFiles Converter: Add your Lottie and obtain it as a GIF.
- After Results: Export the Lottie animation as a video, after which convert it to a GIF in Photoshop.
3. Why are Lotties used?
These days you will see Lottie animations in every single place, from the Duolingo app’s enjoyable animations to smartwatch interfaces, and even messaging apps like Telegram.
Animations might be added to tasks in so some ways, however Lotties are undoubtedly my favorite. Here is a fast take a look at a number of the principal explanation why they work so nicely:
- They’re tremendous light-weight and quick: Lotties are tiny in file dimension however nonetheless top quality. Whether or not it’s a small button animation or a full-screen impact, it stays easy and quick.
- They scale with out shedding high quality: Since they’re vector-based, they keep crisp regardless of how huge or small you make them. Whether or not it’s a tiny loading icon or a full-screen background animation, it all the time seems to be sharp.
- They work wherever: Examples embody web sites, apps, and even UIs for video games. Lotties are supported by main platforms like iOS, Android, and React, so you’ll be able to create an animation as soon as and use it in several tasks. This implies you needn’t export tons of various file varieties.
- They’re interactive: You may set off cool animations to your mouse clicks, hovers, or scroll actions. Common examples embody a button that lightly pulses once you hover over it, or an animation that performs when a consumer completes an motion. It’s such a easy means so as to add character and persona to a design.
- They make UI design really feel alive: A static web site might be boring. By including delicate Lottie animations, reminiscent of a floating icon or a pulsing button, you can also make it really feel so significantly better, enhancing the consumer expertise.
4. Easy methods to use Lottie recordsdata
Lottie animations are in every single place, so that you’ve most likely seen them with out even realizing it! They pop up in apps, web sites, digital adverts, and even video games, making interfaces really feel easy and interesting. Listed below are a number of the greatest methods to make use of Lottie recordsdata:
UI animations
I find it irresistible when an app or web site feels good to make use of. Lottie animations assist with that by including delicate movement to issues reminiscent of:
- Loading animations
- Button results
- Menu transitions
- Success messages
Web sites
Static web sites are nice, however animated web sites are unforgettable. Lottie recordsdata assist designers add motion with out making pages heavy or sluggish. Some nice examples embody:
- Hero sections: A trendy animated intro grabs consideration instantly.
- Illustrations that transfer: Backgrounds, icons, or web page components with delicate movement.
- Scroll-based animations: Parts that fade in, transfer, or change as you scroll.
Cell apps
Ever used an app that simply feels higher than the remaining? That’s most likely due to nice micro-animations. Lottie is big in cellular apps, particularly for:
- Onboarding screens: Animated walkthroughs that make studying the app a bit extra enjoyable.
- E-commerce interactions: Like including objects to a cart with a easy animation.
- Notifications: As an alternative of only a boring popup, you get a cool animated alert.
Recreation UI and HUD components
Lottie isn’t only for web sites and apps—it’s additionally an amazing instrument for recreation UI animations. For recreation builders, Lottie is a light-weight means so as to add movement with out overloading the sport engine. Examples of this embody issues like:
- HUD components: Animated well being bars, expertise meters, and skill cooldowns.
- Achievement popups: A slick animation once you unlock one thing.
- Menu transitions: Clean scrolling and increasing menus.
5. What software program is used to create Lottie animations?
The perfect half about Lottie animations is that you do not want a sophisticated setup to create them. There is a instrument on the market for each type of workflow, whether or not you are an business skilled or only a newbie trying to have some enjoyable. So let’s try a number of the greatest methods to make them.
Adobe After Results + Bodymovin
If you would like full inventive management, Adobe After Results is the instrument to make use of for Lottie animations. Nevertheless, you will have to put in the Bodymovin plugin. It’s what most professionals will doubtless use as a result of it permits for:
- Superior animations: Clean movement, advanced transitions, and detailed results.
- Layer-based enhancing: Excellent for working with vector shapes and keyframes.
- Exporting as Lottie recordsdata: Utilizing the free Bodymovin plugin, you’ll be able to export animations as JSON recordsdata for Lottie.
Why I find it irresistible: It offers you full freedom to create something you’ll be able to think about. The one draw back? There’s a little bit of a studying curve for those who’re new to movement graphics.
LottieFiles Creator
If you would like a beginner-friendly choice, LottieFiles Creator is the way in which to go. It’s a web-based instrument that permits you to edit current Lottie animations or create easy ones from scratch with out putting in any software program.
- No want to put in an app (like After Results)
- Works proper in your browser
- Excellent for tweaking animations rapidly
Why I find it irresistible: It’s very easy to make use of! You may simply add an current Lottie file, tweak colours, velocity, or layers, and export it. Nice for those who simply want fast edits with out diving into advanced software program.
Figma + Lottie Plugin
If you happen to already use Figma for UI/UX design, you’ll love the LottieFiles plugin. It permits you to import, preview, and tweak Lottie animations instantly inside Figma, which helps easy out your workflow.
- Nice for UI movement design: Comparable to animated icons, buttons, and loaders.
- Works with design techniques: Hold animations constant together with your branding.
- Quick and light-weight: No heavy software program wanted.
Why I find it irresistible: If you happen to’re designing for the online or apps, that is the simplest option to combine Lottie into your workflow.
Haiku Animator
Haiku is a superb choice for creating Lottie animations with no need After Results. It permits you to create them instantly inside a design instrument, making the method smoother and extra intuitive.
- Designed for builders and designers
- Exports straight to Lottie (JSON)
- Works with React, iOS, and Android
Why I find it irresistible: If you happen to’re engaged on app animations and need one thing extra light-weight than After Results, Haiku is value trying out.
Jitter
Jitter is one other simple, beginner-friendly, browser-based instrument that permits you to create movement graphics. It’s not as highly effective as After Results, however for those who simply want easy textual content or UI animations, it’s an amazing choice.
- Drag-and-drop interface
- Excellent for social media animations
- Can export as Lottie recordsdata
Why I find it irresistible: If you happen to don’t need to spend hours studying animation software program, Jitter makes it quick and enjoyable!
So which software program ought to you use?
- Need full inventive freedom: After Results + Bodymovin
- Want a fast browser-based instrument: LottieFiles Editor
- Work in UI/UX design: Figma + Lottie Plugin
- Creating app animations: Haiku Animator
- Want quick, easy movement graphics: Jitter
6. Easy methods to create a Lottiefiles animation
Step 1: Open LottieFiles Editor
Go to LottieFiles Creator (you’ll have to register or create a free account). Click on Create Animation or choose an current template to edit.
Step 2: Add a star form
Within the editor, click on the Form Instruments dropdown field and select the Star form. Resize the star to your liking by dragging the corners to make it greater or smaller, and place it in the midst of your canvas.
Step 3: Alter the colour
Within the Property panel, go right down to the Look part the place you’ll be able to change/regulate the colour and even the fill opacity.
Step 4: Animate the star form
Animating in Lottie Creator is straightforward. Simply add a keyframe to the scene from the Property panel (right here we’ll use the size remodel for instance). Transfer ahead within the timeline, regulate the size values, and add extra keyframes alongside the way in which (ensure you use constrain proportions).
- Begin with a scale worth at 0%.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the worth to 125%.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the worth to 110%.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the worth to 120%.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the worth to 100%.
Press Spacebar to preview your animation, and transfer the keyframes alongside the timeline to regulate.
Step 5: Add easing
Choose all of the keyframes after which choose Clean for each in and out to ease the keyframes.
Step 6: Animate the flicker animation
Now create a smaller star with a lighter coloration and place it on prime of the primary star form. Create a keyframe for the size and rotation (be sure that these keyframes are positioned after the animation of the bigger star is full).
- Begin with a scale worth at 0% and a rotation worth at 0°.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the worth to 100%.
- Transfer ahead within the timeline and alter the size worth to 0% and the rotation worth to 180°.
Step 7: Duplicate the flicker animation
Press Management-D to duplicate the flicker star animation and place it on different areas round the primary star. You might additionally stagger the animation on the timeline to make the flicker animation extra attention-grabbing.
Step 8: Alter keyframes if wanted
If you happen to discover that the animation is just not working as you want (or if it is too sluggish/quick), be happy to maneuver the keyframes alongside the timeline to regulate the timing and the appear and feel of the Lottie animation. If you happen to deliver the keyframes nearer collectively, the animation will seem sooner. If you happen to unfold them additional aside, the animation will seem slower.
Step 9: Create a shrinking animation
Return and choose the primary star, and transfer ahead within the timeline simply after the flicker animations with the small stars are completed. Create a brand new keyframe for the scale (ensuring it is nonetheless set at 100%), after which transfer ahead within the timeline once more. Make a brand new keyframe on this place and set the size to 0%. This can create a pleasant looping animation because the star seems and disappears each few seconds. Additionally, bear in mind to pick out and ease the keyframes as we did beforehand.
Step 10: Export your Lottiefiles animation
Click on the Export button positioned on the highest proper.
This can take you to a brand new window the place you’ll be able to select to obtain a number of totally different codecs. Select the advisable Optimized dotLottie or Optimized Lottie JSON for the perfect outcomes to your Lottiefiles animation.
As soon as you have downloaded your Lottie animation, you’ll be able to then use it to your tasks!
Create extra detailed Lottie animations
Making easy animations like these is a good way to get began. If you happen to’re trying to create extra detailed customized Lottie animations utilizing Lottiefiles, try this superior video for a step-by-step information on how to do this:
7. The place to search out Lottie animations
In order that’s learn how to make a Lottie animation! However for those who want Lottie animation examples proper now, these are the perfect locations you’ll find them:
Envato (limitless downloads for a single price)
Envato is likely one of the greatest digital asset libraries on the market, and their Lottie animation assortment is big! A subscription offers you limitless entry to Lottie animations, inventory movies, fonts, templates, and extra. If you happen to want quite a lot of digital belongings repeatedly, that is the place to be!
- Limitless downloads with a subscription
- 1000’s of premium Lottie animations
- Excellent for web sites, apps, advertising and marketing, and displays
- Comes with further belongings like UI kits, templates, and movement graphics
LottieFiles (the perfect all-in-one platform)
LottieFiles is likely one of the greatest locations to search out, obtain, and customise Lottie animations. If you happen to want one thing fast, simply search their free animations, and you may even tweak them within the LottieFiles Editor!
- 1000’s of free & premium animations
- Simple customization instruments (change colours, velocity, loop settings, and many others.)
- Direct integrations with Figma, Adobe, and extra
Icons8 Lottie (high-quality animated icons)
Icons8 is one other nice supply, particularly for those who want animated icons for UI/UX design.
- Excellent for web sites, apps, and digital merchandise
- Smooth, trendy designs
8. Greatest practices for creating Lottie animations
Hold it light-weight
One of many greatest benefits of Lottie is its small file dimension, however that solely works for those who optimize your animations.
- Keep on with vector shapes (keep away from raster photographs like PNGs or JPEGs).
- Use fewer layers (advanced animations with too many objects can get heavy).
- Don’t go overboard with results (some After Results results aren’t supported in Lottie).
Professional Tip: Earlier than exporting, optimize your file utilizing the LottieFiles Optimizer to scale back file dimension with out shedding high quality.
Use supported After Results options
Not each impact in After Results interprets nicely to Lottie. To keep away from points:
- Use form layers as a substitute of imported photographs (vectors scale higher).
- Keep on with easy animations (place, scale, rotation, opacity).
- Keep away from 3D layers, masks, and sure blurs (Lottie doesn’t all the time help them).
Professional Tip: Verify the Bodymovin plugin preview earlier than exporting. This can inform you if any a part of your animation gained’t work in Lottie.
All the time check earlier than going dwell
Nothing’s worse than an animation that appears nice within the app however breaks on-line. Earlier than finalizing:
- Add and preview your Lottie animation on LottieFiles.com.
- Check it in internet, cellular, and app environments to verify it really works easily.
- If one thing seems to be off, tweak and export once more till it’s good.
Conclusion
So now you realize what a Lottie file is, in addition to learn how to create and use it! Lottie animations make it simple so as to add easy, high-quality animations with out slowing something down. No extra clunky GIFs or heavy video recordsdata—simply clear, scalable animations that work in every single place. Whether or not it’s a enjoyable button impact, a slick loading display screen, or a tiny element that makes an app really feel polished, Lottie simply does it higher.
If you happen to’re new to Lottie, now’s the right time to leap in and mess around. Browse and obtain animations on LottieFiles or Envato, tweak them within the Lottie Editor, or strive making your individual. It is severely the most effective methods to deliver your designs to life. And when you begin utilizing it, you will not need to cease!
