Base Animations - iOS

import Foundation
import IMGLYEngine

@MainActor
func baseAnimations(engine: Engine) async throws {
  let scene = try engine.scene.createVideo()

  let page = try engine.block.create(.page)
  try engine.block.setWidth(page, value: 800)
  try engine.block.setHeight(page, value: 600)
  try engine.block.appendChild(to: scene, child: page)

  try await engine.scene.zoom(to: page, paddingLeft: 40, paddingTop: 40, paddingRight: 40, paddingBottom: 40)

  let block = try engine.block.create(.graphic)
  try engine.block.setShape(block, shape: engine.block.createShape(.rect))
  try engine.block.setPositionX(block, value: 100)
  try engine.block.setPositionY(block, value: 50)
  try engine.block.setWidth(block, value: 300)
  try engine.block.setHeight(block, value: 300)
  try engine.block.appendChild(to: page, child: block)
  let fill = try engine.block.createFill(.image)
  try engine.block.setString(
    fill,
    property: "fill/image/imageFileURI",
    value: "https://img.ly/static/ubq_samples/sample_1.jpg",
  )
  try engine.block.setFill(block, fill: fill)

  guard try engine.block.supportsAnimation(block) else {
    return
  }
  let slideIn = try engine.block.createAnimation(.slide)
  try engine.block.setInAnimation(block, animation: slideIn)
  try engine.block.setDuration(slideIn, duration: 1.0)

  let fadeIn = try engine.block.createAnimation(.fade)
  try engine.block.destroy(engine.block.getInAnimation(block))
  try engine.block.setInAnimation(block, animation: fadeIn)
  try engine.block.setDuration(fadeIn, duration: 0.8)
  try engine.block.setEnum(fadeIn, property: "animationEasing", value: "EaseOut")

  let fadeOut = try engine.block.createAnimation(.fade)
  try engine.block.setOutAnimation(block, animation: fadeOut)
  try engine.block.setDuration(fadeOut, duration: 0.6)

  let breathing = try engine.block.createAnimation(.breathingLoop)
  try engine.block.setLoopAnimation(block, animation: breathing)
  try engine.block.setDuration(breathing, duration: 2.0)

  let slideFromTop = try engine.block.createAnimation(.slide)
  let slideProperties = try engine.block.findAllProperties(slideFromTop)
  print("Slide animation properties: \(slideProperties)")
  try engine.block.setFloat(slideFromTop, property: "animation/slide/direction", value: 0.5 * .pi)

  let currentIn = try engine.block.getInAnimation(block)
  let currentLoop = try engine.block.getLoopAnimation(block)
  let currentOut = try engine.block.getOutAnimation(block)
  print("Animation IDs — In: \(currentIn), Loop: \(currentLoop), Out: \(currentOut)")

  if currentLoop != 0 {
    try engine.block.destroy(currentLoop)
  }
  let squeeze = try engine.block.createAnimation(.squeezeLoop)
  try engine.block.setLoopAnimation(block, animation: squeeze)
  // Destroying a design block also destroys all its attached animations:
  // try engine.block.destroy(block)

  let easingOptions = try engine.block.getEnumValues(ofProperty: "animationEasing")
  print("Available easing options: \(easingOptions)")
  try engine.block.setEnum(fadeIn, property: "animationEasing", value: "EaseInOut")

  try engine.block.destroy(slideFromTop)
}

Add motion to design blocks with entrance, exit, and loop animations using CE.SDK’s animation system.

10 mins

estimated time

GitHub

Base animations in CE.SDK add motion to design blocks through entrance (In), exit (Out), and loop animations. Animations are created as separate objects and attached to blocks, enabling reusable configurations across multiple elements.

This guide covers creating animations, attaching them to blocks, configuring properties like duration and easing, and managing animation lifecycle.

Animation Fundamentals#

Before applying animations to a block, verify it supports them using supportsAnimation. Once confirmed, create an animation instance with createAnimation, attach it with setInAnimation, and set its length with setDuration.

guard try engine.block.supportsAnimation(block) else {
  return
}
let slideIn = try engine.block.createAnimation(.slide)
try engine.block.setInAnimation(block, animation: slideIn)
try engine.block.setDuration(slideIn, duration: 1.0)

CE.SDK provides several animation types via the AnimationType enum:

Entrance animations: .slide, .fade, .blur, .grow, .zoom, .pop, .wipe, .pan, .baseline, .spin
Loop animations: .spinLoop, .fadeLoop, .blurLoop, .pulsatingLoop, .breathingLoop, .jumpLoop, .squeezeLoop, .swayLoop

Entrance Animations#

Entrance animations (In animations) define how a block appears on screen. Create the animation, attach it with setInAnimation, and configure its properties. When replacing an existing entrance animation, destroy the previous one with destroy(getInAnimation(block)) before calling setInAnimation again — otherwise the old animation object leaks (see Managing Animation Lifecycle).

let fadeIn = try engine.block.createAnimation(.fade)
try engine.block.destroy(engine.block.getInAnimation(block))
try engine.block.setInAnimation(block, animation: fadeIn)
try engine.block.setDuration(fadeIn, duration: 0.8)
try engine.block.setEnum(fadeIn, property: "animationEasing", value: "EaseOut")

setEnum configures the easing function. Available options include "Linear", "EaseIn", "EaseOut", and "EaseInOut". The "EaseOut" easing starts fast and slows down toward the end, creating a natural deceleration effect.

Exit Animations#

Exit animations (Out animations) define how a block leaves the screen. Use setOutAnimation to attach them.

let fadeOut = try engine.block.createAnimation(.fade)
try engine.block.setOutAnimation(block, animation: fadeOut)
try engine.block.setDuration(fadeOut, duration: 0.6)

When using both entrance and exit animations, CE.SDK automatically manages their timing to prevent overlap. Changing the duration of an In animation may adjust the Out animation’s duration to maintain valid timing.

Loop Animations#

Loop animations run continuously while the block is visible. Use setLoopAnimation to attach them.

let breathing = try engine.block.createAnimation(.breathingLoop)
try engine.block.setLoopAnimation(block, animation: breathing)
try engine.block.setDuration(breathing, duration: 2.0)

The duration for loop animations defines the length of each cycle. A 2-second breathing loop completes one full pulse every 2 seconds.

Animation Properties#

Each animation type has specific configurable properties. Use findAllProperties to discover available properties for an animation, and setFloat or setEnum to modify them.

let slideFromTop = try engine.block.createAnimation(.slide)
let slideProperties = try engine.block.findAllProperties(slideFromTop)
print("Slide animation properties: \(slideProperties)")
try engine.block.setFloat(slideFromTop, property: "animation/slide/direction", value: 0.5 * .pi)

For slide animations, the animation/slide/direction property is the angle in radians that the block travels along during entrance — the block starts off-screen on the opposite side and slides in:

0 — Slides right (enters from the left)
0.5 * .pi — Slides down (enters from the top)
.pi — Slides left (enters from the right)
1.5 * .pi — Slides up (enters from the bottom)

Managing Animation Lifecycle#

Animation objects must be properly managed to avoid memory leaks. When replacing an animation, destroy the old one before setting the new one. Retrieve current animations using getInAnimation, getOutAnimation, and getLoopAnimation.

let currentIn = try engine.block.getInAnimation(block)
let currentLoop = try engine.block.getLoopAnimation(block)
let currentOut = try engine.block.getOutAnimation(block)
print("Animation IDs — In: \(currentIn), Loop: \(currentLoop), Out: \(currentOut)")

if currentLoop != 0 {
  try engine.block.destroy(currentLoop)
}
let squeeze = try engine.block.createAnimation(.squeezeLoop)
try engine.block.setLoopAnimation(block, animation: squeeze)
// Destroying a design block also destroys all its attached animations:
// try engine.block.destroy(block)

These getters return a DesignBlockID of 0 when no animation is attached. Destroying a design block also destroys all of its attached animations, but detached animations must be destroyed manually.

Easing Functions#

Query available easing options using getEnumValues(ofProperty:).

let easingOptions = try engine.block.getEnumValues(ofProperty: "animationEasing")
print("Available easing options: \(easingOptions)")
try engine.block.setEnum(fadeIn, property: "animationEasing", value: "EaseInOut")

Easing functions control animation acceleration:

Easing	Description
`Linear`	Constant speed throughout
`EaseIn`	Starts slow, accelerates toward the end
`EaseOut`	Starts fast, decelerates toward the end
`EaseInOut`	Starts slow, speeds up, then slows down again

API Reference#

Method	Description
`engine.block.createAnimation(_:)`	Create a new animation instance
`engine.block.supportsAnimation(_:)`	Check if a block supports animations
`engine.block.setInAnimation(_:animation:)`	Apply entrance animation to a block
`engine.block.setOutAnimation(_:animation:)`	Apply exit animation to a block
`engine.block.setLoopAnimation(_:animation:)`	Apply loop animation to a block
`engine.block.getInAnimation(_:)`	Get the entrance animation ID
`engine.block.getOutAnimation(_:)`	Get the exit animation ID
`engine.block.getLoopAnimation(_:)`	Get the loop animation ID
`engine.block.setDuration(_:duration:)`	Set animation duration in seconds
`engine.block.getDuration(_:)`	Get animation duration
`engine.block.setEnum(_:property:value:)`	Set an enum property (easing, etc.)
`engine.block.setFloat(_:property:value:)`	Set a float property (direction, etc.)
`engine.block.findAllProperties(_:)`	Get all configurable properties
`engine.block.getEnumValues(ofProperty:)`	Get available values for an enum property
`engine.block.destroy(_:)`	Destroy an animation instance

Next Steps#

Text Animations — Animate text with writing styles and character-level control
Animation Overview — Understand animation concepts and capabilities
Edit Animations — Modify existing animations on blocks