This is exciting!
"Facebook picked a small set of After Effects features to support, since they were focusing mainly on reactions, but we want to support as many as possible."
Does that mean expressions as well? wiggle, wiggle!
Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
71–80 of 101 posts
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#72I wonder though whether users really want lots of fancy animations. Our apps have way too many that add absolutely nothing to the usability, and in fact take away from it as you have to wait until things are done sliding around the screen. It's not that some animation is a bad thing, but give people such easy ways to make everything move and dance and you wind up with a modern version of 1990's websites. Of course it…
I think every major action that results in a difference in presentation of information should have one, brief, direct animation. Any more, and it's horrifying.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#73Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Now I just need to learn After Effects Kinda scares me that After Effects (video manipulation tool) will be used for web animation. Photoshop all over again? .ps: I'm in the same boat of having to learn AE. Or at least improve on my basic knowledge of it.
After Effects isn't a video manipulation tool. Video manipulation is one of its capabilities, it is also capable of motion graphics and animating vector shapes. This library works off the vector shape side of after effects.
Yes, it's been built towards motion graphics. Just as Photoshop has been geared towards web design over the years.
It was originally a post processing tool. Hence the name. After Effects.
Which is why this whole thing seems so similar to me.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#74Can this be integrated into a Xamarin app? Is there anything similar for Xamarin?
Important question for me as well. As a solo amateur developer I don't have time to keep up with the constant development of all the different platforms.
I love the idea of this tool.
This came just at the right time. I'm putting together a series of animations for patient education. In trying to make things cross-platform I had to resort to AE and non-interactive video. Lottie looks like it will enable me to string together something nicer, using native drawing functionality, and can incorporate more interactivity.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#75I wonder though whether users really want lots of fancy animations. Our apps have way too many that add absolutely nothing to the usability, and in fact take away from it as you have to wait until things are done sliding around the screen. It's not that some animation is a bad thing, but give people such easy ways to make everything move and dance and you wind up with a modern version of 1990's websites. Of course it…
It's especially beneficial to the UX when attention is driven towards the user task. It's easier to digest short, helpful animation than reading through a block of text.
No user wants a repeat of 90's animated gif obsession or the 00's overly dramatic Flash craze. Hopefully we don't regress because of more recent advanced animation capabilities.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#76Looks interesting. My current workflow is similar and uses Apple Motion to produce animations for iOS.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#77I wonder though whether users really want lots of fancy animations. Our apps have way too many that add absolutely nothing to the usability, and in fact take away from it as you have to wait until things are done sliding around the screen. It's not that some animation is a bad thing, but give people such easy ways to make everything move and dance and you wind up with a modern version of 1990's websites. Of course it…
Ther is a place for animations in UI. First, if you have to wait animations can reduce the percepted waiting time, i.e. it is not so boring to stare at the screen when something is happening there. Also, animations can guide your attention accross the changes in the UI where without them suddent change in the data/interface shown would be disorientating.
Of course it is all about finding the right balance.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#78This is huge. I did my first internship at a company that was half animators making huge TV ads you have seen, and half web devs/designers that made interactive (web) apps.[0] Lottie is, without a doubt, solving a huge problem in the industry. Previously, engineers were often stuck bolting animations and transients onto static PSDs, or designers fighting to communicate what they wanted an animation to be like. This c…
> Now I just need to learn After Effects Kinda scares me that After Effects (video manipulation tool) will be used for web animation. Photoshop all over again? .ps: I'm in the same boat of having to learn AE. Or at least improve on my basic knowledge of it.
I've had good luck with videocopilot.net, though it's more centered on vfx than motion graphics.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#79Author of the Android side of things here. Feel Free to ask any questions!
Is there any other way to generate/buy/get these json files ? Really want to try this out, but do not have access to After Effects.
Re: Introducing Lottie: Airbnb's tool for adding animations to native apps
#80If you need After Effects anyway, why not just export a GIF or something? What's the benefit of rendering it in real-time?