Animation is the process of adding a motion effect to any view, image, or text. With the help of animation, you can add motion or can change the shape of a specific view. Animation in Android is generally used to give your UI a rich look and feel. In this article, we will learn about the Best Android UI/UX Animation Libraries.
Android could use animations for:
display application status, since the user would be pleased to receive a response to actions he/she triggers. Besides, an appropriate animation would brighten up the user’s expectations when the page content is updated;
connect various phases of a multiphase process, thereby allowing for a smooth transition between the steps and seamless interaction with the user;
embed new elements, fitting them harmoniously into the content;
simplify the interaction process, informing the user what he/she is going through at the moment.
Mobile applications are getting less static. Interface animations are becoming an integral part of modern apps, making them more user-friendly and navigation through them simpler.
1. AndroidViewAnimations
We will begin with AndroidViewAnimations. It is a simple Android library that enables you to create view-shake animations. Its developer was inspired by an iOS library since Android had no analog at that time. The library allows you to implement a wide variety of animations, including:
bounce;
fade;
flip;
rotate;
slide;
zoom.
Moreover, each item has its own subsections with different effects.
2. ListViewAnimations
ListViewAnimations is another open source library that enables developers to create ListViews with animations. It has the following features:
appearance animations for items in ListViews, GridViews, other AbsListViews;
built-in animations include Alpha, SwingRightIn, SwingLeftIn, SwingBottomIn, SwingRightIn and ScaleIn;
other animations can easily be added;
supports StickyListHeaders; besides, you can add other implementations without any difficulties;
Swipe-to-Dismiss, Swipe-To-Dismiss with contextual undo;
Drag-and-Drop reordering;
an animated process of adding items;
you are able to smoothly expand your items to reveal more content.
3. Transition Everywhere
Transition Everywhere is a backport of Transitions API for Android 4.0 and above. It allows you to change duration, interpolator and start delay for animators inside Transition. It has several transition types:
Slide;
Explode and Propagation;
ChangeImageTransfor;
Path motion;
TransitionName;
Scale;
Rotate.
The library can come in handy when you are going to animate changes to view position and size, extend Visibility class and perform fade in and fade out animations, or put the animations in sequential order.
4. Aphid FlipView
Aphid FlipView is a UI component to accomplish the flipping animation similar to Flipboard. It supports:
flipping horizontally;
an event listener to get notified when flipping finishes;
content reloading when flipping;
different bitmap format for animation, which can be used to reduce peak memory consumption.
5. FragmentTransactionExtended
FragmentTransactionExtended is a library equipped with a set of custom animations between fragments. Compared to FragmentTransaction, which accepts only simple animations, it got its list extended with more complex effects of the following animations:
scale;
fade;
slide;
glide;
stack;
rotate;
zoom.
6. KenBurnsView
KenBurnsView is a library that provides an extension to ImageView, which, in turn, creates an immersive experience by animating its drawable with the help of the Ken Burns Effect.
Advantages of the library are:
you can change the duration and the interpolator of transitions and pause/resume them.
you can define how the rectangles to be zoomed and panned will be generated;
it seamlessly works out of the box with your favorite image loader library;
you can start using it right away.
7. AnimationEasingFunctions
AnimationEasingFunctions library was created based on AndroidViewAnimation with the help of Easing Functions. It is also aimed at facilitating the process of animation and making animations more real. You can implement it as a grade or just like a glider.
8. EasyAndroidAnimarions
EasyAndroidAnimations is another Android library that makes animation easier. It has above 50 built-in animations that will help you to implement many effects in your app with only several lines of code. You can include the library directly in your Gradle project.
9. InterfaceInteraction
InterfaceInteraction development was bolstered by the PhysicsLayout project. The library captures any interface (screen or view) and throws its UI elements over under the influence of gravity. As a result, one can move them from sideways obliquely. The gravity effect relies on the device’s accelerometer data. The stop method returns all UI elements back in place. Another feature is a shake animation for UI elements.
The effects can easily be used to decorate any application.
10. AndroidImageSlider
AndroidImageSlider is an excellent example of an attractive, easy-to-use open source slideshow library. We believe it’s one of the most convenient image sliders on the Android platform.
With its help, you can easily upload your own images from an internet URL, drawable, or file and animate the slideshow with a range of different effects.
11. Android Ripple Background
Android Ripple Background enables creating various ripple animation for your Android app. You can change their color, speed of the wave, and the number of ripples. It will be useful if you are going to animate a button click response or an incoming phone call, etc.
12. Reachability
Reachability is a library that enables easy accessing the top of the mobile phone screen. Animations implemented in iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus inspired its developer. Here you can move either the screen or the hover.
13. ViewRevealAnimator
ViewRevealAnimator view with a lollipop style reveals effect. It enables you to create a smooth animated transition between items.
14. ArcAnimator
ArcAnimator is a library that helps create arc transition animation for Android 2.3. and above.
15. SearchMenuAnim
SearchMenuAnim allows creating a clear and effortless transition from a search icon to a search field.
16. Cross View
Cross View animates across in your app. The library enables you to define color and set a state directly. You can also set an animation duration in milliseconds.
The Tech Platform