Be Smooth with Arcs
Be Smooth with Arcs
Make fluid and believable animation
Make fluid and believable animation
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Connect to Content
Add layers or components to infinitely loop on your page.
✨
Connect to Content
Add layers or components to infinitely loop on your page.
What Are Arcs?
What Are Arcs?
Arcs refer to the natural, curved path objects follow when they move.
Arcs refer to the natural, curved path objects follow when they move.
Most objects in the real world rarely move in straight lines.
Like when bees are floating from flower to flower, they fly in paths with arcs rather than in a perfectly straight line.
Most objects in the real world rarely move in straight lines.
Like when bees are floating from flower to flower, they fly in paths with arcs rather than in a perfectly straight line.
It Would Be Weird...
if objects in nature were made of straight lines instead of curves.
It Would Be Weird...
if objects in nature were made of straight lines instead of curves.
Don't Be a Stiff
Straight-line movements feel mechanical and unnatural. Or you could say, robotic.
Don't Be a Stiff
Straight-line movements feel mechanical and unnatural. Or you could say, robotic.
Incorporating arcs makes animations feel fluid, natural, and visually appealing
Incorporating arcs makes animations feel fluid, natural, and visually appealing
Our Bodies Create Arcs
Turning heads, swinging arms, running strides, everything we do naturally follow arcs. It's how we move around. Take note of the arcs you make when exercising.
Our Bodies Create Arcs
Turning heads, swinging arms, running strides, everything we do naturally follow arcs. It's how we move around. Take note of the arcs you make when exercising.
Not Everything Needs Arcs
Arcs aren’t necessary for precise, mechanical motion. Some objects move directly in straight paths. Like when these elevator doors open.
Not Everything Needs Arcs
Arcs aren’t necessary for precise, mechanical motion. Some objects move directly in straight paths. Like when these elevator doors open.
Observe the Difference
Click on each button to watch two different animations. One has arcs inside its movment, the other doesn't.
What do you notice?
The balloons look more like they are floating when animated with arcs in their paths. It's more interesting and believable than the paths without arcs, where the balloons move too perfect and straight, which is very unnatural.
Observe the Difference
Click on each button to watch two different animations. One has arcs inside its movment, the other doesn't.
What do you notice?
The balloons look more like they are floating when animated with arcs in their paths. It's more interesting and believable than the paths without arcs, where the balloons move too perfect and straight, which is very unnatural.
Observe the Difference
Click on each button to watch two different animations. One has arcs inside its movment, the other doesn't.
What do you notice?
The balloons look more like they are floating when animated with arcs in their paths. It's more interesting and believable than the paths without arcs, where the balloons move too perfect and straight, which is very unnatural.
By designing motion paths with gentle curves versus straight lines, you add realism and more personality to your animations.
What's next? Learn about easing and how it can also contirbute to fluid and natural motion.
By designing motion paths with gentle curves versus straight lines, you add realism and more personality to your animations.
What's next? Learn about easing and how it can also contirbute to fluid and natural motion.
ⓒ 2025 Michael Szabo. All Rights Reserved