page.title=Animation Resources parent.title=Resource Types parent.link=available-resources.html @jd:body

See also

  1. 2D Graphics

An animation resource can define one of two types of animations:

Tween Animation
Creates an animation by performing a series of transformations on a single image. An {@link android.view.animation.Animation}.
Frame Animation
Creates an animation by showing a sequence of images in order. An {@link android.graphics.drawable.AnimationDrawable}.

Tween Animation

An animation defined in XML that performs transitions such as rotating, fading, moving, and stretching on a graphic.

file location:
res/anim/filename.xml
The filename will be used as the resource ID.
compiled resource datatype:
Resource pointer to an {@link android.view.animation.Animation}.
resource reference:
In Java: R.anim.filename
In XML: @[package:]anim/filename
syntax:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<set xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:interpolator="@[package:]anim/interpolator_resource"
    android:shareInterpolator=["true" | "false"] >
    <alpha
        android:fromAlpha="float"
        android:toAlpha="float" />
    <scale
        android:fromXScale="float"
        android:toXScale="float"
        android:fromYScale="float"
        android:toYScale="float"
        android:pivotX="float"
        android:pivotY="float" />
    <translate
        android:fromX="float"
        android:toX="float"
        android:fromY="float"
        android:toY="float" />
    <rotate
        android:fromDegrees="float"
        android:toDegrees="float"
        android:pivotX="float"
        android:pivotY="float" />
    <set>
        ...
    </set>
</set>

The file must have a single root element: either an <alpha>, <scale>, <translate>, <rotate>, or <set> element that holds a group (or groups) of other animation elements (even nested <set> elements).

elements:
<set>
A container that holds other animation elements (<alpha>, <scale>, <translate>, <rotate>) or other <set> elements. Represents an {@link android.view.animation.AnimationSet}.

attributes:

android:interpolator
Interpolator resource. An {@link android.view.animation.Interpolator} to apply on the animation. The value must be a reference to a resource that specifies an interpolator (not an interpolator class name). There are default interpolator resources available from the platform or you can create your own interpolator resource. See the discussion below for more about Interpolators.
android:shareInterpolator
Boolean. "true" if you want to share the same interpolator among all child elements.
<alpha>
A fade-in or fade-out animation. Represents an {@link android.view.animation.AlphaAnimation}.

attributes:

android:fromAlpha
Float. Starting opacity offset, where 0.0 is transparent and 1.0 is opaque.
android:toAlpha
Float. Ending opacity offset, where 0.0 is transparent and 1.0 is opaque.

For more attributes supported by <alpha>, see the {@link android.view.animation.Animation} class reference (of which, all XML attributes are inherrited by this element).

<scale>
A resizing animation. You can specify the center point of the image from which it grows outward (or inward) by specifying {@code pivotX} and {@code pivotY}. For example, if these values are 0, 0 (top-left corner), all growth will be down and to the right. Represents a {@link android.view.animation.ScaleAnimation}.

attributes:

android:fromXScale
Float. Starting X size offset, where 1.0 is no change.
android:toXScale
Float. Ending X size offset, where 1.0 is no change.
android:fromYScale
Float. Starting Y size offset, where 1.0 is no change.
android:toYScale
Float. Ending Y size offset, where 1.0 is no change.
android:pivotX
Float. The X coordinate to remain fixed when the object is scaled.
android:pivotY
Float. The Y coordinate to remain fixed when the object is scaled.

For more attributes supported by <scale>, see the {@link android.view.animation.Animation} class reference (of which, all XML attributes are inherrited by this element).

<translate>
A vertical and/or horizontal motion. Supports the following attributes in any of the following three formats: values from -100 to 100 ending with "%", indicating a percentage relative to itself; values from -100 to 100 ending in "%p", indicating a percentage relative to its parent; a float value with no suffix, indicating an absolute value. Represents a {@link android.view.animation.TranslateAnimation}.

attributes:

android:fromXDelta
Float or percentage. Starting X offset. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the normal position (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the element width (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent width (such as {@code "5%p"}).
android:toXDelta
Float or percentage. Ending X offset. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the normal position (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the element width (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent width (such as {@code "5%p"}).
android:fromYDelta
Float or percentage. Starting Y offset. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the normal position (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the element height (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent height (such as {@code "5%p"}).
android:toYDelta
Float or percentage. Ending Y offset. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the normal position (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the element height (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent height (such as {@code "5%p"}).

For more attributes supported by <translate>, see the {@link android.view.animation.Animation} class reference (of which, all XML attributes are inherrited by this element).

<rotate>
A rotation animation. Represents a {@link android.view.animation.RotateAnimation}.

attributes:

android:fromDegrees
Float. Starting angular position, in degrees.
android:toDegrees
Float. Ending angular position, in degrees.
android:pivotX
Float or percentage. The X coordinate of the center of rotation. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the object's left edge (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the object's left edge (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent container's left edge (such as {@code "5%p"}).
android:pivotY
Float or percentage. The Y coordinate of the center of rotation. Expressed either: in pixels relative to the object's top edge (such as {@code "5"}), in percentage relative to the object's top edge (such as {@code "5%"}), or in percentage relative to the parent container's top edge (such as {@code "5%p"}).

For more attributes supported by <rotate>, see the {@link android.view.animation.Animation} class reference (of which, all XML attributes are inherrited by this element).

example:
XML file saved at res/anim/hyperspace_jump.xml:

<set xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:shareInterpolator="false">
    <scale
        android:interpolator="@android:anim/accelerate_decelerate_interpolator"
        android:fromXScale="1.0" 
        android:toXScale="1.4" 
        android:fromYScale="1.0" 
        android:toYScale="0.6" 
        android:pivotX="50%"
        android:pivotY="50%"
        android:fillAfter="false"
        android:duration="700" />
    <set
        android:interpolator="@android:anim/accelerate_interpolator"
        android:startOffset="700">
        <scale
            android:fromXScale="1.4" 
            android:toXScale="0.0"
            android:fromYScale="0.6"
            android:toYScale="0.0" 
            android:pivotX="50%" 
            android:pivotY="50%" 
            android:duration="400" />
        <rotate
            android:fromDegrees="0" 
            android:toDegrees="-45"
            android:toYScale="0.0" 
            android:pivotX="50%" 
            android:pivotY="50%"
            android:duration="400" />
    </set>
</set>

This application code will apply the animation to an {@link android.widget.ImageView} and start the animation:

ImageView image = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.image);
Animation hyperspaceJump = AnimationUtils.{@link android.view.animation.AnimationUtils#loadAnimation(Context,int) loadAnimation}(this, R.anim.hyperspace_jump);
image.{@link android.view.View#startAnimation(Animation) startAnimation}(hyperspaceJump);
see also:

Interpolators

An interpolator is an animation modifier defined in XML that affects the rate of change in an animation. This allows your existing animation effects to be accelerated, decelerated, repeated, bounced, etc.

An interpolator is applied to an animation element with the {@code android:interpolator} attribute, the value of which is a reference to an interpolator resource.

All interpolators available in Android are subclasses of the {@link android.view.animation.Interpolator} class. For each interpolator class, Android includes a public resource you can reference in order to apply the interpolator to an animation using the the {@code android:interpolator} attribute. The following table specifies the resource to use for each interpolator:

Interpolator classResource ID
{@link android.view.animation.AccelerateDecelerateInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/accelerate_decelerate_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.AccelerateInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/accelerate_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.AnticipateInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/anticipate_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.AnticipateOvershootInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/anticipate_overshoot_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.BounceInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/bounce_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.CycleInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/cycle_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.DecelerateInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/decelerate_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.LinearInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/linear_interpolator}
{@link android.view.animation.OvershootInterpolator} {@code @android:anim/overshoot_interpolator}

Here's how you can apply one of these with the {@code android:interpolator} attribute:

<set android:interpolator="@android:anim/accelerate_interpolator">
    ...
</set>

Custom interpolators

If you're not satisfied with the interpolators provided by the platform (listed in the table above), you can create a custom interpolator resource with modified attributes. For example, you can adjust the rate of acceleration for the {@link android.view.animation.AnticipateInterpolator}, or adjust the number of cycles for the {@link android.view.animation.CycleInterpolator}. In order to do so, you need to create your own interpolator resource in an XML file.

file location:
res/anim/filename.xml
The filename will be used as the resource ID.
compiled resource datatype:
Resource pointer to the corresponding interpolator object.
resource reference:
In XML: @[package:]anim/filename
syntax:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<InterpolatorName xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:attribute_name="value"
    />

If you don't apply any attributes, then your interpolator will function exactly the same as those provided by the platform (listed in the table above).

elements:
Notice that each {@link android.view.animation.Interpolator} implementation, when defined in XML, begins its name in lowercase.

<accelerateDecelerateInterpolator>
The rate of change starts and ends slowly but accelerates through the middle.

No attributes.

<accelerateInterpolator>
The rate of change starts out slowly, then accelerates.

attributes:

android:factor
Float. The acceleration rate (default is 1).
<anticipateInterpolator>
The change starts backward then flings forward.

attributes:

android:tension
Float. The amount of tension to apply (default is 2).
<anticipateOvershootInterpolator>
The change starts backward, flings forward and overshoots the target value, then settles at the final value.

attributes:

android:tension
Float. The amount of tension to apply (default is 2).
android:extraTension
Float. The amount by which to multiply the tension (default is 1.5).
<bounceInterpolator>
The change bounces at the end.

No attributes

<cycleInterpolator>
Repeats the animation for a specified number of cycles. The rate of change follows a sinusoidal pattern.

attributes:

android:cycles
Integer. The number of cycles (default is 1).
<decelerateInterpolator>
The rate of change starts out quickly, then decelerates.

attributes:

android:factor
Float. The deceleration rate (default is 1).
<linearInterpolator>
The rate of change is constant.

No attributes.

<overshootInterpolator>
The change flings forward and overshoots the last value, then comes back.

attributes:

android:tension
Float. The amount of tension to apply (default is 2).
example:

XML file saved at res/anim/my_overshoot_interpolator.xml:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<overshootInterpolator xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:tension="7.0"
    />

This animation XML will apply the interpolator:

<scale xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:interpolator="@anim/my_overshoot_interpolator"
    android:fromXScale="1.0"
    android:toXScale="3.0"
    android:fromYScale="1.0"
    android:toYScale="3.0"
    android:pivotX="50%"
    android:pivotY="50%"
    android:duration="700" />

Frame Animation

An animation defined in XML that shows a sequence of images in order (like a film).

file location:
res/drawable/filename.xml
The filename will be used as the resource ID.
compiled resource datatype:
Resource pointer to an {@link android.graphics.drawable.AnimationDrawable}.
resource reference:
In Java: R.drawable.filename
In XML: @[package:]drawable.filename
syntax:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<animation-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:oneshot=["true" | "false"] >
    <item
        android:drawable="@[package:]drawable/drawable_resource_name"
        android:duration="integer" />
</animation-list>
elements:
<animation-list>
Required. This must be the root element. Contains one or more <item> elements.

attributes:

android:oneshot
Boolean. "true" if you want to perform the animation once; "false" to loop the animation.
<item>
A single frame of animation. Must be a child of a <animation-list> element.

attributes:

android:drawable
Drawable resource. The drawable to use for this frame.
android:duration
Integer. The duration to show this frame, in milliseconds.
example:
XML file saved at res/anim/rocket.xml:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<animation-list xmlns:android="http://schemas.android.com/apk/res/android"
    android:oneshot="false">
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/rocket_thrust1" android:duration="200" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/rocket_thrust2" android:duration="200" />
    <item android:drawable="@drawable/rocket_thrust3" android:duration="200" />
</animation-list>
This application code will set the animation as the background for a View, then play the animation:
ImageView rocketImage = (ImageView) findViewById(R.id.rocket_image);
rocketImage.{@link android.view.View#setBackgroundResource(int) setBackgroundResource}(R.drawable.rocket_thrust);

rocketAnimation = (AnimationDrawable) rocketImage.{@link android.view.View#getBackground()};
rocketAnimation.{@link android.graphics.drawable.AnimationDrawable#start()};