Anime.js Animation Upgrade Agent

Autonomous agent that analyzes codebases and systematically implements polished, performant animations using anime.js.

Agent Workflow

Execute these phases sequentially. Work autonomously—don't ask for permission between steps.

Phase 1: Codebase Analysis

# 1. Identify framework and structure
find . -name "package.json" -o -name "*.tsx" -o -name "*.jsx" -o -name "*.vue" -o -name "*.svelte" | head -20

# 2. Check if anime.js is installed
grep -r "animejs\|anime.js" package.json 2>/dev/null || echo "NOT_INSTALLED"

# 3. Map component structure
find . -type f \( -name "*.tsx" -o -name "*.jsx" -o -name "*.vue" \) -path "*/components/*" | head -50

Install anime.js if missing:

npm install animejs
# For TypeScript projects:
npm install --save-dev @types/animejs

Phase 2: Opportunity Identification

Scan the codebase for these high-impact animation opportunities:

Priority	Pattern to Find	Animation Type
P0	Page/route transitions	Fade + slide sequences
P0	Loading states, spinners	Smooth pulsing/rotation
P1	Lists rendering data	Staggered entrance
P1	Modals/dialogs/drawers	Scale + fade entrance
P1	Form submissions	Success/error feedback
P2	Buttons, CTAs	Hover/press micro-interactions
P2	Cards, tiles	Hover lift effects
P2	Data visualizations	Number counting, chart reveals
P3	Icons, badges	Attention pulses
P3	Tooltips, popovers	Soft entrance

Search patterns:

# Find loading states
grep -rn "loading\|isLoading\|skeleton\|Spinner" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.jsx"

# Find modals/dialogs
grep -rn "Modal\|Dialog\|Drawer\|Sheet" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.jsx"

# Find lists with map
grep -rn "\.map(" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.jsx" | grep -i "item\|card\|row"

# Find buttons
grep -rn "<button\|<Button\|onClick" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.jsx"

# Find route transitions
grep -rn "Route\|router\|navigate\|Link" --include="*.tsx" --include="*.jsx"

Phase 3: Create Animation Utilities

Create a shared animation utilities file first:

// src/lib/animations.ts (or utils/animations.ts)
import anime from 'animejs';

// Respect user preferences
export const prefersReducedMotion = () =>
  typeof window !== 'undefined' &&
  window.matchMedia('(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)').matches;

// Safe animate wrapper
export const safeAnimate = (
  targets: anime.AnimeParams['targets'],
  params: Omit<anime.AnimeParams, 'targets'>
) => {
  if (prefersReducedMotion()) {
    return anime({ targets, ...params, duration: 0 });
  }
  return anime({ targets, ...params });
};

// Staggered list entrance
export const staggerIn = (selector: string, delay = 50) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    translateY: [20, 0],
    opacity: [0, 1],
    delay: anime.stagger(delay),
    duration: 400,
    easing: 'easeOutQuad',
  });

// Modal entrance
export const modalIn = (selector: string) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    scale: [0.95, 1],
    opacity: [0, 1],
    duration: 200,
    easing: 'easeOutQuad',
  });

// Button press feedback
export const buttonPress = (element: HTMLElement) =>
  safeAnimate(element, {
    scale: [1, 0.97, 1],
    duration: 150,
    easing: 'easeInOutQuad',
  });

// Success animation
export const successPop = (selector: string) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    scale: [0, 1.1, 1],
    opacity: [0, 1],
    duration: 400,
    easing: 'easeOutBack',
  });

// Error shake
export const errorShake = (selector: string) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    translateX: [0, -8, 8, -8, 8, -4, 4, 0],
    duration: 400,
    easing: 'easeInOutQuad',
  });

// Fade out (for exits)
export const fadeOut = (selector: string) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    opacity: [1, 0],
    translateY: [0, -10],
    duration: 200,
    easing: 'easeInQuad',
  });

// Number counter
export const countUp = (
  element: HTMLElement,
  endValue: number,
  duration = 1000
) => {
  const obj = { value: 0 };
  return anime({
    targets: obj,
    value: endValue,
    round: 1,
    duration,
    easing: 'easeOutExpo',
    update: () => {
      element.textContent = obj.value.toLocaleString();
    },
  });
};

// Skeleton pulse
export const skeletonPulse = (selector: string) =>
  safeAnimate(selector, {
    opacity: [0.5, 1, 0.5],
    duration: 1500,
    loop: true,
    easing: 'easeInOutSine',
  });

Phase 4: React Hook Pattern

Create reusable hooks for React projects:

// src/hooks/useAnimation.ts
import { useEffect, useRef, useCallback } from 'react';
import anime from 'animejs';
import { prefersReducedMotion } from '@/lib/animations';

export function useStaggeredEntrance<T extends HTMLElement>(
  deps: unknown[] = []
) {
  const containerRef = useRef<T>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (!containerRef.current || prefersReducedMotion()) return;

    const children = containerRef.current.children;
    anime({
      targets: children,
      translateY: [20, 0],
      opacity: [0, 1],
      delay: anime.stagger(50),
      duration: 400,
      easing: 'easeOutQuad',
    });
  }, deps);

  return containerRef;
}

export function useButtonFeedback() {
  const handlePress = useCallback((e: React.MouseEvent<HTMLElement>) => {
    if (prefersReducedMotion()) return;
    
    anime({
      targets: e.currentTarget,
      scale: [1, 0.97, 1],
      duration: 150,
      easing: 'easeInOutQuad',
    });
  }, []);

  return { onMouseDown: handlePress };
}

export function useHoverLift<T extends HTMLElement>() {
  const ref = useRef<T>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    const el = ref.current;
    if (!el || prefersReducedMotion()) return;

    const enter = () => {
      anime.remove(el);
      anime({
        targets: el,
        translateY: -4,
        boxShadow: '0 8px 30px rgba(0,0,0,0.12)',
        duration: 200,
        easing: 'easeOutQuad',
      });
    };

    const leave = () => {
      anime.remove(el);
      anime({
        targets: el,
        translateY: 0,
        boxShadow: '0 2px 8px rgba(0,0,0,0.08)',
        duration: 200,
        easing: 'easeOutQuad',
      });
    };

    el.addEventListener('mouseenter', enter);
    el.addEventListener('mouseleave', leave);
    return () => {
      el.removeEventListener('mouseenter', enter);
      el.removeEventListener('mouseleave', leave);
    };
  }, []);

  return ref;
}

export function useCountUp(endValue: number, duration = 1000) {
  const ref = useRef<HTMLElement>(null);

  useEffect(() => {
    if (!ref.current) return;
    
    const obj = { value: 0 };
    anime({
      targets: obj,
      value: endValue,
      round: 1,
      duration: prefersReducedMotion() ? 0 : duration,
      easing: 'easeOutExpo',
      update: () => {
        if (ref.current) {
          ref.current.textContent = obj.value.toLocaleString();
        }
      },
    });
  }, [endValue, duration]);

  return ref;
}

Phase 5: Implementation Checklist

Work through components systematically. For each component:

1. Identify the animation opportunity (entrance, interaction, feedback)
2. Add necessary imports
3. Implement using utilities/hooks
4. Test reduced-motion behavior
5. Verify 60fps performance

Implementation order:

1. Animation utilities file
2. React hooks (if React project)
3. P0: Page transitions, loading states
4. P1: Lists, modals, form feedback
5. P2: Buttons, cards
6. P3: Icons, tooltips

Phase 6: Common Implementation Patterns

List component with staggered entrance:

function ItemList({ items }) {
  const listRef = useStaggeredEntrance<HTMLUListElement>([items]);
  
  return (
    <ul ref={listRef}>
      {items.map(item => (
        <li key={item.id} style={{ opacity: 0 }}>
          {item.name}
        </li>
      ))}
    </ul>
  );
}

Button with press feedback:

function AnimatedButton({ children, onClick, ...props }) {
  const feedbackProps = useButtonFeedback();
  
  return (
    <button {...props} {...feedbackProps} onClick={onClick}>
      {children}
    </button>
  );
}

Card with hover lift:

function Card({ children }) {
  const cardRef = useHoverLift<HTMLDivElement>();
  
  return (
    <div ref={cardRef} className="card">
      {children}
    </div>
  );
}

Modal with entrance animation:

function Modal({ isOpen, children }) {
  const modalRef = useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);
  
  useEffect(() => {
    if (isOpen && modalRef.current) {
      modalIn(modalRef.current);
    }
  }, [isOpen]);
  
  if (!isOpen) return null;
  
  return (
    <div ref={modalRef} className="modal" style={{ opacity: 0 }}>
      {children}
    </div>
  );
}

Performance Rules

ALWAYS animate (GPU-accelerated):

• translateX, translateY, translateZ
• scale, rotate
• opacity

NEVER animate (triggers layout):

• width, height
• padding, margin
• top, left, right, bottom

Timing guidelines:

Type	Duration	Easing
Micro-interaction	100-200ms	easeOutQuad
Button feedback	150ms	easeInOutQuad
Modal entrance	200-250ms	easeOutQuad
List stagger	50-100ms between	easeOutQuad
Page transition	300ms	easeOutQuint

Output Format

After implementation, provide a summary:

## Animation Upgrade Summary

### Files Created
- `src/lib/animations.ts` - Core utilities
- `src/hooks/useAnimation.ts` - React hooks

### Components Updated
| Component | Animation Added | Priority |
|-----------|-----------------|----------|
| ItemList | Staggered entrance | P1 |
| Modal | Scale + fade in | P1 |
| Button | Press feedback | P2 |

### Performance Notes
- All animations use transform/opacity only
- Reduced motion respected globally
- Average animation duration: 200ms

Reference Files

For detailed API documentation: references/api-reference.md For additional patterns: references/patterns.md