home / skills / dylantarre / animation-principles / lottie-bodymovin
This skill helps you implement Disney's 12 animation principles with Lottie exports, guiding timing, spacing, and expressive motion in vector animations.
npx playbooks add skill dylantarre/animation-principles --skill lottie-bodymovinReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: lottie-bodymovin
description: Use when implementing Disney's 12 animation principles with Lottie animations exported from After Effects
---
# Lottie Animation Principles
Implement all 12 Disney animation principles using Lottie (Bodymovin) for vector animations.
## 1. Squash and Stretch
In After Effects before export:
- Animate Scale X and Y inversely
- Use expression: `s = transform.scale[1]; [100 + (100-s), s]`
```javascript
// Control at runtime
lottie.setSpeed(1.5); // affect squash timing
```
## 2. Anticipation
Structure your AE composition:
1. **Frames 0-10**: Wind-up pose
2. **Frames 10-40**: Main action
3. **Frames 40-50**: Settle
```javascript
// Play anticipation segment
anim.playSegments([0, 10], true);
setTimeout(() => anim.playSegments([10, 50], true), 200);
```
## 3. Staging
```javascript
// Layer multiple Lotties
<div className="scene">
<Lottie animationData={background} style={{ opacity: 0.6 }} />
<Lottie animationData={hero} style={{ zIndex: 10 }} />
</div>
```
## 4. Straight Ahead / Pose to Pose
Pose to pose in AE:
- Set keyframes at key poses
- Let AE interpolate between
- Use Easy Ease for smoothing
```javascript
// Jump to specific poses
anim.goToAndStop(25, true); // frame 25
```
## 5. Follow Through and Overlapping Action
In After Effects:
- Offset child layer keyframes by 2-4 frames
- Use parenting with delayed expressions
- `thisComp.layer("Parent").transform.position.valueAtTime(time - 0.05)`
## 6. Slow In and Slow Out
AE Keyframe settings:
- Select keyframes > Easy Ease (F9)
- Use Graph Editor to adjust curves
- Bezier handles control acceleration
```javascript
// Adjust playback speed dynamically
anim.setSpeed(0.5); // slower
anim.setSpeed(2); // faster
```
## 7. Arc
In After Effects:
- Use motion paths (position property)
- Convert keyframes to Bezier
- Pull handles to create arcs
- Or use "Auto-Orient to Path"
## 8. Secondary Action
```javascript
// Trigger secondary animation
mainAnim.addEventListener('complete', () => {
secondaryAnim.play();
});
// Or sync with frame
mainAnim.addEventListener('enterFrame', (e) => {
if (e.currentTime > 15) particleAnim.play();
});
```
## 9. Timing
```javascript
anim.setSpeed(0.5); // half speed - dramatic
anim.setSpeed(1); // normal
anim.setSpeed(2); // double speed - snappy
// Or control frame rate in AE export
// 24fps = cinematic, 30fps = smooth, 60fps = fluid
```
## 10. Exaggeration
In After Effects:
- Push scale beyond 100% (120-150%)
- Overshoot rotation
- Use Overshoot expression
- `amp = 15; freq = 3; decay = 5; n = 0; time_start = key(1).time; if (time > time_start) { n = (time - time_start) / thisComp.frameDuration; amp * Math.sin(freq*n) / Math.exp(decay*n/100); } else { 0; }`
## 11. Solid Drawing
In After Effects:
- Use 3D layers
- Apply perspective camera
- Animate Z position and rotation
- Use depth of field
## 12. Appeal
Design principles in AE:
- Smooth curves over sharp angles
- Consistent timing patterns
- Pleasing color palette
- Clean vector shapes
```javascript
// React Lottie with hover
<Lottie
animationData={data}
onMouseEnter={() => anim.setDirection(1)}
onMouseLeave={() => anim.setDirection(-1)}
/>
```
## Lottie Implementation
```javascript
import Lottie from 'lottie-react';
import animationData from './animation.json';
<Lottie
animationData={animationData}
loop={true}
autoplay={true}
style={{ width: 200, height: 200 }}
/>
```
## Key Lottie Features
- `playSegments([start, end])` - Play frame range
- `setSpeed(n)` - Control timing
- `setDirection(1/-1)` - Forward/reverse
- `goToAndStop(frame)` - Pose control
- `addEventListener` - Frame events
- Interactivity via `lottie-interactivity`
This skill teaches how to apply Disney's 12 principles of animation to Lottie (Bodymovin) vector exports from After Effects. It focuses on practical patterns and runtime controls so animations keep character, timing, and appeal when delivered as Lottie JSON. You get concrete workflows for authoring in After Effects and for controlling behavior in the browser or React apps.
Author key poses, offsets, and motion paths in After Effects using standard animation tools (keyframes, expressions, parenting, graph editor), then export with Bodymovin to produce Lottie JSON. At runtime use Lottie APIs (playSegments, setSpeed, setDirection, goToAndStop, addEventListener) and small scripts to reproduce squash-and-stretch, anticipation, follow-through, arcs, secondary actions, and other principles. The skill maps each of the twelve principles to specific AE techniques and Lottie controls for reliable playback and interactivity.
Can Lottie reproduce squash-and-stretch made in After Effects?
Yes—author inverse scale keyframes or expressions in AE, export with Bodymovin, and use playback speed controls to fine-tune timing in the player.
How do I coordinate multiple Lottie files in a scene?
Layer them in the DOM or React component tree, use z-index and opacity for staging, and synchronize with events or timed playSegments calls.