scroll-animation

Scroll Animation Skill

Decision Matrix — Pick Technique

Need	Technique	Why
Pin + scrub + snap	GSAP ScrollTrigger	Most mature, free since Webflow acquisition
Simple fade/slide on scroll	CSS animation-timeline	Zero JS, native performance
Apple-style frame playback	Canvas frame sequence	Smoothest result for product reveals
Parallax layers	CSS or GSAP	CSS for simple, GSAP for complex
Smooth scroll feel	Lenis + GSAP	Industry standard combo

---

1. GSAP ScrollTrigger

License: 100% FREE including all plugins Install: npm i gsap

Core API

import gsap from "gsap";
import { ScrollTrigger } from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";
gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);

// Pin + Scrub
gsap.to(".hero-content", {
  y: -100,
  opacity: 0,
  scrollTrigger: {
    trigger: ".hero",
    start: "top top",
    end: "bottom top",
    pin: true,
    scrub: 1,
    snap: { snapTo: 1 / 4, duration: 0.3, ease: "power1.inOut" }
  }
});

// Batch — stagger elements entering viewport
ScrollTrigger.batch(".card", {
  onEnter: (elements) => {
    gsap.to(elements, { opacity: 1, y: 0, stagger: 0.1 });
  },
  start: "top 85%"
});

React Integration (useGSAP hook)

import { useGSAP } from "@gsap/react";
import gsap from "gsap";
import { ScrollTrigger } from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";

gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);

function Section({ children }) {
  const container = useRef(null);

  useGSAP(() => {
    gsap.from(".animate-in", {
      y: 50,
      opacity: 0,
      stagger: 0.2,
      scrollTrigger: { trigger: container.current, start: "top 80%" }
    });
  }, { scope: container });

  return <section ref={container}>{children}</section>;
}

Key: useGSAP = drop-in for useEffect, auto-cleanup via gsap.context().

Astro Integration

<section id="scroll-section">
  <div class="pin-target">Content</div>
</section>

<script>
  import gsap from "gsap";
  import { ScrollTrigger } from "gsap/ScrollTrigger";
  gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger);

  gsap.to(".pin-target", {
    x: 500,
    scrollTrigger: { trigger: "#scroll-section", pin: true, scrub: true }
  });
</script>

Performance Best Practices

• Use will-change: transform on pinned elements
• Prefer transform and opacity — GPU-composited, no layout recalc
• scrub: 1 (or higher) smooths jank vs scrub: true (instant)
• invalidateOnRefresh: true for responsive layouts
• Call ScrollTrigger.refresh() after dynamic content loads
• Avoid animating width, height, top, left — triggers reflow

---

2. CSS Scroll-Driven Animations (Native)

Scroll Progress Timeline

@keyframes fade-in {
  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(30px); }
  to   { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }
}

.animate-on-scroll {
  animation: fade-in linear both;
  animation-timeline: scroll();
  animation-range: entry 0% entry 100%;
}

View Progress Timeline

.reveal {
  animation: fade-in linear both;
  animation-timeline: view();
  animation-range: entry 25% cover 50%;
}

Progressive Enhancement

@supports (animation-timeline: scroll()) {
  .animate { animation-timeline: scroll(); }
}
/* Fallback: use IntersectionObserver + classList toggle */

What CSS Can Replace from GSAP

Feature	CSS Native	Still Need GSAP
Fade/slide on scroll	Yes	No
Progress-linked animation	Yes	No
View-enter/exit triggers	Yes	No
Pin element	No	Yes
Snap to sections	No (scroll-snap is separate)	Yes (integrated)
Batch stagger	No	Yes
Timeline sequencing	Limited	Yes
Complex easing curves	Limited	Yes
JS callbacks on progress	No	Yes

Rule of thumb: CSS for simple reveal animations. GSAP for anything with pin, snap, stagger, or JS logic.

---

3. Lenis Smooth Scroll

Install: npm i lenis Bundle: ~14KB min+gzip (no dependencies)

import Lenis from "lenis";

const lenis = new Lenis({
  duration: 1.2,
  easing: (t) => Math.min(1, 1.001 - Math.pow(2, -10 * t)),
  orientation: "vertical",
  smoothWheel: true,
});

// Connect to GSAP ticker for sync
gsap.ticker.add((time) => { lenis.raf(time * 1000); });
gsap.ticker.lagSmoothing(0);

// Connect to ScrollTrigger
lenis.on("scroll", ScrollTrigger.update);

When to use: Agency-style smooth scroll feel. Pairs with GSAP ScrollTrigger. When NOT to use: Content-heavy sites, accessibility-first projects.

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4. Frame Sequence on Scroll (Apple-Style)

Pipeline

Video (MP4/MOV)
  → FFmpeg frame extraction (PNG)
  → Convert to WebP (90% size reduction vs PNG)
  → Canvas playback synced to scroll

FFmpeg Extraction

ffmpeg -i source.mp4 -vf "fps=30,scale=1280:720" frames/frame_%04d.png
for f in frames/*.png; do cwebp -q 80 "$f" -o "${f%.png}.webp"; done

Optimal Parameters

Parameter	Desktop	Mobile
Frame count	120-180	60-90
Resolution	1920x1080	960x540
Format	WebP q80	WebP q75
Total budget	2-4 MB	1-2 MB

Canvas Implementation

const canvas = document.getElementById("sequence-canvas");
const ctx = canvas.getContext("2d");
const frameCount = 150;
const frames = [];

function preloadFrames() {
  for (let i = 1; i <= frameCount; i++) {
    const img = new Image();
    img.src = `/frames/frame_${String(i).padStart(4, "0")}.webp`;
    frames.push(img);
  }
}

gsap.to({ frame: 0 }, {
  frame: frameCount - 1,
  snap: "frame",
  ease: "none",
  scrollTrigger: {
    trigger: "#sequence-section", start: "top top", end: "+=3000", pin: true, scrub: 0.5,
  },
  onUpdate: function() {
    const index = Math.round(this.targets()[0].frame);
    ctx.clearRect(0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
    if (frames[index]?.complete) {
      ctx.drawImage(frames[index], 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
    }
  }
});

Alternative: Video Scrub

const video = document.getElementById("scrub-video");

gsap.to(video, {
  currentTime: video.duration,
  ease: "none",
  scrollTrigger: { trigger: "#video-section", start: "top top", end: "+=4000", pin: true, scrub: true }
});

Tradeoff: Video scrub = smaller payload, less smooth on mobile. Frame sequence = more bytes, smoother everywhere.

---

Accessibility

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  *, *::before, *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    scroll-behavior: auto !important;
  }
}

const prefersReduced = window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)").matches;
if (prefersReduced) { ScrollTrigger.getAll().forEach(st => st.kill()); }

---

Workflow

1. Define scroll sections — wireframe which content pins, reveals, or plays
2. Pick technique — use Decision Matrix above
3. Implement with GSAP — pin/scrub/snap for complex, CSS for simple reveals
4. Add Lenis — only if smooth scroll feel is required
5. Test performance — Chrome DevTools Performance panel, aim for <16.6ms/frame
6. Add a11y — prefers-reduced-motion, keyboard nav still works
7. Test mobile — reduce frame counts, disable heavy effects on low-end