Forum Discussion
Bgt720
May 25, 2024Copper Contributor
SVG attribute animation
CSS does not support many SVG attribute animations, and the original Edge fully supports SMIL to implement all SVG attribute animations; But the latest edge has encountered many problems, and the latest beta version is also not working. Before CSS animations fully support SVG attributes, smil animations should not be overlooked. I hope you can answer our concerns.
- ImdadCopper Contributor
1. CSS Limitations for SVG Attribute Animations
- CSS is great for animating many properties, but it has limited support for animating certain SVG-specific attributes (e.g., d for path morphing, viewBox, stroke-dasharray, etc.).
- While CSS can handle basic transforms, opacity, and some SVG properties, it falls short for more complex SVG animations that require precise control over attributes like paths, filters, or gradients.
2. SMIL (SVG Animation) Support
- SMIL (Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language) is a powerful and native way to animate SVG attributes directly within the SVG markup. It provides fine-grained control over animations, including morphing paths, animating transforms, and more.
- However, SMIL has been deprecated in some browsers (e.g., Chrome) and is no longer actively developed. This has led to inconsistent support across browsers, including Edge.
3. Edge's SMIL Support Issues
- The original Edge (pre-Chromium) had robust support for SMIL, but the new Chromium-based Edge has inherited Chrome's limitations and deprecation of SMIL.
- If you're encountering issues with SMIL in the latest Edge versions, it's likely due to the Chromium engine's reduced support for SMIL.
4. Workarounds and Alternatives
Until CSS fully supports all SVG attribute animations, here are some alternatives to consider:
- JavaScript Libraries: Use libraries like GSAP (GreenSock Animation Platform) or Snap.svg to animate SVG attributes. These libraries provide cross-browser compatibility and robust animation capabilities.
- Web Animations API: This native JavaScript API can animate some SVG properties and is gaining broader support.
- CSS Transitions/Animations: For properties that CSS does support, combine CSS animations with JavaScript for a hybrid approach.
- Lottie: If your animations are complex, consider using Lottie (a library for rendering After Effects animations as JSON) to handle animations outside of SVG.
5. Advocating for SMIL
- If SMIL is critical for your workflow, you can voice your concerns to browser vendors (e.g., Microsoft for Edge, Google for Chrome) to advocate for better support or reconsideration of SMIL deprecation.
- You can also use feature detection to check for SMIL support and provide fallbacks for browsers that don't support it.
6. Future of SVG Animations
- The web platform is evolving, and there is ongoing work to improve CSS and JavaScript support for SVG animations. However, until then, relying on a combination of SMIL (where supported), JavaScript libraries, and CSS is the most practical approach.
Conclusion
While SMIL remains a powerful tool for SVG animations, its inconsistent support in modern browsers like Edge (Chromium) makes it less reliable. For now, using JavaScript-based solutions like GSAP or the Web Animations API is the most future-proof approach. However, your concerns about SMIL's deprecation are valid, and it's worth advocating for better SVG animation support in CSS and browsers.
- 7193158889Copper Contributor