Unlocking the Power of CSS Grid Animations

What is CSS Grid Animation?

CSS Grid animation enables the manipulation of grid tracks, allowing for smooth transitions between different grid configurations. This feature was previously absent from all browsers, despite being part of the CSS Grid Level 1 specification.

How Does it Work?

Animating CSS Grid properties is straightforward. Simply define an animation for an element and set a @keyframes rule controlling the grid properties. For example:

.grid {
  display: grid;
  grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  animation: grid-animation 2s infinite;
}

@keyframes grid-animation {
  0% {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  }
  50% {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(2, 2fr);
  }
  100% {
    grid-template-columns: repeat(3, 1fr);
  }
}

Limitations and Performance Considerations

While CSS Grid animation offers endless possibilities, there are some limitations to consider. Currently, only the sizing of grid tracks can be animated, and interpolation won’t work when mixing unit types.

Additionally, animating CSS Grid properties can impact performance, as it triggers changes in layout. To minimize this impact, animate only elements with few descendants and simple clipping/stacking context trees.

Using CSS Grid Animation Responsibly

To ensure optimal performance, use the will-change property to inform the browser which parts of the grid will be animated. This allows the browser to optimize for the animation.

.grid {
  will-change: grid-template-columns, grid-template-rows;
}

Other Browsers and Workarounds

Chromium-based browsers currently don’t support CSS Grid animation with interpolation. However, you can use workarounds to achieve similar effects by animating the width or height of grid elements.

• Animate the width or height of grid elements to achieve similar effects.
• Use other animation techniques, such as animating the margin or padding, to create a similar illusion.