Animation Glossary

Browse 6 animation terms defined in plain English, from the cultural dictionary of computing.

6 Animation Terms

Keyframe: A defined point in an animation timeline that specifies property values the renderer should match at that moment, with intermediate frames interpolated...
Motion Design: The discipline of designing animations and transitions within a user interface — including easing curves, duration, choreography, and spatial relationships —...
Render Loop: A continuous loop — typically running at 30, 60, or higher frames per second — that repeatedly clears the frame buffer, processes input, updates game/scene...
Transition: In CSS, a smooth interpolation between two property values over a specified duration and easing curve, triggered by a state change like :hover. In state...
Tween: Short for 'in-between' — the process of generating intermediate frames between two keyframes to create smooth animation. In game dev and UI, tweening...
Web Animation API: A browser API that provides a JavaScript interface for creating and controlling animations that run on the compositor thread, offering programmatic access to...