Preset Animations
Want awesome effects without all the setup? That's what presets are for! These 23 pre-configured animations are basically the "easy button" for making your themes look professional. Just double-click and boom—instant awesomeness.
What Are Preset Animations?
Think of presets as animation recipes. Instead of manually combining Move X, Move Y, Scale, and Rotation (which you totally can do!), someone already figured out the perfect combination for you. They're ready to go, look great, and you can still tweak them if you want.
The Preset Collection
Bouncy Bunch
Bounce
Your bread-and-butter bouncing effect. Makes stuff bounce up and down like it's on a trampoline.
Perfect for:
- Logos that need energy
- "Press Start" prompts
- Anything that needs attention
- Making things feel alive
The vibe: Playful and energetic
Pro move: Slow down the speed for a gentle bob, or speed it up for excited bouncing!
3D Bounce
Like regular bounce, but it looks like it's bouncing toward YOU. Wild, right?
Perfect for:
- Title screens that pop
- Selected items that need extra oomph
- Showing off
The vibe: In your face (in a good way)
Bounce Random
Bounces all over the place like a hyperactive pinball. Chaos mode activated.
Perfect for:
- Confetti effects
- Particles
- When you want controlled chaos
The vibe: "I had too much sugar!"
Bounce Around 3D
Takes Bounce Random and adds 3D depth. It's bonkers.
Perfect for:
- Abstract backgrounds
- Trippy effects
- Showing off your theme's personality
The vibe: Maximum chaos
Swing Things
Swing
Swings back and forth like a pendulum. Hypnotic and smooth.
Perfect for:
- Hanging signs
- Dangling objects
- Chill, rhythmic motion
- Clock pendulums (obviously)
The vibe: Chill and mesmerizing
Pro tip: Adjust the arc by changing start/end values!
Pendulum
Similar to Swing but with different math behind it. Try both and see which one feels right!
Perfect for:
- When Swing doesn't quite hit right
- Alternating between effects
The vibe: Also chill and mesmerizing
Growing Up
Grow
Simple scale-up animation. Starts small, gets big. Classic stuff.
Perfect for:
- Intros
- Revealing elements
- Building up anticipation
The vibe: "Ta-da!"
Grow Bounce
Grows bigger but with a bounce at the end. More personality than plain Grow.
Perfect for:
- Fun reveals
- Playful branding
- When Grow feels too boring
The vibe: "Ta-da! (with enthusiasm)"
Grow Blur
Grows while fading from blurry to sharp. Cinematic!
Perfect for:
- Dramatic reveals
- Professional-looking transitions
- Film-style effects
The vibe: Hollywood production value
Grow Center Shrink
Grows big, then shrinks back down. Great for emphasis without staying large.
Perfect for:
- Highlighting selections
- "Got it!" confirmations
- Pulsing attention without looping
The vibe: "Hey! Look at this!" then back to normal
Grow X
Only grows horizontally. Stretches wide like pulling taffy.
Perfect for:
- Horizontal bars
- Width emphasis
- Squash and stretch effects
The vibe: W i d e b o i
Grow Y
Only grows vertically. Stretches tall.
Perfect for:
- Vertical bars
- Height emphasis
- T a l l vibes
The vibe: Reaching for the sky
Arc-ing Around
Arc Grow
Follows an arc path while growing. Physics meets style.
Perfect for:
- Natural motion
- Throwing effects
- Curved reveals
The vibe: Following the laws of physics (but cooler)
Scrolling By
Scroll X
Scrolls horizontally across the screen. Set it and forget it.
Perfect for:
- Marquee text
- Clouds drifting by
- Credits
- Starfield backgrounds
The vibe: Keeps on rollin'
Remember: Works best with tiling images!
Scroll Y
Vertical scrolling. Like credits at the end of a movie.
Perfect for:
- Actual credits
- Falling rain
- Rising smoke
- Waterfalls
The vibe: Up, up, and away (or down, down, down)
Zoom Vibes
Zoom Out
Scales down from big to small. Great for exits.
Perfect for:
- Ending sequences
- Minimizing elements
- Transitioning away
The vibe: "Aaaaand... we're done here"
Pixelate Zoom Out
Zooms out while pixelating. Very retro gaming vibes.
Perfect for:
- Retro themes
- Arcade aesthetics
- Genesis/Saturn nostalgia
- Scene transitions
The vibe: "It's dangerous to go alone!" energy
Sliding Through
Pixelate Slide
Slides while adding pixelation. Another retro winner.
Perfect for:
- Retro transitions
- 8-bit style themes
- Game Boy aesthetics
The vibe: 1980s gaming magazine cover
Sweep Left / Sweep Right
Wipes across the screen in a sweeping motion.
Perfect for:
- Transitions between screens
- Revealing backgrounds
- Page turns
The vibe: Clean and professional
Special Effects
Blur
Fades between blurry and sharp (or vice versa).
Perfect for:
- Depth of field effects
- Focus transitions
- Dreamy sequences
The vibe: Cinematic focus pulls
Tiling
Animates tiling/repeating textures. Makes patterns move.
Perfect for:
- Repeating backgrounds
- Texture animation
- Wallpaper effects
The vibe: Kaleidoscope vibes
Important: Your image needs to tile seamlessly for this to look good!
Strobe
Rapid flashing effect. Use responsibly!
Perfect for:
- Club/party themes
- Intense moments
- Alarm effects
- Lightning flashes
The vibe: Rave party
Warning: Can be intense! Don't overuse or you might give someone a headache.
Hover
Gentle floating motion. Peaceful and smooth.
Perfect for:
- Idle animations
- Floating platforms
- Levitating objects
- Making things feel weightless
The vibe: Zero gravity chill
How to Use Presets
The Quick Way
- Select your layer
- Find a preset you like in the right panel
- Double-click it
- Done! Animation added and ready to preview
The Precise Way
- Select your layer
- Drag the preset onto the timeline
- Position it exactly where you want
- Adjust duration by dragging edges
- Preview and admire
Customizing Presets
Here's the cool part: presets are just starting points! Once you add one, you can tweak every setting:
Change the intensity:
- Adjust start/end values for more or less effect
- Make a subtle bounce or a CRAZY bounce
Adjust timing:
- Speed it up for energy
- Slow it down for drama
Add loops:
- Enable Loop for continuous animation
- Enable Yoyo for back-and-forth motion
Layer it up:
- Add multiple presets to one layer
- Combine with basic animations
- Go wild!
Preset Combinations That Slap
Energetic Intro
3D Bounce + Grow Bounce + Blur (starting)
Punchy and impossible to ignore
Chill Vibes
Hover + Swing
Peaceful floating with gentle sway
Retro Gaming
Pixelate Zoom Out + Strobe (brief flash at end)
Chef's kiss for arcade themes
Attention Please
Grow Center Shrink + Bounce (offset slightly)
Professional highlight effect
Background Magic
Scroll X (slow) + Hover (very slow)
Parallax-style depth
Finding Your Favorites
Everyone develops their go-to presets. Here's how to discover yours:
- Try Everything: Seriously, just click through them all
- Make a Test Project: Create a sandbox to experiment
- Note What You Like: Keep track of your favorites
- Build a Library: Steal from yourself! Reuse successful combinations
When to Use Presets vs Basic Animations
Use Presets When:
- You want something quick and polished
- You're not sure what combination to use
- You need inspiration
- You're prototyping
- You want consistent, tested effects
Use Basic Animations When:
- You need something super specific
- Presets are close but not quite right
- You want maximum control
- You're doing something unique
- You know exactly what you want
Use Both When:
- You're smart! Start with a preset, add basic animations to customize
Preset Speed Settings
Most presets have default speeds that work well, but here's when to adjust:
Speed them up (0.5-1.0s) for:
- UI feedback
- Quick transitions
- Responsive feel
Normal speed (1.0-2.0s) for:
- General animations
- Most use cases
- Balanced feel
Slow them down (2.0-5.0s) for:
- Ambient effects
- Background motion
- Chill atmospheres
The Preset Philosophy
Presets exist because someone (probably after making hundreds of themes) said "You know what? I keep making this EXACT animation combo. Let's save everyone the time."
They're crowd-sourced wisdom. Use them. Love them. Build on them.
Quick Preset Reference
| Want This | Use This Preset | Speed | Loop |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bouncy button | Bounce | 1.0s | Yes + Yoyo |
| Smooth float | Hover | 2.0s | Yes + Yoyo |
| Power-up effect | Grow Bounce | 0.8s | No |
| Scrolling clouds | Scroll X | 10.0s | Yes |
| Arcade transition | Pixelate Zoom Out | 1.5s | No |
| Attention grab | Grow Center Shrink | 1.0s | Can loop |
| Dreamy fade | Blur (fade in) + Grow | 2.0s | No |
| Hypnotic motion | Swing | 3.0s | Yes + Yoyo |
Next Up
Ready to get even fancier? Check out:
- Filter Animations - Visual effect filters
- Advanced Effects - Shader magic
- Animation Timeline - Master the timeline
Challenge: Pick three random presets and combine them on one layer. Hit random? Sometimes the best effects come from happy accidents! 🎲