Scroll-Driven Animation Patterns

Concept

Testing the limits of the new CSS Scroll Timeline API for creating scroll-linked animations without JavaScript.

Process

Built a series of patterns: parallax headers, reveal animations, progress indicators, and horizontal scroll sections. All using pure CSS with animation-timeline and view-timeline properties.

@keyframes reveal {
  from { opacity: 0; transform: translateY(20px); }
  to { opacity: 1; transform: translateY(0); }
}

.reveal {
  animation: reveal linear both;
  animation-timeline: view();
  animation-range: entry 0% cover 40%;
}

Learnings

• Browser support is improving rapidly (Chrome, Edge, Safari TP)
• Eliminates layout thrashing compared to JS scroll listeners
• Complex sequences still benefit from GSAP ScrollTrigger for fine control