FileMaker 16: Animations and Transitions
Are you using FileMaker Go to build mobile solutions? Would you like those solutions to look and feel more like other mobile apps? FileMaker 16 comes with some new layout transition animations that will make your FileMaker Go solutions look, feel and behave much more like mobile users have come to expect. Since the addition of the Set Layout Object Animation script step and slide panels you have been able to mimic a slide transition while navigating from layout to layout. The cost of implementing this simple UI experience is a complication of your layouts that may be unacceptable. FileMaker 16 vastly simplifies the process and at the same time adds many more transition options. The new transitions are:
- Slide in from Left
- Slide in from Right
- Slide in from Bottom
- Slide out to Left
- Slide out to Right
- Slide out to Bottom
- Flip from Left
- Flip from Right
- Zoom In
- Zoom Out
- Cross Dissolve
Watch the video below for an example of each one of these transitions.
Keep reading as we explore some of the following questions:
- Do do these new animations rely on or ignore the “Set Layout Object Animation” script step?
- What is the difference between transitions that appear to be opposites? (i.e. Slide out to Left vs Slide in from Right)
- Can I control the speed of the animation?
Do do these new animations rely on or ignore the “Set Layout Object Animation” script step?
In my testing the Set Layout Object Animation script step has no impact on the new layout animation features. This is a good thing. The layout animation is not tied to any specific “Object” on the layout and it would just cause confusion if there were some correlation between that script step and this new feature.
What is the difference between transitions that appear to be opposites? (i.e. Slide out to Left vs Slide in from Right)
The difference between all of the “out to” and “in from” transitions is where the animation starts from. I’ll try to demo this in the video. When using any of the “out to” animations the layout you are looking at appears to slide away (in the direction you have specified) with the new layout being revealed as if it were under the layout you are leaving. When using any of the “in to” animations the layout you are looking at appears to get covered up by a new layout sliding into the viewing area. The current layout has an appearance of going to the background as the new layout slides in to cover it up with the new layout now appearing “on top of” the layout being replaced.
Can I control the speed of the animation?
The short answer…No, not really. There are not any speed controls within the Go To Layout script step. I experimented with making layouts wider (thinking there would be more to slide out and thus it would take longer), but that did not seem to change the speed or time of the animation. The “screen” is used for the animation, not the entirety of the layout, even if some layout objects are off the current viewable area of the screen.
Summary
We have some new tools to make our solutions even better and our customers happier. Play with these animated transitions and find the ones that work best for your solution. A small word of design advice. New animations are fun and can be addictive, but too much might make your users “sea sick”. My advice is to pick a transition or two for your solution and stick with that through the whole solution. Otherwise your solution may look as bad as a dated web page from the 90’s with dancing animated gifs 🙂 Chad Adams is a FileMaker 15 Certified Developer at Skeleton Key. About Skeleton Key Skeleton Key helps turn complex, complicated, and outdated systems into true information platforms. Our team of consultants and developers do this by developing custom-fit software tools and reporting dashboards that help businesses find, use, and understand their data, freeing them to focus on and grow their core business. In addition to custom databases and applications, we also provide training and coaching for getting the most out of your existing systems and understanding your unruly data. Skeleton Key is an open-book management company and active player of the Great Game of Business.
