Motion Guide & Standards

Use this skill to ensure all animations align with the "Neural Flux" aesthetic: fluid, magnetic, and 60fps stable.

1. Standardized Spring Configs

These are the actual values used in the codebase. Copy these directly.

Normal Mode (App.jsx, HeroPortal.jsx)

const springConfig = { stiffness: 100, damping: 30, restDelta: 0.001 }

Reduced Motion Mode (App.jsx — prefers-reduced-motion)

const springConfig = { stiffness: 300, damping: 50, restDelta: 0.01 }

CSS Easing (Lenis integration)

// Lenis smooth scroll easing — initialized in App.jsx
const lenis = new Lenis({
  duration: prefersReducedMotion ? 0 : 1.2,
  easing: (t) => Math.min(1, 1.001 - Math.pow(2, -10 * t)),
  smoothWheel: !prefersReducedMotion,
})

2. Scroll-Reveal Pattern (useInView)

All 5 section components use this exact pattern for scroll-triggered animations:

const containerRef = useRef(null)
const isInView = useInView(containerRef, { once: true, margin: "-100px" })

// Section header animation
<motion.div
  initial={{ opacity: 0, y: 50 }}
  animate={isInView ? { opacity: 1, y: 0 } : {}}
  transition={{ duration: 0.8 }}
>

• Always use once: true (animate only once as user scrolls down)
• Always use margin: "-100px" (trigger 100px before element enters viewport)
• Never use whileInView — use animate={isInView ? ... : {}} conditional pattern

3. AnimatePresence (Mount/Unmount)

Used in App.jsx and OrbitalNavigation.jsx for components that enter/exit:

<AnimatePresence>
  {isExpanded && (
    <motion.div
      initial={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0 }}
      animate={{ opacity: 1, scale: 1 }}
      exit={{ opacity: 0, scale: 0 }}
    />
  )}
</AnimatePresence>

4. Performance Rules (CRITICAL)

• Transform-Only: Animate transform and opacity ONLY.
  • ❌ Avoid: top, left, width, height, margin (Layout Thrashing).
  • ✅ Use: x, y, scale, rotate, opacity.
• Will-Change: Use sparingly. Only .cursor-arrow uses will-change: transform.
• R3F Canvas: Always use dpr={[1, 1.5]}. Disable heavy post-processing on mobile.
• No Framer Motion in R3F: Use useFrame with direct property mutation for 3D objects. Framer Motion is for DOM/CSS animations only.

5. Interaction Patterns

Hover/Tap (All interactive elements)

whileHover={{ scale: 1.05 }}
whileTap={{ scale: 0.95 }}

Staggered Entry (Cards, lists)

transition={{ duration: 0.5, delay: index * 0.1 }}

Parallax (HeroPortal)

const { scrollYProgress } = useScroll({ target: containerRef, offset: ["start start", "end start"] })
const titleY = useTransform(scrollYProgress, [0, 1], [0, 200])
const titleYSpring = useSpring(titleY, springConfig)

The "Magnetic" Cursor Effect

Elements use data-cursor attribute. MagneticCursor reads via event delegation. Element moves 20% of cursor distance.