SVGator: A Powerful Tool for Lottie Animations
SVGator has undergone significant updates since 2021, solidifying its position as a leading web-based tool for vector animation. Its mobile export feature allows for the implementation of animations in iOS and Android applications. SVGator now offers a wide range of export options, including video formats (MP4, AVI, MKV, MOV, WebM) and image formats (GIF, Animated PNG, WebP, image sequence), enabling users to create various visual content, such as animated stickers, social media animations, and video assets.
Lottie: A Vector-Based Format for Multi-Platform Support
SVGator’s latest version provides full support for Lottie files, a vector-based format similar to SVG, but with **better comprehensive multi-platform support**. Lottie files are built for seamless integration into both web and mobile applications. Their minimal file size, **infinite scalability**, and ease of implementation have made them popular among developers and design professionals. Lottie supports interactivity and can incorporate raster graphics.
Getting Started with SVGator
The sign-up process is simple and does not require a credit card. Create an account using Google, Facebook, or by providing your name, email address, and password. Start a project with either a Lottie animation or a static SVG. If you do not have an existing file, you can design and animate from a blank canvas.
Creating a New Project
Once logged in, click on **New Project** to access the **New Project Panel**, where you can choose to start from scratch or upload a file. For this example, we will use an existing Lottie JSON file. Download the Lottie demo and click on **Upload file** to select the `’Fast response.json’` file. The animation should play in the editor.
Importing an Animated Asset
SVGator’s **Library** allows for importing new assets. You can choose from ready-made SVGs, load files from your computer (Lottie, static SVG, images), or reuse saved animations from other SVGator projects. To illustrate, let’s import an animated message bubble from the **Uploads** section of the **Library**. Download the message bubble Lottie animation and navigate to the **Library** tab in the left sidebar. Click on the `’+’` icon to upload the message bubble asset. Select the asset to add it to your project. The animated properties will be displayed in the timeline and can be edited.
Animating the Message Bubble
With the playhead at the second ‘0’, add the animated asset. Adjust its position and size. Click on the **Animate** button and choose **Position**. This will create the first Position keyframe. Drag the playhead to ‘0.2’ seconds and move the message bubble up a few pixels. This will create the second keyframe, marking the new position and forming a 2-millisecond animation. To make the bubble disappear after the typing animation, use the **Scale** animator. With the playhead at ‘2.2’ seconds, select the **Scale** animator (or press Shift + S) to set the first Scale keyframe. Drag the playhead to ‘2.5’ seconds and set the scale properties to ‘0’ for both X and Y axes. To maintain the ratio, ensure that **Maintain proportions** is enabled. For a smoother transition, add an **Opacity** animation. Set the first keyframe at ‘2.4’ seconds and the ending keyframe at ‘2.5’ seconds. Set the **Opacity** slider to ‘0%’ in the **Appearance panel**.
Creating an Email Icon
To complete the concept, create a ‘new email’ notification using SVGator’s asset library. Search for ‘mail’ and select the mail asset. Place it above the laptop and customize its design. Change the rectangle’s fill color to a dark purple and round its corners. Delete the two lines from the lower part of the envelope. Set the fill color of the envelope seal flap to a lighter purple, adjust the stroke width to ‘2’ pixels, and set the stroke color to white. Create a notification alert in the top-right corner using the **Ellipse tool (O)**. Fill the circle with red and set the stroke to white with a width of ‘2’ pixels. Using the **Text tool**, click on the circle and type ‘1’, then set the color to white and make it bold. Group the circle and the number and rename the group ‘Notification’. Group the notification group and the email group below and name the new group ‘new email’.
Animating the New Email Group
Animate the new email popping out of the laptop after the message is sent. With the ‘New email’ group selected, move it to the back by clicking on the **Move down** icon twice. Hide the group behind the laptop and scale it down slightly. At ‘3’ seconds, add the **Scale** and **Position** animators. Drag the playhead to ‘3.3’ seconds, move the group above the laptop, and scale it up slightly. Adjust the motion path line to create a curved trajectory for the position animation. Select the first keyframes at ‘3’ seconds, open the easing panel, and select the **Ease Out Cubic** preset.
Animating the Notification
Create a scale-up animation for the ‘Notification’ group. Set the scale to ‘0’ for both X and Y axes at ‘3.2’ seconds and ‘1’ at ‘3.5’ seconds. Select the first keyframe and choose the **Ease Out Back** preset in the easing panel to create a popping effect.
Adding Expressiveness to the Character
Animate the character’s smile while looking at the email. Select the mouth path and drag the playhead to ‘3.5’ seconds. Duplicate the last keyframe of the **Stroke offset** animator and drag the playhead to ‘3.9’ seconds. Set the **Offset** to ‘0’ in the properties panel to create a 4-millisecond stroke offset animation.
Final Edits
Adjust the animation before exporting. For example, change the color of the initial Lottie animation. Select the green paths of the character’s arms and torso using the **Node tool** and change the color to your preference.
Exporting Lottie
Click on the **Export** button in the top right corner and select the Lottie format (or press Cmd/Ctrl + E) to export the animation. Choose a file name, frame rate, animation speed, and background color in the export panel. Preview the Lottie animation using a Lottie player to ensure that all animations are supported. Click **Export** to download the Lottie JSON file.
Final Thoughts
SVGator provides numerous export options besides Lottie. Share the same project on social media as a video, export it as an SVG animation for the web, or turn it into a GIF sticker. Use GIF animations in Figma presentations and prototypes as a preview of the production-ready Lottie file. Use the resources provided by SVGator to continue your learning. **Note: This is a summary of the article. The full article is available at: [Link to original article]**