On the planet of scroll-driven animations, discovering recent methods to current content material whereas sustaining readability is an ongoing problem. As we speak, we’ll construct an interactive dual-column textual content animation that creates a mesmerizing wave impact as customers scroll, with a synchronized picture that adapts to the content material in focus
Our animation options:
- Two columns of textual content transferring in reverse wave patterns
- Clean, physics-based transitions utilizing GSAP’s
quickTo - A centered picture that updates primarily based on the centered textual content
- Absolutely configurable wave parameters (velocity, frequency)
- Responsive habits that adapts to completely different display screen sizes
We’ll construct with Vite and energy our animations with GSAP (ScrollTrigger and ScrollSmoother).
The Idea
This animation concept got here to me after recreating an animation from the fifteenth Anniversary Plus Ex web site. I actually cherished the sensation and sensitivity the textual content had when scrolling by the web page, it intrigued me fairly a bit. After some extra concept iterations, the idea of this twin wave animation got here to life as a approach to current an inventory of components in another way.
Setting Up the HTML Construction
Let’s begin with the markup. Our construction wants ScrollSmoother wrappers, two columns, a centered picture container, and information attributes for configuration.
To realize a outcome much like the demo, I like to recommend utilizing a considerable variety of components. Whilst you’re free to adapt this tutorial for smaller lists, consider you’ll want to regulate the CSS accordingly to keep up a visually pleasing outcome.
Volt R2
Éclat
Undertaking Ion
AeroLine
Série Noir
UltraRun
Atelier 03
Pulse One
Linea 24
Echo Collection
Zero
Shift/Black
Photo voltaic Drift
Nº 27
Mode/3
Pure Type
!["Campaign]("1.webp")
Tesla
Chanel
Apple
BMW
Saint Laurent
Nike
Hermès
Adidas
Prada
Google
Polestar
Balenciaga
Audi
Valentino
Samsung
Bottega Veneta
Key structural selections:
smooth-wrapper&smooth-content: Required for ScrollSmoother to work—wraps all scrollable content material.spacer: Creates vertical scroll distance, permitting the animation to play over prolonged scrollingdata-wave-number: Controls wave frequency (what number of wave cycles happen throughout all components)data-wave-speed: Controls animation velocity throughout scrolldata-image: Solely on left column components—centralizes picture supply administration- Separate columns: Permits impartial wave path management
The HTML is deliberately easy. All of the magic occurs in JavaScript, holding markup clear and maintainable.
Styling the Basis
Our CSS establishes the visible structure and units up {smooth} transitions for the centered state. We begin with the ScrollSmoother construction.
/* Spacer creates vertical scroll distance */
.spacer {
peak: 75svh; /* Alter primarily based on desired scroll size */
}
/* Essential animation wrapper */
.dual-wave-wrapper {
show: flex;
width: 100%;
place: relative;
hole: 25vw; /* Creates respiration room for the middle picture */
}
.wave-column {
flex: 1;
show: flex;
flex-direction: column;
hole: 1.25rem;
font-size: clamp(2rem, 10vw, 3rem);
font-weight: 400;
line-height: 0.7;
place: relative;
z-index: 100; /* Ensures textual content stays above picture */
}
.wave-column-left {
align-items: flex-start;
}
.wave-column-right {
align-items: flex-end;
}
.animated-text {
width: max-content;
coloration: #4d4d4d;
text-transform: uppercase;
transition: coloration 300ms ease-out;
}
.animated-text.centered {
coloration: white;
z-index: 2;
}Why these decisions?
- Flexbox structure: Supplies equal column widths whereas sustaining flexibility
clamp()for font-size: Creates responsive typography with out media queries for the bottom measurementmax-contentwidth: Prevents textual content from wrapping, holding the wave impact clear- CSS transition on coloration: Enhances GSAP’s place animations with state adjustments
Centering the Picture
The picture thumbnail wants particular positioning to remain centered between columns:
.image-thumbnail-wrapper {
place: absolute;
prime: 0;
left: 50%;
rework: translate(-50%, 0);
width: 15vw;
peak: auto;
z-index: 1; /* Under textual content, above background */
pointer-events: none;
show: grid;
place-items: middle;
}
.image-thumbnail {
width: auto;
peak: auto;
max-width: 100%;
max-height: 30vh;
}Design issues:
pointer-events: none: Picture gained’t intrude with scroll interactions- Viewport-relative sizing: 15vw ensures constant scaling throughout screens
- Max-height constraint: Prevents outsized pictures on quick viewports
Responsive Changes
@media (max-width: 1023px) {
.dual-wave-wrapper {
hole: 10vw;
}
.wave-column {
hole: 2.5rem;
font-size: 5vw;
}
.image-thumbnail-wrapper {
width: 50vw;
}
}On smaller screens, we tighten the hole and enhance the picture measurement proportionally to keep up visible steadiness.
Setting Up Clean Scrolling
Earlier than diving into the animation class, we have to arrange {smooth} scrolling. That is important for creating fluid scroll-driven animations. With out it, the wave impact will really feel jerky and disconnected.
Don’t overlook to put in GSAP utilizing your most well-liked bundle supervisor or through the GSAP CDN, relying in your setup.
npm set up gsap
or
Configuring ScrollSmoother
In yourmain.js file, initialize ScrollSmoother before creating any animations:
// mains.js
import gsap from 'gsap';
import { ScrollTrigger } from 'gsap/ScrollTrigger';
import { ScrollSmoother } from 'gsap/ScrollSmoother';
// Register GSAP plugins
gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger, ScrollSmoother);
// Create smooth scroll instance
ScrollSmoother.create({
smooth: 1.5, // Smoothing intensity
normalizeScroll: true, // Normalize scroll behavior across browsers
});smooth: 1.5: Provides a balanced smoothing effect, not too slow, not too immediatenormalizeScroll: true: Ensures consistent scroll behavior across all browsers and devices
Alternative: Using Lenis
If you prefer or your project already uses Lenis for smooth scrolling, you can use it instead of ScrollSmoother:// main.js
import Lenis from "lenis";
const lenis = new Lenis({
duration: 1.5,
});
// Synchronize Lenis scrolling with GSAP's ScrollTrigger plugin
lenis.on("scroll", ScrollTrigger.update);
// Add Lenis's requestAnimationFrame (raf) method to GSAP's ticker
// This ensures Lenis's smooth scroll animation updates on each GSAP tick
gsap.ticker.add((time) => {
lenis.raf(time * 1000); // Convert time from seconds to milliseconds
});
// Disable lag smoothing in GSAP to prevent any delay in scroll animations
gsap.ticker.lagSmoothing(0);Building the Animation Class
Now for the interesting part: the JavaScript that brings everything to life. We’ll build this progressively, starting with the class constructor and initialization.Class Setup and Configuration
import gsap from 'gsap';
import { ScrollTrigger } from 'gsap/ScrollTrigger';
export class DualWaveAnimation {
constructor(wrapper, options = {}) {
this.wrapper = wrapper instanceof Element
? wrapper
: document.querySelector(wrapper);
// Read configuration from data attributes
const waveNumber = this.wrapper?.dataset.waveNumber
? parseFloat(this.wrapper.dataset.waveNumber)
: 2;
const waveSpeed = this.wrapper?.dataset.waveSpeed
? parseFloat(this.wrapper.dataset.waveSpeed)
: 1;
this.config = {
waveNumber,
waveSpeed,
...options, // Allow programmatic overrides
};
this.currentImage = null; // Track current image to prevent unnecessary updates
}
init() {
if (!this.wrapper) {
console.warn('Wrapper not found');
return;
}
this.leftColumn = this.wrapper.querySelector('.wave-column-left');
this.rightColumn = this.wrapper.querySelector('.wave-column-right');
if (!this.leftColumn || !this.rightColumn) {
console.warn('Columns not found');
return;
}
this.setupAnimation();
}
}- Flexible constructor: Accepts either a DOM element or a CSS selector
- Data attribute parsing: Allows HTML-based configuration without touching JavaScript
- Options merging: Provides programmatic override capability
- Defensive coding: Early returns prevent errors if elements are missing
Setting Up the Wave Animation
ThesetupAnimation method orchestrates all the moving parts:
setupAnimation() {
// Collect all text elements from both columns
this.leftTexts = gsap.utils.toArray(
this.leftColumn.querySelectorAll('.animated-text')
);
this.rightTexts = gsap.utils.toArray(
this.rightColumn.querySelectorAll('.animated-text')
);
this.thumbnail = this.wrapper.querySelector('.image-thumbnail');
if (this.leftTexts.length === 0 || this.rightTexts.length === 0) return;
// Create quick setters for smooth text animations
this.leftQuickSetters = this.leftTexts.map((text) =>
gsap.quickTo(text, 'x', { duration: 0.6, ease: 'power4.out' })
);
this.rightQuickSetters = this.rightTexts.map((text) =>
gsap.quickTo(text, 'x', { duration: 0.6, ease: 'power4.out' })
);
// Calculate initial ranges and positions
this.calculateRanges();
this.setInitialPositions(this.leftTexts, this.leftRange, 1);
this.setInitialPositions(this.rightTexts, this.rightRange, -1);
// Setup scroll trigger
this.setupScrollTrigger();
// Recalculate ranges on window resize
this.resizeHandler = () => {
this.calculateRanges();
};
window.addEventListener('resize', this.resizeHandler);
}quickTo:
GSAP’s quickTo is a performance optimization that pre-creates animation functions. Instead of calling gsap.to() repeatedly (which creates new tweens), quickTo returns a function that updates an existing tween. This is crucial for scroll-driven animations where we’re updating positions 60 times per second.
The multiplier system:
Notice the 1 and -1 multipliers passed to setInitialPositions. This creates the opposing wave motion:
- Left column:
1= positive X values (moves right) - Right column:
-1= negative X values (moves left)
Calculating Movement Ranges
Each text element needs to move horizontally within a safe range that prevents it from:- Overlapping with the center image
- Moving outside its column boundaries
calculateRanges() {
// Calculate ranges based on column widths minus max element width
const maxLeftTextWidth = Math.max(
...this.leftTexts.map((t) => t.offsetWidth)
);
const maxRightTextWidth = Math.max(
...this.rightTexts.map((t) => t.offsetWidth)
);
this.leftRange = {
minX: 0,
maxX: this.leftColumn.offsetWidth - maxLeftTextWidth,
};
this.rightRange = {
minX: 0,
maxX: this.rightColumn.offsetWidth - maxRightTextWidth,
};
}Setting Initial Positions
Before any scrolling happens, we need to position each text element according to its place in the wave cycle:setInitialPositions(texts, range, multiplier) {
const rangeSize = range.maxX - range.minX;
texts.forEach((text, index) => {
// Calculate initial phase for this element
const initialPhase = this.config.waveNumber * index - Math.PI / 2;
// Convert sine wave (-1 to 1) to progress (0 to 1)
const initialWave = Math.sin(initialPhase);
const initialProgress = (initialWave + 1) / 2;
// Map progress to pixel position within range
const startX = (range.minX + initialProgress * rangeSize) * multiplier;
gsap.set(text, { x: startX });
});
}- Phase calculation:
waveNumber * index - Math.PI / 2waveNumber * index: Distributes elements along the wave cycleMath.PI / 2: Offsets the starting point (starts wave at midpoint)
- Sine to progress:
(Math.sin(phase) + 1) / 2Math.sin()returns values from -1 to 1- Adding 1 gives us 0 to 2
- Dividing by 2 normalizes to 0 to 1
- Mapping to pixels:
minX + progress * rangeSize- Converts normalized progress to actual pixel values
- Multiplied by
multiplierfor directional control
Scroll Trigger Setup
We use GSAP’s ScrollTrigger to listen for scroll events and trigger our update function:setupScrollTrigger() {
this.scrollTrigger = ScrollTrigger.create({
trigger: this.wrapper,
start: 'top bottom', // When top of wrapper hits bottom of viewport
end: 'bottom top', // When bottom of wrapper hits top of viewport
onUpdate: (self) => this.handleScroll(self),
});
}start: 'top bottom': Animation begins as soon as the wrapper enters the viewportend: 'bottom top': Animation continues until the wrapper fully exitsonUpdate: Allow to use the progress that is called continuously as scroll progress changes
Handling Scroll Updates
ThehandleScroll method is the heart of our animation. It runs on every scroll update and orchestrates all visual changes:
handleScroll(self) {
const globalProgress = self.progress;
// Since left and right texts are always aligned, we only need to check one column
const closestIndex = this.findClosestToViewportCenter();
// Update both columns with their respective multipliers
this.updateColumn(
this.leftTexts,
this.leftQuickSetters,
this.leftRange,
globalProgress,
closestIndex,
1
);
this.updateColumn(
this.rightTexts,
this.rightQuickSetters,
this.rightRange,
globalProgress,
closestIndex,
-1
);
// Get the focused text element for thumbnail update
const focusedText = this.leftTexts[closestIndex];
this.updateThumbnail(this.thumbnail, focusedText);
}- Calculate scroll progress: One number (0-1) drives the entire animation
- Find the focused element: Check only the left column since both columns are always horizontally aligned
- Update positions: Move all text elements in both columns according to wave formula using the same index
- Update states: Add “focused” class to centered elements in both columns
- Sync image: Update thumbnail based on the focused text element
Updating Column Positions
This method updates all text elements in a column while highlighting the focused one:updateColumn(texts, setters, range, progress, focusedIndex, multiplier) {
const rangeSize = range.maxX - range.minX;
texts.forEach((text, index) => {
// Calculate wave position for this element at current scroll progress
const finalX = this.calculateWavePosition(
index,
progress,
range.minX,
rangeSize
) * multiplier;
// Use quickTo setter for smooth animation
setters[index](finalX);
// Toggle focused state
if (index === focusedIndex) {
text.classList.add('focused');
} else {
text.classList.remove('focused');
}
});
}calculateWavePosition) from the application (setters[index]()), we keep the code clean and maintainable. The quickTo setters handle the animation smoothly without creating new tweens.
The Wave Position Formula
This is where the mathematical magic happens:calculateWavePosition(index, globalProgress, minX, range) {
// Calculate phase: combines element index with scroll progress
const phase =
this.config.waveNumber * index +
this.config.waveSpeed * globalProgress * Math.PI * 2 -
Math.PI / 2;
// Calculate wave value (-1 to 1)
const wave = Math.sin(phase);
// Convert to progress (0 to 1)
const cycleProgress = (wave + 1) / 2;
// Map to pixel range
return minX + cycleProgress * range;
}phase = waveNumber × index + waveSpeed × progress × 2π - π/2
└─────┬─────┘ └──────────┬──────────┘ └─┬─┘
│ │ │
Wave frequency Scroll-driven Starting
distribution offset offsetwaveNumber * index: Spaces elements along the wave (higher = more waves)waveSpeed * globalProgress * Math.PI * 2: Animates the wave based on scrollMath.PI / 2: Shifts the wave to start at its midpoint
Finding the Closest Element
To determine which text should be “focused,” we measure each element’s distance from the viewport center. Since both columns are always horizontally aligned, we only need to check one column:findClosestToViewportCenter() {
const viewportCenter = window.innerHeight / 2;
let closestIndex = 0;
let minDistance = Infinity;
// Only check left column since left and right are always horizontally aligned
this.leftTexts.forEach((text, index) => {
const rect = text.getBoundingClientRect();
const elementCenter = rect.top + rect.height / 2;
const distance = Math.abs(elementCenter - viewportCenter);
if (distance < minDistance) {
minDistance = distance;
closestIndex = index;
}
});
return closestIndex;
}Updating the Thumbnail
The image update logic handles both source changes and vertical positioning:updateThumbnail(thumbnail, focusedText) {
if (!thumbnail || !focusedText) return;
// Get image from left column (single source of truth)
let newImage = focusedText.dataset.image;
// If focused text has no image, look for same index in left column
if (!newImage) {
const focusedIndex = this.rightTexts.indexOf(focusedText);
if (focusedIndex !== -1 && this.leftTexts[focusedIndex]) {
newImage = this.leftTexts[focusedIndex].dataset.image;
}
}
// Only change image if different (prevents flicker)
if (newImage && this.currentImage !== newImage) {
this.currentImage = newImage;
thumbnail.src = newImage;
}
// Position thumbnail to stay centered in viewport
const wrapperRect = this.wrapper.getBoundingClientRect();
const viewportCenter = window.innerHeight / 2;
const thumbnailHeight = thumbnail.offsetHeight;
const wrapperHeight = this.wrapper.offsetHeight;
// Calculate ideal Y position (centered in viewport)
const idealY = viewportCenter - wrapperRect.top - thumbnailHeight / 2;
// Clamp to allow image to overflow wrapper to center on first/last text
const minY = -thumbnailHeight / 2;
const maxY = wrapperHeight - thumbnailHeight / 2;
const clampedY = Math.max(minY, Math.min(maxY, idealY));
// Apply position directly without animation for perfect scroll sync
gsap.set(thumbnail, { y: clampedY });
}- Single source strategy: Left column holds all image data. Right column references by index.
- Change detection:
currentImagetracking prevents unnecessary DOM updates - Viewport-relative positioning: Image stays centered as you scroll
- Overflow allowance:
minYandmaxYlet the image extend beyond wrapper bounds, ensuring it can center on the first and last text elements gsap.setvsgsap.to: Instant updates maintain tight scroll synchronization
minY and extended maxY let it move freely to maintain perfect centering.
Cleanup and Memory Management
A proper cleanup method prevents memory leaks when destroying instances:destroy() {
if (this.scrollTrigger) {
this.scrollTrigger.kill();
}
if (this.resizeHandler) {
window.removeEventListener('resize', this.resizeHandler);
}
}Using the Animation
With our class complete, here’s a complete initialization example in yourmain.js:
import gsap from 'gsap';
import { ScrollTrigger } from 'gsap/ScrollTrigger';
import { ScrollSmoother } from 'gsap/ScrollSmoother';
import { DualWaveAnimation } from './dual-wave/DualWaveAnimation.js';
// Register GSAP plugins
gsap.registerPlugin(ScrollTrigger, ScrollSmoother);
// Create smooth scroll instance (ESSENTIAL for fluid animation)
ScrollSmoother.create({
smooth: 1.5,
effects: true,
normalizeScroll: true,
});
// Initialize with default settings from data attributes
const animation = new DualWaveAnimation('.dual-wave-wrapper');
animation.init();
// Or with custom options that override data attributes
const customAnimation = new DualWaveAnimation('.dual-wave-wrapper', {
waveNumber: 8,
waveSpeed: 0.5,
});
customAnimation.init();
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