Animated Elements

Animation properties added to certain objects can help visualize data at a glance. In the IDE Page editor, the user has the option to add animation properties to certain types of elements. The following element animations are integrated within the Page Editor:

1. Lines/Polylines
   
2. Polygons/Rectangles
   
3. Ellipses
   
4. Fans
   
5. Sprays
   

However, elements 1-3. need to be converted to flow before the flow animations are added. You can do so if you right click the element and select ‘Convert to flow’. In the Left Pane, there is also a tool that lets you create flow lines/polylines right away.

Flow type elements have the following fields in their animation properties:

• Active
  
• Direction
  
• Animation duration (ms)
  
• Flow colour
  

The ‘Active’ and ‘Animation duration’ fields can be automated by Expression Editor. The default animation speed is set to 2000 ms.

Fig. 1. Converting a line to flow, and setting its animation speed by an expression.

Since only the animation duration is available, the value in this field is inversely proportional to the animation speed. I.e.: The smaller the duration, the greater the speed and vice versa.

Flow colour can be Solid or a Linear gradient. The latter is set up in the same way as other gradients, read more about it in the next article.

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