singular-particular-space/skills/react-native-skills/rules/animation-gpu-properties.md

---
title: Animate Transform and Opacity Instead of Layout Properties
impact: HIGH
impactDescription: GPU-accelerated animations, no layout recalculation
tags: animation, performance, reanimated, transform, opacity
---

## Animate Transform and Opacity Instead of Layout Properties

Avoid animating `width`, `height`, `top`, `left`, `margin`, or `padding`. These trigger layout recalculation on every frame. Instead, use `transform` (scale, translate) and `opacity` which run on the GPU without triggering layout.

**Incorrect (animates height, triggers layout every frame):**

```tsx
import Animated, { useAnimatedStyle, withTiming } from 'react-native-reanimated'

function CollapsiblePanel({ expanded }: { expanded: boolean }) {
  const animatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
    height: withTiming(expanded ? 200 : 0), // triggers layout on every frame
    overflow: 'hidden',
  }))

  return <Animated.View style={animatedStyle}>{children}</Animated.View>
}
```

**Correct (animates scaleY, GPU-accelerated):**

```tsx
import Animated, { useAnimatedStyle, withTiming } from 'react-native-reanimated'

function CollapsiblePanel({ expanded }: { expanded: boolean }) {
  const animatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
    transform: [
      { scaleY: withTiming(expanded ? 1 : 0) },
    ],
    opacity: withTiming(expanded ? 1 : 0),
  }))

  return (
    <Animated.View style={[{ height: 200, transformOrigin: 'top' }, animatedStyle]}>
      {children}
    </Animated.View>
  )
}
```

**Correct (animates translateY for slide animations):**

```tsx
import Animated, { useAnimatedStyle, withTiming } from 'react-native-reanimated'

function SlideIn({ visible }: { visible: boolean }) {
  const animatedStyle = useAnimatedStyle(() => ({
    transform: [
      { translateY: withTiming(visible ? 0 : 100) },
    ],
    opacity: withTiming(visible ? 1 : 0),
  }))

  return <Animated.View style={animatedStyle}>{children}</Animated.View>
}
```

GPU-accelerated properties: `transform` (translate, scale, rotate), `opacity`. Everything else triggers layout.