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Best way to tackle complex independent timelines

Fakebook test
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Warning: Please note

This thread was started before GSAP 3 was released. Some information, especially the syntax, may be out of date for GSAP 3. Please see the GSAP 3 migration guide and release notes for more information about how to update the code to GSAP 3's syntax. 

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I'm curious what the best way is to tackle a project that has multiple (some time 5 to 10 at once) animations that use a complex set of tweens, but tween independent of each other. When the new elements are created/appended I originally tried to use TweenMax without a timeline on the new elements. This of course has its downfalls as it's difficult to create and if something changes, changing all the delays/timings can be a nightmare.

 

I was thinking of creating a new timeline each event, but if a user uses the page for a while, there could be hundreds and even thousands of timelines created.

 

In my example:  If you click the button multiple times, I'm currently just adding to a timeline, where the events are waiting for the others to complete before they play.

 

What do you think is the best way to handle a situation like this, while still taking advantage of the timeline? Should I create multiple timelines or something else? Will having a lot of different timelines be a big page performance hit over time?

See the Pen OEoZed by Fakebookin (@Fakebookin) on CodePen

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Typically it's fine to create a lot of timelines because [unless you're maintaining a reference somewhere in your code] they automatically become eligible for garbage collection when they complete. It's not like they stack up forever. 

 

I'd strongly recommend reading this article: https://css-tricks.com/writing-smarter-animation-code/

 

:)

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58 minutes ago, Fakebook said:

could you give me any reference for garbage collection/how to clear completed timelines?

 

You really can't control garbage collection - the browser decides when it's best to run a sweep (based on a lot of factors). 

 

Glad you found the article helpful! Yeah, I think it's one of those "must-reads" for anyone who does even moderately complex animations. 

 

Happy tweening!

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