UI Animation/Tweens

In animation, tweening is the process of generating intermediate frames between two key points in a sequence. When designing a user interface, you can use tweening to transition a GuiObject smoothly from one state to another, such as:

• Smoothly increasing the size of a button when a user selects it.
• Sliding UI menus in and out from the screen edges.
• Gradually animating a health bar between two widths when a user receives a health boost.

Single-Property Tweens

Position

To tween the position of a GuiObject:

1. Set the AnchorPoint for the object.
2. Determine UDim2 coordinates for the object's target position, using the scale parameters of UDim2 instead of exact pixel values so that the object tweens to the exact center of the screen.
3. Pass a TweenInfo and the target position to TweenService:Create().
4. Play the tween with Tween:Play().

The following code snippet moves an ImageLabel within a ScreenGui to the exact center of the screen:

UI Tween - Position
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local targetPosition = UDim2.new(0.5, 0, 0.5, 0)

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Position = targetPosition})

tween:Play()

Size

To tween the size of a GuiObject:

1. Determine UDim2 coordinates for the object's target size, using the scale parameters of UDim2 instead of exact pixel values so that the object tweens to a relative percentage of the screen size.
2. Attach a UIAspectRatioConstraint to the object to maintain its designed aspect ratio when tweening.
3. Pass a TweenInfo and the target size to TweenService:Create().
4. Play the tween with Tween:Play().

The following code snippet scales an ImageLabel within a ScreenGui to 40% of the screen width or height (whichever is smaller) from the object's center anchor point:

UI Tween - Size
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local aspectRatioConstraint = Instance.new("UIAspectRatioConstraint")
aspectRatioConstraint.Parent = object

local targetSize = UDim2.new(0.4, 0, 0.4, 0)

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Size = targetSize})

tween:Play()

Rotation

To tween the rotation of a GuiObject:

1. Set the AnchorPoint for the object to rotate around.
2. Determine the target Rotation for the object.
3. Pass a TweenInfo and the target rotation to TweenService:Create().
4. Play the tween with Tween:Play().

UI Tween - Size
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local targetRotation = 45

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Rotation = targetRotation})

tween:Play()

Transparency

Multiple properties control UI transparency, depending on the object type. You can tween each of these properties individually or combined through a multi-property tween. Alternatively, you can tween an object's overall transparency by placing it inside a CanvasGroup and tweening the group's GroupTransparency.

UI Tween - Image Transparency
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

local targetTransparency = 0.8

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {ImageTransparency = targetTransparency})

tween:Play()

UI Tween - Canvas Group Transparency
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local canvasGroup = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("CanvasGroup")

local targetTransparency = 0.8

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(canvasGroup, tweenInfo, {GroupTransparency = targetTransparency})

tween:Play()

Color

Multiple properties control UI color, depending on the object type. You can tween each of these properties individually or combined through a multi-property tween. Alternatively, you can tween an object's overall color by placing it inside a CanvasGroup and tweening the group's GroupColor3.

UI Tween - Image Color
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

local targetColor = Color3.fromRGB(255, 0, 0)

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {ImageColor3 = targetColor})

tween:Play()

UI Tween - Canvas Group Color
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local canvasGroup = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("CanvasGroup")

local targetColor = Color3.fromRGB(255, 0, 0)

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(canvasGroup, tweenInfo, {GroupColor3 = targetColor})

tween:Play()

Stroke

Multiple properties control UI borders, depending on the object type.

Alternatively, you can apply a UIStroke child and tween its thickness, color, and/or transparency.

UI Tween - UIStroke Color & Thickness
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("TextLabel")

local stroke = Instance.new("UIStroke")
stroke.Color = Color3.fromRGB(255, 255, 255)
stroke.Thickness = 5
stroke.Parent = object

local targetColor = Color3.fromRGB(255, 0, 0)
local targetThickness = 10

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(stroke, tweenInfo, {Color = targetColor, Thickness = targetThickness})

tween:Play()

Multi-Property Tweens

You can combine any of the single-property tweens into more complex tweens by passing multiple target properties to TweenService:Create(), for example position + rotation or size + transparency.

UI Tween - Position & Rotation
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local targetPosition = UDim2.new(0.5, 0, 0.5, 0)
local targetRotation = 45

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Position = targetPosition, Rotation = targetRotation})

tween:Play()

UI Tween - Size & Transparency
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local aspectRatioConstraint = Instance.new("UIAspectRatioConstraint")
aspectRatioConstraint.Parent = object

local targetSize = UDim2.new(0.4, 0, 0.4, 0)
local targetTransparency = 0.8

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Size = targetSize, ImageTransparency = targetTransparency})

tween:Play()

Tween Sequences

You can chain UI animations to occur one after another by playing subsequent tweens upon the previous tween's Completed event. For example, the following script moves an object to the center of the screen, then rotates it by 45°.

UI Tween Sequence
local TweenService = game:GetService("TweenService")
local Players = game:GetService("Players")

local PlayerGui = Players.LocalPlayer:WaitForChild("PlayerGui")
local ScreenGui = PlayerGui:WaitForChild("ScreenGui")
local object = ScreenGui:WaitForChild("ImageLabel")

object.AnchorPoint = Vector2.new(0.5, 0.5)

local targetPosition = UDim2.new(0.5, 0, 0.5, 0)
local targetRotation = 45

local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2)
local positionTween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Position = targetPosition})
local rotationTween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Rotation = targetRotation})

-- Initially play position tween
positionTween:Play()

-- Play rotation tween upon completion of position tween
positionTween.Completed:Connect(function()
	rotationTween:Play()
end)

Easing Options

Using the easing options of TweenInfo, you can control the easing style and direction of UI animations.

Style

Enum.EasingStyle sets the rate of interpolation from start to end. By default, easing style is set to Enum.EasingStyle.Quad.

Easing Style - Cubic
local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2, Enum.EasingStyle.Cubic)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Rotation = 45})

Direction

Enum.EasingDirection defines how the easing style interpolation applies to an object, with a default of Out. Note that a tween with Linear easing style is not affected, as linear interpolation is constant from start to end.

Easing Direction - InOut
local tweenInfo = TweenInfo.new(2, Enum.EasingStyle.Cubic, Enum.EasingDirection.InOut)
local tween = TweenService:Create(object, tweenInfo, {Rotation = 45})

Animating Text

You can easily enhance text-based UI, such as cutscene banners, player instructions, and prompts, with animated effects.

Typewriter Effect

The "typewriter" effect is ideal for TextLabels that tell a story, output NPC conversations, etc.

1. Create a new ModuleScript within ReplicatedStorage.

2. Rename the new script AnimateUI.

   

3. Paste the following code into the script:

   ModuleScript - AnimateUI
   local LocalizationService = game:GetService("LocalizationService")
   local Players = game:GetService("Players")
   
   local SOURCE_LOCALE = "en"
   local translator = nil
   
   local AnimateUI = {}
   
   function AnimateUI.loadTranslator()
   	pcall(function()
   		translator = LocalizationService:GetTranslatorForPlayerAsync(Players.LocalPlayer)
   	end)
   	if not translator then
   		pcall(function()
   			translator = LocalizationService:GetTranslatorForLocaleAsync(SOURCE_LOCALE)
   		end)
   	end
   end
   
   function AnimateUI.typeWrite(guiObject, text, delayBetweenChars)
   	guiObject.Visible = true
   	guiObject.AutoLocalize = false
   	local displayText = text
   
   	-- Translate text if possible
   	if translator then
   		displayText = translator:Translate(guiObject, text)
   	end
   
   	-- Replace line break tags so grapheme loop will not miss those characters
   	displayText = displayText:gsub("<br%s*/>", "\n")
    	-- Remove RichText tags since char-by-char animation will break the tags
   	displayText = displayText:gsub("<[^<>]->", "")
   
   	-- Set translated/modified text on parent
   	guiObject.Text = displayText
   
   	local index = 0
   	for first, last in utf8.graphemes(displayText) do
   		index += 1
   		guiObject.MaxVisibleGraphemes = index
   		task.wait(delayBetweenChars)
   	end
   end
   
   return AnimateUI

   If your experience's source language is not English ("en"), change the locale code for SOURCE_LOCALE to match the source language in localization settings.

4. Create a TextLabel in a suitable location, such as within a ScreenGui parented to StarterGui.

5. Insert a new LocalScript as a direct child of the label and paste in the following code. Note that each message is output by calling AnimateUI.typeWrite() with parameters for the parent object, the string to output, and the delay between characters.

   LocalScript
   local ReplicatedStorage = game:GetService("ReplicatedStorage")
   
   local AnimateUI = require(ReplicatedStorage:WaitForChild("AnimateUI"))
   
   local label = script.Parent
   
   -- Load translator if game is localized
   --AnimateUI.loadTranslator()
   
   local message1 = [[Beyond this door is the<br /><font size="46" color="rgb(255,50,25)">Great Zorgoth...</font> <font size="40">🗡</font>]]
   AnimateUI.typeWrite(label, message1, 0.05)
   
   task.wait(1)
   
   local message2 = [[...who rules this dungeon <font color="rgb(255,200,50)">unchallenged!</font> <font size="30">😈</font>]]
   AnimateUI.typeWrite(label, message2, 0.05)