Android Animations using Java (original) (raw)

Last Updated : 15 Jul, 2025

The animation is a method in which a collection of images is combined in a specific way and processed then they appear as moving images. Building animations make on-screen objects seems to be alive. Android has quite a few tools to help you create animations with relative ease. So in this article, let's learn to create android animations using Java.

Table of Attributes

How to add animation in Android using Java

Step 1: Create a New Project

• Start Android Studio (version > 2.2)
• Go to File -> New -> New Project.
• Select Empty Activity and click on next
• Select minimum SDK as 21
• Choose the language as Java and click on the finish button.
• Modify the following XML and java files.

Step 2: Modify activity_main.xml file

In the XML file, we have added an ImageView, TextView, and Button inside the RelativeLayout.

XML `

<ImageView
    android:id="@+id/imageView1"
    android:layout_width="200dp"
    android:layout_height="150dp"
    android:layout_below="@id/textView0"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
    android:layout_marginTop="100dp"
    android:visibility="visible"
    android:src="@drawable/logo2" />

<TextView
    android:id="@+id/textView1"
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="4 common animations in android"
    android:layout_below="@id/imageView1"
    android:layout_marginTop="50dp"
    android:layout_centerHorizontal="true"
    android:gravity="center"
    android:fontFamily="sans-serif"
    android:textSize="50px"/>

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button1"
    android:layout_width="150dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Blink"
    android:layout_below="@id/textView1"
    android:layout_marginLeft="50dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="40dp"/>

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button2"
    android:layout_width="150dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Slide"
    android:layout_below="@id/textView1"
    android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
    android:layout_marginRight="50dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="40dp"/>

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button3"
    android:layout_width="150dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Rotate"
    android:layout_below="@id/button1"
    android:layout_marginLeft="50dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="30dp"/>

<Button
    android:id="@+id/button4"
    android:layout_width="150dp"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:text="Zoom"
    android:layout_below="@id/button2"
    android:layout_alignParentRight="true"
    android:layout_marginRight="50dp"
    android:layout_marginTop="30dp"/>

`

Step 3: Add these XML files to the anim directory

After modifying the layout we will create XML files for animations. So we will first create a folder name anim. In this folder, we will be adding the XML files which will be used to produce the animations. For this to happen, go to app/res right-click and then select Android Resource Directory and name it as anim.

Some Common Types of Animations in Android are,

1. Blink - Hides the object for 0.6 to 1 second.
2. Slide - Move the object either vertically or horizontally to its axis.
3. Rotate - Rotate the object either clockwise or anti-clockwise.
4. Zoom - Zoom in or out the object in the X and Y-axis. blinks.xml `

rotate.xml

slides.xml

zoom.xml

`

Step 4: Modify MainActivity.java

To perform animation in android, we have to call a static function loadAnimation() of the class AnimationUtils. We get the result in an instance of the Animation Object. Syntax to create animation object:

Animation object = AnimationUtils.loadAnimation(getApplicationContext(), R.anim.ANIMATIONFILE);

To apply the above animation to an object(Let say in an image), we have to call the startAnimation() method of the object. Syntax to call the method:

ImageView image = findViewById(R.id.imageID);

image.startAnimation(object);

Methods of animation class:

Java `

import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity; import android.os.Bundle; import android.view.View; import android.view.animation.Animation; import android.view.animation.AnimationUtils; import android.widget.Button; import android.widget.ImageView;

public class MainActivity extends AppCompatActivity { ImageView logo; Button blink, slide, rotate, zoom;

@Override
protected void onCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
{
    super.onCreate(savedInstanceState);
    setContentView(R.layout.activity_main);

    // GFG logo
    logo = findViewById(R.id.imageView1);

    // blink button
    blink = findViewById(R.id.button1);

    // slide button
    slide = findViewById(R.id.button2);

    // rotate button
    rotate = findViewById(R.id.button3);

    // zoom button
    zoom = findViewById(R.id.button4);

    // blink button listener
    blink.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view)
        {
            // call a static function loadAnimation()
            // of the class AnimationUtils
            Animation object
                = AnimationUtils
                      .loadAnimation(
                          getApplicationContext(),

                          // blink file is in anim folder
                          R.anim.blinks);
            // call the startAnimation method
            logo.startAnimation(object);
        }
    });
    // slide button listener
    slide.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view)
        {
            // call a static function loadAnimation()
            // of the class AnimationUtils
            Animation object
                = AnimationUtils
                      .loadAnimation(

                          getApplicationContext(),

                          // slide file is in anim folder
                          R.anim.slide);

            // call the startAnimation method
            logo.startAnimation(object);
        }
    });

    // rotate button listener
    rotate.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view)
        {
            // call a static function loadAnimation()
            // of the class AnimationUtils
            Animation object
                = AnimationUtils
                      .loadAnimation(
                          getApplicationContext(),

                          // rotate file is in anim folder
                          R.anim.rotate);

            // call the startAnimation method
            logo.startAnimation(object);
        }
    });

    // zoom button listener
    zoom.setOnClickListener(new View.OnClickListener() {
        @Override
        public void onClick(View view)
        {
            // call a static function loadAnimation()
            // of the class AnimationUtils
            Animation object
                = AnimationUtils
                      .loadAnimation(
                          getApplicationContext(),

                          // zoom file is in anim folder
                          R.anim.zoom);

            // call the startAnimation method
            logo.startAnimation(object);
        }
    });
}

}

`

Output: Run on Emulator