Animate SVG along path with Framer Motion

Question

Is there a way to animate a SVG element along a path (preferably a SVG path itself) with Framer Motion? Furthermore, is it possible that the animated SVG element changes its rotation in turns? The following shows an example of what I would like to achieve (not exactly, just an example):

https://tympanus.net/codrops/2019/12/03/motion-paths-past-present-and-future/

With the examples given in the Framer Motion documentation I do not find anything like that in the declarative ways, but I wonder whether this is achievable through MotionValues, the onUpdate method or the imperative AnimationControls somehow?

Answer 1

You can animate the pathLength property by using a motion.path. Then pair that with the offsetDistance on the element that is following the path.

import React from "react"
import { motion } from "framer-motion"
import "./styles.css"

const transition = { duration: 4, yoyo: Infinity, ease: "easeInOut" }

export default function App() {
  return (
    <div className="container">
      <svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="451" height="437">
        <motion.path
          d="M 239 17 C 142 17 48.5 103 48.5 213.5 C 48.5 324 126 408 244 408 C 362 408 412 319 412 213.5 C 412 108 334 68.5 244 68.5 C 154 68.5 102.68 135.079 99 213.5 C 95.32 291.921 157 350 231 345.5 C 305 341 357.5 290 357.5 219.5 C 357.5 149 314 121 244 121 C 174 121 151.5 167 151.5 213.5 C 151.5 260 176 286.5 224.5 286.5 C 273 286.5 296.5 253 296.5 218.5 C 296.5 184 270 177 244 177 C 218 177 197 198 197 218.5 C 197 239 206 250.5 225.5 250.5 C 245 250.5 253 242 253 218.5"
          fill="transparent"
          strokeWidth="12"
          stroke="rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.69)"
          strokeLinecap="round"
          initial={{ pathLength: 0 }}
          animate={{ pathLength: 1 }}
          transition={transition}
        />
      </svg>
      <motion.div
        className="box"
        initial={{ offsetDistance: "0%", scale: 2.5 }}
        animate={{ offsetDistance: "100%", scale: 1 }}
        transition={transition}
      />
    </div>
  )
}

Example source: Matt Perry: https://codesandbox.io/s/framer-motion-motion-along-a-path-41i3v