How do I install the Motion Scale skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add tomevault-io/motion-scale in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

What does the Motion Scale skill do?

Generates animation duration, easing curves, and delay tokens with prefers-reduced-motion support. Use when creating transition timing, animation speed, or motion systems. Outputs CSS, Tailwind, or JSON. It is listed under Web & Frontend on SkillMD.

Is Motion Scale safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Motion Scale?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Motion Scale free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Motion Scale?

tomevault-io (@tomevault-io) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Motion Scale by tomevault-io — Agent Skill

Name: Motion Scale
Author: tomevault-io

Motion Scale Generator

Overview

Generate consistent animation and transition tokens for duration, easing, and delay. Creates a motion system that feels cohesive and respects user preferences for reduced motion.

When to Use

Setting up animation tokens for a new project
Standardizing transition timing across components
Replacing hardcoded animation values
Implementing reduced motion support
Building micro-interaction patterns

Quick Reference: Duration Scale

Token	Value	Use Case
`instant`	0ms	Immediate, no animation
`fastest`	50ms	Micro-feedback (ripples, highlights)
`fast`	100ms	Hover, focus, small changes
`normal`	200ms	Most transitions, toggles
`slow`	300ms	Modals, drawers, reveals
`slower`	400ms	Page transitions, complex sequences
`slowest`	500ms	Elaborate animations, onboarding

Quick Reference: Easing Curves

Token	Curve	Use Case
`linear`	`linear`	Progress bars, looping
`ease-in`	`cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 1, 1)`	Exit animations
`ease-out`	`cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1)`	Enter animations (most common)
`ease-in-out`	`cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)`	Move, resize, continuous
`ease-bounce`	`cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1)`	Playful, attention
`ease-elastic`	`cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.27, 1.55)`	Springy, overshoot

The Process

Choose duration scale: How many steps? (5-7 typical)
Define base duration: 200ms is standard baseline
Select ratio: How durations scale (1.5x or 2x)
Pick easing curves: Standard set + any special curves
Create semantic aliases: Map to component behaviors
Add reduced motion: Respect user preferences
Choose format: CSS, Tailwind, or JSON

Output Formats

CSS Custom Properties:

:root {
  /* ===== Durations ===== */
  --duration-0: 0ms;
  --duration-50: 50ms;
  --duration-100: 100ms;
  --duration-150: 150ms;
  --duration-200: 200ms;
  --duration-300: 300ms;
  --duration-400: 400ms;
  --duration-500: 500ms;
  --duration-700: 700ms;
  --duration-1000: 1000ms;

  /* Named aliases */
  --duration-instant: var(--duration-0);
  --duration-fastest: var(--duration-50);
  --duration-fast: var(--duration-100);
  --duration-normal: var(--duration-200);
  --duration-slow: var(--duration-300);
  --duration-slower: var(--duration-500);
  --duration-slowest: var(--duration-700);

  /* ===== Easings ===== */
  --ease-linear: linear;
  --ease-in: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 1, 1);
  --ease-out: cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1);
  --ease-in-out: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);

  /* Expressive easings */
  --ease-bounce: cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1);
  --ease-elastic: cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.27, 1.55);
  --ease-snap: cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1);

  /* Deceleration/Acceleration (Material Design style) */
  --ease-decelerate: cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1);
  --ease-accelerate: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 1, 1);
  --ease-standard: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1);

  /* ===== Delays ===== */
  --delay-none: 0ms;
  --delay-short: 50ms;
  --delay-medium: 100ms;
  --delay-long: 200ms;

  /* Stagger delays for sequential animations */
  --delay-stagger-1: 0ms;
  --delay-stagger-2: 50ms;
  --delay-stagger-3: 100ms;
  --delay-stagger-4: 150ms;
  --delay-stagger-5: 200ms;

  /* ===== Semantic Transitions ===== */
  --transition-colors: color, background-color, border-color, fill, stroke;
  --transition-opacity: opacity;
  --transition-transform: transform;
  --transition-shadow: box-shadow;
  --transition-all: all;

  /* Component transitions */
  --transition-hover: var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-out);
  --transition-focus: var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-out);
  --transition-active: var(--duration-fastest) var(--ease-out);
  --transition-enter: var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out);
  --transition-exit: var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-in);
  --transition-move: var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-in-out);
  --transition-expand: var(--duration-slow) var(--ease-out);
  --transition-collapse: var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-in);
}

/* ===== Reduced Motion ===== */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  :root {
    --duration-50: 0ms;
    --duration-100: 0ms;
    --duration-150: 0ms;
    --duration-200: 0ms;
    --duration-300: 0ms;
    --duration-400: 0ms;
    --duration-500: 0ms;
    --duration-700: 0ms;
    --duration-1000: 0ms;
  }
}

/* Alternative: Keep minimal motion */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  :root {
    --duration-fastest: 0ms;
    --duration-fast: 0ms;
    --duration-normal: 50ms;  /* Minimal feedback */
    --duration-slow: 50ms;
    --duration-slower: 100ms;
    --duration-slowest: 100ms;

    /* Disable expressive easings */
    --ease-bounce: var(--ease-out);
    --ease-elastic: var(--ease-out);
  }
}

Tailwind Config:

module.exports = {
  theme: {
    extend: {
      transitionDuration: {
        '0': '0ms',
        '50': '50ms',
        '100': '100ms',
        '150': '150ms',
        '200': '200ms',
        '300': '300ms',
        '400': '400ms',
        '500': '500ms',
        '700': '700ms',
        '1000': '1000ms',
      },
      transitionTimingFunction: {
        'in': 'cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 1, 1)',
        'out': 'cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1)',
        'in-out': 'cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)',
        'bounce': 'cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1)',
        'elastic': 'cubic-bezier(0.68, -0.55, 0.27, 1.55)',
        'snap': 'cubic-bezier(0.2, 0, 0, 1)',
      },
      transitionDelay: {
        '0': '0ms',
        '50': '50ms',
        '100': '100ms',
        '150': '150ms',
        '200': '200ms',
      },
      animation: {
        'fade-in': 'fade-in 200ms ease-out',
        'fade-out': 'fade-out 150ms ease-in',
        'slide-up': 'slide-up 200ms ease-out',
        'slide-down': 'slide-down 200ms ease-out',
        'scale-in': 'scale-in 200ms ease-out',
        'spin-slow': 'spin 2s linear infinite',
      },
      keyframes: {
        'fade-in': {
          '0%': { opacity: '0' },
          '100%': { opacity: '1' },
        },
        'fade-out': {
          '0%': { opacity: '1' },
          '100%': { opacity: '0' },
        },
        'slide-up': {
          '0%': { transform: 'translateY(10px)', opacity: '0' },
          '100%': { transform: 'translateY(0)', opacity: '1' },
        },
        'slide-down': {
          '0%': { transform: 'translateY(-10px)', opacity: '0' },
          '100%': { transform: 'translateY(0)', opacity: '1' },
        },
        'scale-in': {
          '0%': { transform: 'scale(0.95)', opacity: '0' },
          '100%': { transform: 'scale(1)', opacity: '1' },
        },
      },
    },
  },
};

JSON Tokens:

{
  "motion": {
    "duration": {
      "0": { "value": "0ms", "type": "duration" },
      "50": { "value": "50ms", "type": "duration" },
      "100": { "value": "100ms", "type": "duration" },
      "200": { "value": "200ms", "type": "duration" },
      "300": { "value": "300ms", "type": "duration" },
      "500": { "value": "500ms", "type": "duration" }
    },
    "easing": {
      "linear": { "value": "linear", "type": "cubicBezier" },
      "ease-in": { "value": "cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 1, 1)", "type": "cubicBezier" },
      "ease-out": { "value": "cubic-bezier(0, 0, 0.2, 1)", "type": "cubicBezier" },
      "ease-in-out": { "value": "cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1)", "type": "cubicBezier" },
      "bounce": { "value": "cubic-bezier(0.34, 1.56, 0.64, 1)", "type": "cubicBezier" }
    },
    "delay": {
      "none": { "value": "0ms", "type": "duration" },
      "short": { "value": "50ms", "type": "duration" },
      "medium": { "value": "100ms", "type": "duration" }
    }
  }
}

Easing Curve Reference

Standard Curves

ease-out (enter/appear):
    ●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━●
    Fast start, gentle stop
    Best for: Elements entering view

ease-in (exit/leave):
    ●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━●
    Gentle start, fast end
    Best for: Elements leaving view

ease-in-out (move/resize):
    ●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━●
    Gentle start and end
    Best for: Elements moving position

linear (progress):
    ●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━●
    Constant speed
    Best for: Progress bars, spinners

Expressive Curves

bounce (playful):
    ●━━━━━━━━╮
            ╰━━━●
    Overshoots then settles
    Best for: Notifications, confirmations

elastic (springy):
    ●━━━╮   ╭━╮
        ╰━━━╯ ╰●
    Oscillates before settling
    Best for: Attention, drag-and-drop

snap (decisive):
    ●━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━●
    Very fast deceleration
    Best for: Snapping, selections

Custom Curve Creation

/*
  cubic-bezier(x1, y1, x2, y2)

  x1, y1 = First control point (affects start)
  x2, y2 = Second control point (affects end)

  y values > 1 = overshoot
  y values < 0 = anticipation
*/

/* Dramatic entrance */
--ease-dramatic: cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.8, 0.2, 1);

/* Snappy with slight overshoot */
--ease-snappy: cubic-bezier(0.2, 1.2, 0.3, 1);

/* Gentle float */
--ease-float: cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.2, 0.2, 1);

Component Patterns

Button Hover

.button {
  transition:
    background-color var(--transition-hover),
    transform var(--transition-active);
}

.button:hover {
  background-color: var(--color-primary-600);
}

.button:active {
  transform: scale(0.98);
}

Modal Enter/Exit

.modal-backdrop {
  transition: opacity var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out);
}

.modal-content {
  transition:
    opacity var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out),
    transform var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out);
}

/* Enter */
.modal-backdrop.entering { opacity: 0; }
.modal-backdrop.entered { opacity: 1; }
.modal-content.entering { opacity: 0; transform: scale(0.95) translateY(10px); }
.modal-content.entered { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1) translateY(0); }

/* Exit (faster) */
.modal-backdrop.exiting {
  opacity: 0;
  transition-duration: var(--duration-fast);
}
.modal-content.exiting {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: scale(0.95);
  transition-duration: var(--duration-fast);
}

Dropdown Menu

.dropdown-menu {
  transform-origin: top;
  transition:
    opacity var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-out),
    transform var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-out);
}

.dropdown-menu[data-state="closed"] {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: scaleY(0.9);
  pointer-events: none;
}

.dropdown-menu[data-state="open"] {
  opacity: 1;
  transform: scaleY(1);
}

Staggered List Animation

.list-item {
  opacity: 0;
  transform: translateY(10px);
  animation: slide-up var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out) forwards;
}

.list-item:nth-child(1) { animation-delay: var(--delay-stagger-1); }
.list-item:nth-child(2) { animation-delay: var(--delay-stagger-2); }
.list-item:nth-child(3) { animation-delay: var(--delay-stagger-3); }
.list-item:nth-child(4) { animation-delay: var(--delay-stagger-4); }
.list-item:nth-child(5) { animation-delay: var(--delay-stagger-5); }

@keyframes slide-up {
  to {
    opacity: 1;
    transform: translateY(0);
  }
}

Loading Spinner

.spinner {
  animation: spin var(--duration-1000) var(--ease-linear) infinite;
}

@keyframes spin {
  to { transform: rotate(360deg); }
}

/* Pulsing loader */
.pulse {
  animation: pulse var(--duration-700) var(--ease-in-out) infinite alternate;
}

@keyframes pulse {
  0% { opacity: 0.4; transform: scale(0.95); }
  100% { opacity: 1; transform: scale(1); }
}

Skeleton Loading

.skeleton {
  background: linear-gradient(
    90deg,
    var(--color-gray-200) 0%,
    var(--color-gray-100) 50%,
    var(--color-gray-200) 100%
  );
  background-size: 200% 100%;
  animation: shimmer 1.5s var(--ease-in-out) infinite;
}

@keyframes shimmer {
  0% { background-position: 200% 0; }
  100% { background-position: -200% 0; }
}

Reduced Motion

Strategy 1: Remove All Motion

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  *, *::before, *::after {
    animation-duration: 0.01ms !important;
    animation-iteration-count: 1 !important;
    transition-duration: 0.01ms !important;
  }
}

Strategy 2: Reduce, Don't Remove

@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  :root {
    /* Keep brief transitions for feedback */
    --duration-fast: 0ms;
    --duration-normal: 50ms;
    --duration-slow: 100ms;

    /* Simplify easings */
    --ease-bounce: var(--ease-out);
    --ease-elastic: var(--ease-out);
  }

  /* Disable parallax, auto-play, infinite loops */
  .parallax { transform: none !important; }
  .auto-animate { animation: none !important; }
}

Strategy 3: Provide Alternatives

/* Full motion */
.card-enter {
  animation: slide-up var(--duration-normal) var(--ease-out);
}

/* Reduced: fade only, no movement */
@media (prefers-reduced-motion: reduce) {
  .card-enter {
    animation: fade-in var(--duration-fast) var(--ease-out);
  }
}

Duration Guidelines

Duration	Feel	Use For
0-50ms	Instant	Ripples, micro-feedback
50-100ms	Snappy	Hover states, focus, toggles
100-200ms	Quick	Most UI transitions
200-300ms	Smooth	Modals, panels, reveals
300-500ms	Deliberate	Page transitions, onboarding
500ms+	Slow	Complex sequences, emphasis

Rule of thumb:

Smaller elements = faster (50-150ms)
Larger elements = slower (200-400ms)
User-triggered = fast (100-200ms)
System-triggered = can be slower (200-400ms)

Testing Checklist

Transitions feel smooth, not jarring
Hover/focus feedback is immediate (<150ms)
Modals/drawers don't feel sluggish
Animations enhance, don't block interaction
prefers-reduced-motion is respected
No layout shift during animations
Animations work at 60fps
Consistent timing across similar interactions

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Motion Scale

File contents

Motion Scale Generator

Overview

When to Use

Quick Reference: Duration Scale

Quick Reference: Easing Curves

The Process

Output Formats

Easing Curve Reference

Standard Curves

Expressive Curves

Custom Curve Creation

Component Patterns

Button Hover

Modal Enter/Exit

Dropdown Menu

Staggered List Animation

Loading Spinner

Skeleton Loading

Reduced Motion

Strategy 1: Remove All Motion

Strategy 2: Reduce, Don't Remove

Strategy 3: Provide Alternatives

Duration Guidelines

Testing Checklist

Frequently asked questions

Motion Scale

File contents

Motion Scale Generator

Overview

When to Use

Quick Reference: Duration Scale

Quick Reference: Easing Curves

The Process

Output Formats

Easing Curve Reference

Standard Curves

Expressive Curves

Custom Curve Creation

Component Patterns

Button Hover

Modal Enter/Exit

Dropdown Menu

Staggered List Animation

Loading Spinner

Skeleton Loading

Reduced Motion

Strategy 1: Remove All Motion

Strategy 2: Reduce, Don't Remove

Strategy 3: Provide Alternatives

Duration Guidelines

Testing Checklist

Related skills

Frequently asked questions

How do I install the Motion Scale skill?

What does the Motion Scale skill do?

Is Motion Scale safe to use?

Which AI agents work with Motion Scale?

Is Motion Scale free to use?

Who published Motion Scale?