Next.js, GSAP Animations, & mapping over dynamic data

[jnemec]

Hello, I'm trying to place an animation (slide from right) on each column in a component (3 columns that animate individually) using Next.js. I'm mapping over dynamic data from a CMS, and I have gotten it to where it works how I would like using gsap.timeline(), except this component is more towards the middle of my site, so it's running when the page first loads. I can't get ScrollTrigger to work with my array of refs. Once I add scrolltrigger, it makes the animation happen on the columns at the same time. How can I make it so that these animations won't happen until scrolled to? I apologize for the limited amount of code. This is for a site at my job and I have been tasked with learning GSAP. 

 

const tl = gsap.timeline()

const columnRefs = useRef([])

columnRefs.current = []

 

useLayoutEffect(() => {

const ctx = gsap.context(() => {

columnRefs.current.forEach((e) => {

tl.fromTo(

e,

{ opacity: 0, x: 200 },

{

duration: 2,

opacity: 1,

x: 0,

ease: 'none',

stagger: 0.2,

}

)

})

})

return () => ctx.revert()

}, [])

 

const addToRefs = (e) => {

if (e && !columnRefs.current.includes(e)) {

columnRefs.current.push(e)

}

}

 

return (

<section id={sectionID.current} className={styles.section}>

<div className={styles.columns}>

{columns?.map((column) => (

<div

key={column._key}

className={styles.center}

onMouseOver={() => handleHover(column._key)}

onFocus={() => handleHover(column._key)}

onMouseOut={() => handleHover([])}

onBlur={() => handleHover([])}

ref={addToRefs}

>

<SanityImageDiv

className={styles.column}

image={column?.image?.asset}

>

<div className={styles.content}>

<h2 className={styles.label}>{column?.label}</h2>

<p

className={

styles.body +

`${current === column._key ? ` ${styles.show}` : ''}`

}

>

{column?.body}

</p>

</div>

</SanityImageDiv>

<div

className={

styles.gradient +

`${current === column._key ? ` ${styles.show}` : ''}`

}

></div>

</div>

))}

</div>

</section>

[GSAP Helper]

It's pretty tough to troubleshoot without a minimal demo - the issue could be caused by CSS, markup, a third party library, your browser, an external script that's totally unrelated to GSAP, etc. Would you please provide a very simple CodePen or CodeSandbox that demonstrates the issue? 

 

Please don't include your whole project. Just some colored <div> elements and the GSAP code is best (avoid frameworks if possible). See if you can recreate the issue with as few dependancies as possible. If not, incrementally add code bit by bit until it breaks. Usually people solve their own issues during this process! If not, then at least we have a reduced test case which greatly increases your chances of getting a relevant answer.

 

Here is a Next starter template that you can fork.

 

I noticed you're creating a timeline OUTSIDE a gsap.context() - that's almost surely a bad idea. In React, it's very important to do proper cleanup. I'd recommend popping that inside your useLayoutEffect() gsap.context(). 

 

Once we see an isolated demo, we'll do our best to jump in and help with your GSAP-specific questions.