AlertTransition vs Hero for iOS animations

AlertTransition is a subclass-based library focused on custom view controller transitions with more control for building from scratch, while Hero is a declarative framework for pre-defined animations. AlertTransition is better for tailored transitions, but Hero might be quicker for common effects.

How to create a custom transition with AlertTransition

Subclass AlertTransition and override methods like performPresentedTransition and performDismissedTransition, applying animations to presentingView and presentedView. The README provides a TrolleyTransition example with code snippets for reference.

Is AlertTransition compatible with SwiftUI

No, AlertTransition is built on UIKit and doesn't natively support SwiftUI. To use it in a SwiftUI project, you'd need to wrap it in a UIViewControllerRepresentable, which adds complexity and may limit integration.

Can I use AlertTransition with storyboards

Yes, AlertTransition works with storyboards by setting the transition property in prepare(for segue:), as shown in the README with code examples for EasyTransition and other subclasses.

How to handle orientation changes with AlertTransition

EasyTransition supports device orientation changes out of the box, as mentioned in the README with a GIF demo. For custom subclasses, you may need to manually adjust frames or constraints in response to orientation events.

What's the performance impact of using AlertTransition

Performance depends on the complexity of animations; simple transitions like those in EasyTransition are lightweight, but custom 3D transforms or heavy blur backgrounds could affect frame rates on older devices. Always profile in real scenarios.

Open-Awesome

AlertTransition

MITSwift

An extensible Swift library for creating custom view controller transitions, with a focus on alert and modal presentations.

GitHub

568 stars60 forks0 contributors

What is AlertTransition?

AlertTransition is an open-source Swift library for iOS that enables developers to create custom, animated view controller transitions. It provides a base class for building transitions from scratch and includes ready-to-use subclasses for common patterns like alerts, side menus, and trolley animations. The library solves the problem of implementing complex, reusable transition animations with a clean, extensible API.

Target Audience

iOS developers building apps with custom UI/UX animations, particularly those needing tailored alert dialogs, modal presentations, or navigation transitions beyond UIKit's defaults.

Value Proposition

Developers choose AlertTransition for its modular design—it doesn't lock you into predefined animations but provides a foundation to build your own or use included subclasses. Its ability to wrap existing transition libraries and support for self-sizing layouts reduces boilerplate code and increases flexibility.

Overview

AlertTransition is a extensible library for making view controller transitions, especially for alert transitions.

Use Cases

Best For

Creating custom alert dialogs with unique entrance animations
Building side menus with smooth transition effects
Implementing trolley or bottom-sheet style modals
Wrapping third-party transition libraries like BubbleTransition or StarWars.iOS
Developing reusable transition components for iOS apps
Adding orientation-aware animated modals to Swift projects

Not Ideal For

Projects built exclusively with SwiftUI, as it's UIKit-based and lacks native SwiftUI integration
Teams needing drop-in, pre-animated transition components without any subclassing or configuration
Apps targeting iOS versions below 8.0, since the library requires iOS 8.0+
Simple applications where standard UIKit modal presentations suffice; using AlertTransition adds unnecessary complexity

Pros & Cons

Pros

Extensible Foundation

AlertTransition is designed as a superclass with no default animations, allowing developers to build completely custom transitions from scratch, as emphasized in its modular philosophy.

Pre-built Subclasses

Includes ready-to-use subclasses like EasyTransition for composed animations, MenuTransition for side menus, and TrolleyTransition for trolley modals, with GIF demos in the README for quick implementation.

Flexible Layout Support

Supports both explicit frames via AlertFrameProtocol and auto-layout self-sizing, with README examples showing how to handle constraint conflicts for responsive designs.

Background Customization

EasyTransition allows background changes with blur effects or custom colors using the backgroundType property, enhancing visual appeal without extra code.

Cons

Subclassing Overhead

Creating custom transitions requires subclassing AlertTransition and overriding methods like performPresentedTransition, demanding familiarity with UIKit's transition APIs and adding development time.

Sparse Documentation

The README admits the author is 'not good at English' and lacks in-depth tutorials or API references, which can hinder learning and troubleshooting for complex use cases.

Constraint Conflicts

In self-sizing mode, the library notes that 'there maybe constraint conflicts' requiring manual priority adjustments, making auto-layout integration error-prone and tedious.

Frequently Asked Questions

Related Projects

Hero

Elegant transition library for iOS & tvOS

Stars22,488

Forks1,727

Last commit1 year ago

BubbleTransition

A custom modal transition that presents and dismiss a controller with an expanding bubble effect.

Stars3,300

Forks245

Last commit5 years ago

SPStorkController

Now playing controller from Apple Music, Mail & Podcasts Apple's apps.

Stars2,730

Forks200

Last commit3 years ago

Transition

Easy interactive interruptible custom ViewController transitions

Stars2,626

Forks127