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squash-stretch-mastery

squash-stretch-mastery

github.com/dylantarreCreative & media132526 installsUpdated 43w ago
Repository

About squash-stretch-mastery

A design skill explaining squash and stretch, a Disney animation principle for conveying force and making objects feel alive. It serves motion designers and animators with guidance on volume, material, and application across interfaces, characters, logos, and games.

Key features

  1. 01Preserve volume during deformation
  2. 02Match deformation to material elasticity
  3. 03Coordinate with timing and follow-through
  4. 04Apply to UI, characters, logos, and games
  5. 05Avoid common deformation errors

Use cases

  1. 01Animate a button press
  2. 02Create a character jump or impact
  3. 03Add motion to a logo
  4. 04Tune deformation for material and tone

Install

Copy the command and run it in a terminal.

$npx skills add https://github.com/dylantarre/animation-principles --skill squash-stretch-mastery

After installing, type/squash-stretch-masteryin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.

Details

From the project README

Squash & Stretch Mastery

The Foundation Principle

Squash and stretch is considered the most important of Disney's 12 principles because it solves animation's fundamental problem: making rigid objects feel alive. Developed in the 1930s at Disney, it emerged from observing how real flesh and rubber deform under force while maintaining constant volume.

Core Theory

Volume Preservation: When an object squashes, it must widen. When it stretches, it must narrow. This constraint creates believability—violate it and objects appear to grow or shrink rather than deform.

Force Visualization: Squash and stretch makes invisible forces visible. A ball squashing on impact shows us the floor's resistance. A character stretching mid-leap reveals velocity and momentum.

The Elasticity Spectrum

Not all objects deform equally:

  • High elasticity: Rubber balls, cartoon characters, jelly (extreme deformation)
  • Medium elasticity: Human faces, cloth, muscle (subtle deformation)
  • Low elasticity: Wood, metal, bone (minimal but present micro-deformation)

Even "rigid" objects benefit from 1-2% deformation—it prevents the dead, mechanical feel.

Interaction with Other Principles

Timing amplifies squash/stretch: Fast impacts demand more squash; slow floats need gentle stretch. The deformation amount must match velocity.

Anticipation uses stretch: A character winding up for a jump often stretches slightly before the motion begins.

Follow-through extends it: After landing, the squash ripples through secondary elements (hair, clothing, flesh).

Domain Applications

UI/Motion Design
  • Button press: subtle squash (95-98% height) on tap
  • List items: stretch slightly when pulled beyond bounds (rubber-band scroll)
  • Notifications: squash on arrival, bounce to rest
Character Animation
  • Facial expressions: cheeks squash on smile, stretch on surprise
  • Walk cycles: torso compresses on contact, extends on passing
  • Emotional beats: extreme stretch for shock, squash for dejection
Logo Animation
  • Bouncing logos: exaggerated squash creates playful personality
  • Subtle breathing: micro-squash/stretch keeps static logos alive
Game Feel
  • Jump arcs: stretch on ascent, squash on landing
  • Hit reactions: brief squash sells impact before knockback
  • Collectibles: rhythmic pulse using gentle squash/stretch

Common Mistakes

  1. Breaking volume: Objects appear to grow/shrink instead of deform
  2. Uniform deformation: Real objects deform more where force is applied
  3. Over-application: Subtle contexts need 1-5%, not cartoon 50%
  4. Static extremes: Deformation should ease in/out, never snap

Implementation Heuristic

Start with 10% deformation for energetic motions, 2-3% for subtle polish. Adjust based on material and tone. When in doubt, less is more—squash/stretch should be felt, not consciously noticed.

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