Figma launches native timeline-based animation tools

Figma Motion bridges the designer-developer handoff gap, making UI animations first-class citizens in design files. By exporting direct code, it threatens specialized tools like After Effects and Jitter for interface motion.

• –Developer handoff is first-class: Dev Mode allows extracting clean, production-ready animation code (CSS, React, motion.dev) without manual specification translation.
• –Native canvas integration: Keeping motion design within the Figma canvas eliminates the need to export to external software like After Effects for simple UI interactions.
• –Agentic code support: The integration includes a Model Context Protocol (MCP) hook, allowing AI coding tools to inspect and implement motion assets directly.
• –Time-based collaboration: Teams can leave timestamped comments directly on animation keyframes, improving feedback loops.