Android – Crash in Activity Transitions with SharedElement

Shared element transition is a powerful animation feature in Android that allows developers to create a seamless transition between different elements in their app, giving the illusion of a smooth flow between screens. However, sometimes the transition may not work as expected, and the animation may appear glitchy or simply not function at all. In this article, we will look at the common points that can cause the Shared Transition not to work correctly and cause errors.

Note: If you want to know what shared transitions are, you can refer to this geeks for geeks article, and understand how to add shared transitions in Android.

If your app has been crashing, you can have a look at the methods given below to make sure the transitions glide smoothly!

Method 1: Fixing Element IDs

One of the most common problems with shared element transitions is that the elements in the source and destination screens are not matched correctly. To ensure that the elements are matched correctly, it is important to ensure that the unique element IDs in the source and destination screens match. To do this, you can either use the same element IDs in both screens, or you can use the android:transitionName attribute to match the elements.

Java

Intent gfgIntent
    = new Intent(gfgLogo.this, SecondPage.class);
Pair[] pairs = new Pair[1];
TextView appName = findViewById(R.id.title);
pairs[0]
// CHECK HERE, IF THE ELEMENT ID IS CORRECT
    = new Pair<View, String>(appName, "imageTransition");
ActivityOptions options
    = ActivityOptions.makeSceneTransitionAnimation(this,
                                                   pairs);
startActivity(gfgIntent, options.toBundle());

Method 2: Checking Inconsistent Layout

Another issue that may cause problems with shared element transitions is inconsistent layout between the source and destination screens. If you are using fragments to work out your app, you can fall prey to this issue easily, gladly this has an easy fix. This can result in the shared elements appearing in the wrong positions or sizes, which can cause the transition to appear glitchy or simply not function at all. To fix this, you can use the android:scaleType attribute to ensure that the elements are consistent on both screens.

Java

gfgFragmentManager.findFragmentByTag("android:scaleType:"
                                     + R.id.viewPager + ":"
                                     + position)
// Add the Tag like in the line above.

Method 3: Correct Implementation of the Activity Transition API

The Activity Transition API is the backbone of shared element transitions in Android. However, if it is not used correctly, it can lead to problems with the transition. To avoid these problems, it is important to use the API correctly by passing the correct arguments to the startActivity() or startActivityForResult() methods. Additionally, you should also make sure that the correct transition options are set when creating the activity.

Before:

Java

ActivityOptions options
    = ActivityOptions.makeSceneTransitionAnimation(this,
                                                   pairs);
startActivity(i, options.toBundle());
// If error occurs, change the intent from this
// startActivity

Change to this:

Java

// Change to this
ActivityOptions options
    = ActivityOptions.makeSceneTransitionAnimation(this,
                                                   pairs);
startActivityForResult(gfgTransition, options.toBundle());

Method 4: Animating the wrong elements for the transitions

Another issue that may cause problems with shared element transitions is the improper use of the elements which you are trying to animate. To ensure that correct elements are used correctly, not all the elements can be made to work with shared transitions, and not all activity parts are properly animated even after using the best practices, you should need to change that, for example using the textView to animate into the imageView is not a proper implementation of the function. You will need to stick to simpler elements to change their forms and keep them.

Method 5: Fixing the Incorrectly Set Transition Durations

The duration of the shared element transition is an essential factor that can affect the appearance of the animation. If the duration is set too short, the transition may appear too fast and glitchy, while if it is set too long, it may appear too slow and sluggish. To ensure that the transition duration is set correctly, it is essential to set it to a value that is appropriate for the animation. Let’s look at the code from the first example to see the part where we set the time duration for the transition:

Java

int splash_screen_time_out = 1000;
new Handler().postDelayed(() -> {
    finish();
  // This splash screen will timeout in 1000 ms
  // The animation will end in 1 sec.
  // You will need to figure out the time
  // it needs to the animation to finish completely.
}, splash_screen_time_out);

Conclusion

In conclusion, shared element transitions are a powerful feature in Android that can greatly enhance the user experience of your app. However, if not used correctly, they can cause problems that can negatively impact the user experience.