CSS : Scale and rotate in place multiple SVG backgrounds image on one element - possible without JS?

Question

The goal is this cool sparkle effect by Josh W Comeau :

He achieve this by inserting an element for each sparkle with javascript. I want to do this effect in a web app where I can only use CSS.

My idea is to use several background image on a :after and a :before pseudoelement, to position the stars in front and behind the text and animate each background image (scale + rotate).

I managed to scale the background images around their visual center by calculating the correct background-position and background-size, but I have no idea how to also make them rotate in place.

Is it possible with css only ?

Here's what I have so far (I use squares for simplicity sake):

    * {
        box-sizing: margin-box;
    }
    
     :root {
        /* Use d='M.5 0A.5.5 90 001 .5.5.5 90 00.5 1 .5.5 90 000 .5.5.5 90 00.5 0' for a star shape */
        /* bg images */
       --square: url("data:image/svg+xml,");
       --red: url("data:image/svg+xml,");
       --green: url("data:image/svg+xml,");
       --blue: url("data:image/svg+xml,");
       
        /* grid unit */
        --unit: calc(100vw/19);
       
        /* set images */
        --background-image: var(--square), var(--red), var(--green), var(--blue);
        --background-repeat: space, no-repeat, no-repeat, no-repeat;
       
        /* sizes */
        --offset-X: 1;
        --offset-Y: 1;
        --red-scale:3;
        --red-size-from:var(--unit);
        --red-size-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--red-scale));
        --red-offset:calc((var(--red-scale) - 1)/2);
    
        --offset-X1: 5;
        --offset-Y1: 3;
        --green-scale:5;
        --green-size-from: var(--unit);
        --green-size-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--green-scale));
        --green-offset:calc((var(--green-scale) - 1)/2);
    
        --offset-X2: 0;
        --offset-Y2: 0;
        --blue-scale:19;
        --blue-size-from: var(--unit);
        --blue-size-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--blue-scale));
        --blue-offset:calc((var(--blue-scale) - 1)/2);
    
        --red-position-from: calc(var(--unit) * calc(var(--offset-X) + var(--red-offset))) calc(var(--unit) * (var(--offset-Y) + var(--red-offset)));
        --red-position-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-X)) calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-Y));
        --green-position-from: calc(var(--unit) * calc(var(--offset-X1) + var(--green-offset))) calc(var(--unit) * (var(--offset-Y1) + var(--green-offset)));
        --green-position-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-X1)) calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-Y1));
        --blue-position-from: calc(var(--unit) * calc(var(--offset-X2) + var(--blue-offset))) calc(var(--unit) * (var(--offset-Y2) + var(--blue-offset)));
        --blue-position-to: calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-X2)) calc(var(--unit) * var(--offset-Y2));
        /* result */
        --background-size-from: var(--unit), var(--red-size-from), var(--green-size-from), var(--blue-size-from);
        --background-size-to: var(--unit), calc(var(--red-size-to)), calc(var(--green-size-to)), calc(var(--blue-size-to));
        --background-position-from: 0 0, var(--red-position-from), var(--green-position-from), var(--blue-position-from);
        --background-position-to: 0 0, var(--red-position-to), var(--green-position-to), var(--blue-position-to);
    }
    
    body {
        margin: 0;
        aspect-ratio: 1;
        background-image: var(--background-image);
        background-repeat: var(--background-repeat);
        overflow: hidden;
        animation: scaling 3s ease infinite alternate;
        animation-delay: 0,1s,2s,3s;
    }
    
    @keyframes scaling {
        from {
            background-size: var(--background-size-from);
            background-position: var(--background-position-from);
        }
        to {
            background-size: var(--background-size-to);
            background-position: var(--background-position-to);
        }
    }

https://codepen.io/DesignThinkerer/pen/NWaNXOO

user_322084 · Answer

Here I'm creating two elements that represent a star each. All animations are done in SVG animations. The two symbols differ a bit in the timing. The elements refer to the two symbols and I animate the visibility attribute to make the star appear/disappear "randomly". The timing of the visibility is following the timing of the symbols.

In the example I embed the SVG and I have made a Data URL version of the same SVG and using that as a background on the

.

I fell that this is a fairly simple solution, but maybe you can do something similar using CSS animations.

body {
  background: black;
  color: white;
}

h1 {
  font-family: sans-serif;
  display: inline-block;
  padding: .2em;
  background-size: contain;
  background-repeat: no-repeat;
  background-image: url('data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNTAgMTAiIHhtbG5zPSJodHRwOi8vd3d3LnczLm9yZy8yMDAwL3N2ZyI+CiAgPHN5bWJvbCBpZD0ic3RhcjEiIHZpZXdCb3g9IjAgMCA0IDQiIHdpZHRoPSI1IiBoZWlnaHQ9IjUiPgogICAgPGc+CiAgICAgIDxwYXRoIHRyYW5zZm9ybS1vcmlnaW49IjEuNSAxLjUiIGZpbGw9Im9yYW5nZSIKICAgICAgICBkPSJNIDAgMCBDIDEgMSAxIDIgMCAzIEMgMSAyIDIgMiAzIDMgQyAyIDIgMiAxIDMgMCBDIDIgMSAxIDEgMCAwIj4KICAgICAgICA8YW5pbWF0ZVRyYW5zZm9ybSBhdHRyaWJ1dGVOYW1lPSJ0cmFuc2Zvcm0iCiAgICAgICAgICBhdHRyaWJ1dGVUeXBlPSJYTUwiIHR5cGU9InNjYWxlIgogICAgICAgICAgdmFsdWVzPSIwIDA7IDEgMTsgMCAwIgogICAgICAgICAga2V5VGltZXM9IjAgOyAuNCA7IDEiCiAgICAgICAgICBkdXI9IjNzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIvPgogICAgICA8L3BhdGg+CiAgICAgIDxhbmltYXRlVHJhbnNmb3JtIGF0dHJpYnV0ZU5hbWU9InRyYW5zZm9ybSIKICAgICAgICAgIGF0dHJpYnV0ZVR5cGU9IlhNTCIgdHlwZT0icm90YXRlIgogICAgICAgICAgdmFsdWVzPSIwIDEuNSAxLjU7IDkwIDEuNSAxLjUiCiAgICAgICAgICBrZXlUaW1lcz0iMCA7IDEiCiAgICAgICAgICBkdXI9IjFzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIvPgogICAgPC9nPgogIDwvc3ltYm9sPgogIAogIDxzeW1ib2wgaWQ9InN0YXIyIiB2aWV3Qm94PSIwIDAgNCA0IiB3aWR0aD0iNSIgaGVpZ2h0PSI1Ij4KICAgIDxnPgogICAgICA8cGF0aCB0cmFuc2Zvcm09InNjYWxlKDAgMCkiIHRyYW5zZm9ybS1vcmlnaW49IjEuNSAxLjUiIGZpbGw9Im9yYW5nZSIKICAgICAgICBkPSJNIDAgMCBDIDEgMSAxIDIgMCAzIEMgMSAyIDIgMiAzIDMgQyAyIDIgMiAxIDMgMCBDIDIgMSAxIDEgMCAwIj4KICAgICAgICA8YW5pbWF0ZVRyYW5zZm9ybSBhdHRyaWJ1dGVOYW1lPSJ0cmFuc2Zvcm0iCiAgICAgICAgICBhdHRyaWJ1dGVUeXBlPSJYTUwiIHR5cGU9InNjYWxlIgogICAgICAgICAgdmFsdWVzPSIwIDA7IDEgMTsgMCAwIgogICAgICAgICAga2V5VGltZXM9IjAgOyAuNCA7IDEiCiAgICAgICAgICBkdXI9IjNzIiBiZWdpbj0iMS41cyIgcmVwZWF0Q291bnQ9ImluZGVmaW5pdGUiLz4KICAgICAgPC9wYXRoPgogICAgICA8YW5pbWF0ZVRyYW5zZm9ybSBhdHRyaWJ1dGVOYW1lPSJ0cmFuc2Zvcm0iCiAgICAgICAgICBhdHRyaWJ1dGVUeXBlPSJYTUwiIHR5cGU9InJvdGF0ZSIKICAgICAgICAgIHZhbHVlcz0iMCAxLjUgMS41OyA5MCAxLjUgMS41IgogICAgICAgICAga2V5VGltZXM9IjAgOyAxIgogICAgICAgICAgZHVyPSIxcyIgYmVnaW49IjEuNXMiIHJlcGVhdENvdW50PSJpbmRlZmluaXRlIi8+CiAgICA8L2c+CiAgPC9zeW1ib2w+CgogIDx1c2UgaHJlZj0iI3N0YXIxIiB0cmFuc2Zvcm09InRyYW5zbGF0ZSgyIDEpIj4KICAgIDxhbmltYXRlIGF0dHJpYnV0ZU5hbWU9InZpc2liaWxpdHkiIHZhbHVlcz0idmlzaWJsZTtoaWRkZW47aGlkZGVuO3Zpc2libGU7aGlkZGVuO2hpZGRlbiIgIGtleVRpbWVzPSIwOy4yOy40Oy42Oy44OzEiIGR1cj0iMTVzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIgLz4KICA8L3VzZT4KICAKICA8dXNlIGhyZWY9IiNzdGFyMSIgdHJhbnNmb3JtPSJ0cmFuc2xhdGUoOCAyKSI+CiAgICA8YW5pbWF0ZSBhdHRyaWJ1dGVOYW1lPSJ2aXNpYmlsaXR5IiB2YWx1ZXM9ImhpZGRlbjt2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbjt2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbjtoaWRkZW4iICBrZXlUaW1lcz0iMDsuMjsuNDsuNjsuODsxIiBkdXI9IjE1cyIgcmVwZWF0Q291bnQ9ImluZGVmaW5pdGUiIC8+CiAgPC91c2U+CiAgCiAgPHVzZSBocmVmPSIjc3RhcjEiIHRyYW5zZm9ybT0idHJhbnNsYXRlKDI2IDIpIj4KICAgIDxhbmltYXRlIGF0dHJpYnV0ZU5hbWU9InZpc2liaWxpdHkiIHZhbHVlcz0iaGlkZGVuO2hpZGRlbjtoaWRkZW47dmlzaWJsZTt2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbiIgIGtleVRpbWVzPSIwOy4yOy40Oy42Oy44OzEiIGR1cj0iMTVzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIgLz4KICA8L3VzZT4KICAKICA8dXNlIGhyZWY9IiNzdGFyMiIgdHJhbnNmb3JtPSJ0cmFuc2xhdGUoMTAgNikiPgogICAgPGFuaW1hdGUgYXR0cmlidXRlTmFtZT0idmlzaWJpbGl0eSIgdmFsdWVzPSJ2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbjtoaWRkZW47dmlzaWJsZTtoaWRkZW47aGlkZGVuIiAga2V5VGltZXM9IjA7LjI7LjQ7LjY7Ljg7MSIgZHVyPSIxNXMiIGJlZ2luPSIxLjVzIiByZXBlYXRDb3VudD0iaW5kZWZpbml0ZSIgLz4KICA8L3VzZT4KICAKICA8dXNlIGhyZWY9IiNzdGFyMiIgdHJhbnNmb3JtPSJ0cmFuc2xhdGUoMjAgNSkiPgogICAgPGFuaW1hdGUgYXR0cmlidXRlTmFtZT0idmlzaWJpbGl0eSIgdmFsdWVzPSJ2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbjt2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbjt2aXNpYmxlO2hpZGRlbiIgIGtleVRpbWVzPSIwOy4yOy40Oy42Oy44OzEiIGR1cj0iMTVzIiBiZWdpbj0iMS41cyIgcmVwZWF0Q291bnQ9ImluZGVmaW5pdGUiIC8+CiAgPC91c2U+CiAgCiAgPHVzZSBocmVmPSIjc3RhcjIiIHRyYW5zZm9ybT0idHJhbnNsYXRlKDM0IDYpIj4KICAgIDxhbmltYXRlIGF0dHJpYnV0ZU5hbWU9InZpc2liaWxpdHkiIHZhbHVlcz0iaGlkZGVuO3Zpc2libGU7dmlzaWJsZTtoaWRkZW47dmlzaWJsZTtoaWRkZW4iICBrZXlUaW1lcz0iMDsuMjsuNDsuNjsuODsxIiBkdXI9IjE1cyIgYmVnaW49IjEuNXMiIHJlcGVhdENvdW50PSJpbmRlZmluaXRlIiAvPgogIDwvdXNlPgo8L3N2Zz4=')
}

svg {
  border: solid thin gray;
}

Sparkly text.

CSS : Scale and rotate in place multiple SVG backgrounds image on one element - possible without JS?

1 Answers