Target and values
| Attribute | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
href | #id | The target element; the parent when missing. |
attributeName | name | The attribute or property to change. Required for animate and set. |
attributeType | XML, CSS, auto | SVG 1.1: where the name is looked up. Deprecated. |
from, to, by | a value of the target’s type | Start, end and change. |
values | semicolon-separated values | The values to pass through; overrides from, to and by. |
calcMode | discrete, linear, paced, spline | How values are interpolated. Default linear. |
keyTimes | semicolon-separated numbers 0 to 1 | When each value is reached; one per value, rising, starting at 0 and (unless discrete) ending at 1. |
keySplines | semicolon-separated sets of four numbers | Bézier control points x1 y1 x2 y2, each 0 to 1, for each interval; one fewer than values. |
additive | replace, sum | Replace the underlying value, or add to it. |
accumulate | none, sum | Whether each repeat adds to the last. |
type | transform function | On animateTransform: translate, scale, rotate, skewX, skewY. |
path, keyPoints, rotate, origin | path data; numbers; auto, auto-reverse or angle; default | On animateMotion. origin is SVG 1.1. |
Timing
| Attribute | Value | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
begin | list of begin values, separated by ; | When the animation may start. Default 0s. |
end | list of end values | When it must end. |
dur | clock value, media, indefinite | One simple duration. Without it, the animation runs indefinitely. |
min, max | clock value, media; indefinite for max | Limits on the active duration. |
restart | always, whenNotActive, never | When a new begin may restart it. |
repeatCount | number, indefinite | How many times (not negative; fractions allowed). |
repeatDur | clock value, indefinite | How long it repeats. |
fill | remove (default), freeze | What happens after the end. This is the animation attribute fill, not the paint property. |
Begin and end values
| Form | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| offset | 0s, -2s, 1.5s | Seconds after the document begins; negative values are allowed. |
| syncbase | a.begin, a.end+1s | Relative to another animation’s start or end. |
| event | click, b.mouseover-0.5s | When the event happens on the element or on the one with that id. |
| repeat | a.repeat(2) | At a repeat of another animation. |
| access key | accessKey(a) | When the key is pressed. |
| wallclock | wallclock(2026-01-01T00:00Z) | A calendar time. |
| indefinite | indefinite | Never by itself; only beginElement() or a link starts it. |
Clock values are a full clock hh:mm:ss.fraction, a
partial clock mm:ss, or a timecount with a unit: 3h,
30min, 2.5s, 120ms; a bare number is seconds.
The explorer checks that each id in a syncbase or event value exists.
Not described
This page is partial.
- Reference: the full begin and end value grammar (offsets with signs and spaces, event names,
repeat(),accessKey()) and the timing rules are summarised from knowledge, without the SMIL text open. The list of animatable attributes is not given. - Viewer: lists animations, checks the ids named in
beginandendand thetypeofanimateTransform. It does not parse begin, end or clock values, and does not checkkeyTimes,keySplinesorvalues.