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Animation Basics - Slow in slow out

Slow In and Slow Out describes the tendency of things to come to rest, or to start moving, in a progressive way.

This principle tells us how a object moves from resting state to a moving state to again resting state. As the object moves from restingstate the spacing of that object widens progressively until it gets in speed, at which point the spacing almost becomes relativelyconstant. As the object comes to rest the spacing progessively tightens and eventually becomes zero.
slow in, slow out is often refred as Ease in, ease out. Its the technique of giving an object more frames at both the beginning and end of the motion. This results in a movement that is slow, then fast and then slow again.
Spacing in animation refers to the spce between frames that shows an object's location. More spacing means there is more distance from one frame to next and vice versa. When done right, spacing gives action weight and makes it believable. Animators will also use spacing to add force and charm to their performance.
To add slow in, slow out you will have to draw many in between to the adjacent extreme pose, which is at the starting and at the end. Click on the button bellow to pause/play the animation.
From above breakdown we can see that there are more frames drawn in the start and end to give slow in slow out to the ball as it rolls. The ball has equal spacing in the middle which results in a constant speed. Click on the button bellow to pause/play the animation.
Pros of using slow in slow out princple is that motion looks less mechanical when you apply slow in and out to your animation. Click on the button below to play/pause the animation.
From above comparsion it is clear that without slow in, slow out the action looks stiff and robotic but by adding slow in, slow out the action becomes organic and smooth.
One can create a believable motion using this principle as you can see with above action, the car having this principle does look more realistic. Click on the button below to play/pause the animation.
Also currently in industry to achieve slow in and slow out is a matter of changing the motion curves using Digital tools like Adobe flash, After effects or any 3d tool. Click on the button below to play/pause the animation.

Pick and place the correct frame over the dots on the line above, one after the other in the correct sequence to make the frog make a jump. The animation will only play once the correct sequence is in place. You can reset the exercise from the reset button.
Know More

Know more

Page 1 - What is slow in slow out
D'source Slow In Slow Out | Principles of Animation

Slow In and Slow Out: The 12 Basic Principles of Animation | Animation Mentor

[Six] Slow In & Slow Out - 12 Principles of Animation

Page 2 - how its done
Slow in and slow out, or ease in and ease out, create natural movement in animation by gradually accelerating at the start and decelerating at the end of an action. This makes the motion smooth and realistic, mimicking how objects move in real life.
The Trickiest Animation Principle, Simplified

age 3 - What is ease in ease out
Ease in and ease out is the same as slow in and slow out. Both terms describe the animation principle where movement starts slowly (ease in/slow in), speeds up in the middle, and then slows down again before stopping (ease out/slow out). This technique creates smoother, more natural animations by mimicking the way objects and living beings move in the real world.
Ease-in or Ease-out?. Why I get it wrong every. Single. Time | by Nathan Gordon | Medium

Page 4 - What is spacing
In animation, "spacing" refers to the distance between frames, affecting movement speed and fluidity. Even spacing creates smooth motion, while uneven spacing adds dynamism by varying speed. It works with timing to set the animation's rhythm. Techniques like "slow in and slow out" (gradual speed changes) and following natural arcs enhance realism. Proper spacing is essential for creating lifelike and engaging animations.
The #1 Animation Principle (How To In-Between)

timing, spacing and easing

Page 5 - How to add slow in slow out
Principles of Animation - Slow In Slow Out

Page 6 - How it helps
Slow In & Slow Out - a detailed explanation of the term

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