Advanced Features
Discrete Properties
Instant-switch keyframes for visibility, blend mode, text content, constraints, and more.
What are discrete properties?
Discrete properties are values that can't be smoothly interpolated — they switch instantly at the keyframe time with no transition. While property keyframes lerp between values (e.g., opacity goes from 100% to 0% over 500ms), discrete keyframes snap immediately.
Discrete property list
| Property | Values |
|---|---|
| Visibility | Visible / Hidden |
| Blend Mode | Normal, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Darken, Lighten, Color Dodge, Color Burn, Hard Light, Soft Light, Difference, Exclusion, Hue, Saturation, Color, Luminosity |
| Horizontal Constraints | Min, Center, Max, Stretch, Scale |
| Vertical Constraints | Min, Center, Max, Stretch, Scale |
| Clip Content | True / False (frame clipping) |
| Layer Order | Integer index (z-order within parent) |
| Text Content | Any string |
| Text Alignment | Left, Center, Right, Justified |
| Text Decoration | None, Underline, Strikethrough |
| Text Case | Original, Upper, Lower, Title |
| Auto Resize | None, Width and Height, Height Only |
How they appear in the timeline
Discrete tracks appear as a separate row group labeled “Discrete” under each layer in the layer list. Each discrete property gets its own sub-row with 20px row height (smaller than regular property rows at 24px) to keep the timeline compact.
Discrete keyframes use the same diamond (◆) visual as property keyframes but they have no easing lines between them — since there's no interpolation, the value holds until the next keyframe and then jumps.
Creating discrete keyframes
Discrete keyframes are created automatically during recording when you change a discrete property:
- Enable recording (R).
- Move the playhead to the desired time.
- Change a discrete property in Figma — e.g., toggle visibility, change blend mode, or edit text content.
- A discrete keyframe appears at the playhead position with the new value.
Common use cases
- Show/hide layers — use visibility keyframes to reveal elements at specific times (great for step-by-step animations).
- Blend mode transitions — switch from Normal to Multiply for dramatic color effects.
- Text changes — swap text content at specific times (e.g., a counter label, changing headings, or subtitle sequences).
- Layer reordering — change z-order to bring elements forward or push them back during the animation.