Does Capsule Hero work in Next.js App Router?

Yes. The component includes the `'use client'` directive and uses `useGSAP` for proper cleanup across Server Component re-renders. Drop it into any page or component inside `app/`.

Does Capsule Hero work with Server Components?

The component itself runs on the client (it needs the DOM for GSAP), but the parent page can be a Server Component. Import the component normally; React's "use client" boundary handles the rest. No additional configuration needed.

Does Capsule Hero work in React 18 and React 19?

Yes. The component uses `useGSAP` which is React-version-agnostic. It also handles Strict Mode double-invocation correctly via `gsap.context` scoping.

Will the animation flash before hydration?

Brief flash is possible on first paint because GSAP needs the client to initialize. The component sets the parked ("starting") state via `gsap.set` on mount before the first frame, so any visible jump is sub-frame and rarely perceived. For above-the-fold use, pair with a CSS opacity:0 default that the component clears on mount.

GSAP component for React

Capsule Hero in React.

A full-screen hero where two giant letters split apart to reveal a video framed inside a rounded capsule window. Click the capsule to expand the video to fill the whole screen, click again to shrink it back.

Install

Install Capsule Hero in your React project

Capsule Hero ships as a copy-paste React component. The only dependencies are GSAP and the official @gsap/react adapter for the useGSAP hook. Both work in Next.js (App Router and Pages), Vite, Remix, and Create React App.

BASH

Integrate

Where it goes in your React app

Capsule Hero is a leaf-level interactive component, so it needs to render on the client. In a Next.js App Router project, add the 'use client' directive at the top of the file (it's already there in the component you copy).

The component is self-contained: it manages its own refs, useGSAP scope, and cleanup. Mount it inside any Server Component, Client Component, or page. It does not require a provider or wrapper.

If your project uses TypeScript, the component is typed - the props it accepts match the data-anm-* attributes documented on the main detail page.

Gotchas

Geometry props are read once per mount

charLeft/charRight, the capsule sizes, hold and ease live in the useGSAP dependencies - changing them rebuilds the whole entrance. Memoize the metaItems array if you construct it dynamically, or every render re-runs the setup.

The load waits for document.fonts.ready

Glyph widths drive the clip geometry (the window is fitted between the letters and the letters ride its edge), so nothing plays until the display font is loaded. The SplitText splits are deliberately KEPT after the entrance and only reverted on unmount - reverting earlier reflows the negative letter-spacing and the letters visibly shift.

Needs ScrollTrigger, CustomEase AND SplitText registered

All three plugins are registered alongside gsap at module load. The cursor-follow pill only activates on hover-capable fine-pointer devices; touch gets the static anchored pill - both branches ship in the one component.

FAQ

Common questions

Does Capsule Hero work in Next.js App Router?: Yes. The component includes the 'use client' directive and uses useGSAP for proper cleanup across Server Component re-renders. Drop it into any page or component inside app/.
Does Capsule Hero work with Server Components?: The component itself runs on the client (it needs the DOM for GSAP), but the parent page can be a Server Component. Import the component normally; React's "use client" boundary handles the rest. No additional configuration needed.
Does Capsule Hero work in React 18 and React 19?: Yes. The component uses useGSAP which is React-version-agnostic. It also handles Strict Mode double-invocation correctly via gsap.context scoping.
Will the animation flash before hydration?: Brief flash is possible on first paint because GSAP needs the client to initialize. The component sets the parked ("starting") state via gsap.set on mount before the first frame, so any visible jump is sub-frame and rarely perceived. For above-the-fold use, pair with a CSS opacity:0 default that the component clears on mount.

Copy the React code

The full React implementation lives on the component page, with the live demo, every format side by side, and the ability to edit and re-run it in the browser.

Open Capsule Hero

Capsule Hero in React.

Install Capsule Hero in your React project

Where it goes in your React app

Common questions

Copy the React code

Every component, in every framework.