11 Velocity Gesture. 11 of 95.
11/GESTURE PHYSICS/11 of 95
Velocity Gesture
How fast you let go is part of what you meant.
The problem
Judging a gesture only by distance ignores intent — a quick flick and a slow drag to the same point mean different things.
The solution
A fast flick dismisses even at short distance; a slow drag returns.
Experiment
Play with the values
500 px/s
140px
How it works
- Pointer samples during the drag record both position and time.
- Release velocity is computed from the last samples, not from the total distance alone.
- Distance and velocity are combined, because a short fast flick and a long slow drag mean different things.
- The combination is compared with a dismiss threshold.
- Above it, the surface dismisses; below it, the surface returns.
Seen in
Notification cards
A quick flick dismisses a notification even if you didn't drag it all the way across.
Photo viewers
Flicking down closes the image; a slow drag lets you reconsider and release back.
Tinder-style cards
Swipe velocity, not just position, determines a like or pass at release.
Bottom sheets
A fast downward flick dismisses the sheet regardless of how far it moved.