How To Use Auto Layout Figma

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Figma is a powerful design tool that allows you to create dynamic, responsive designs for your website or application. One of the most powerful features of Figma is the Auto Layout feature. In this post, we will explore how to effectively use Auto Layout in Figma to streamline your design process.

What is Auto Layout?

Auto Layout is a feature in Figma that allows your designs to dynamically adjust based on the content within them. This means that as you add or remove content, your design elements will automatically resize and reposition themselves to accommodate the changes. This is incredibly useful for creating responsive designs that need to function across different screen sizes and devices.

How to Use Auto Layout

Here’s a simple step-by-step guide on how to use Auto Layout in Figma:

1. Select the element

Firstly, select the elements in your design that you want to apply Auto Layout to. This could be a button, a text box, an image, or any other element in your design.

2. Apply Auto Layout

Once the elements are selected, click on the Auto Layout button in the right-side panel. This will add an Auto Layout frame around your selection.

3. Adjust Settings

After applying Auto Layout, you can adjust its settings in the right-side panel. Here you can specify the direction (vertical or horizontal), spacing between items, padding around items, and how items should align within the frame.

4. Add or Remove Content

Once you’ve set up Auto Layout, you can start adding, removing, or editing the content within your Auto Layout frame. You’ll notice that the frame will automatically adjust its size and position to fit the changes.

Example of Using Auto Layout

    // select the elements
    const elements = figma.currentPage.selection;
    
    // apply Auto Layout
    for (const element of elements) {
        element.layoutMode = "HORIZONTAL";
        element.primaryAxisAlignItems = "CENTER";
        element.counterAxisAlignItems = "CENTER";
    }
    
    // add content
    const textNode = figma.createText();
    textNode.characters = "Hello, Figma!";
    elements[0].appendChild(textNode);

In this example, we’re selecting the currently selected elements in Figma, applying Auto Layout with a horizontal direction and center alignment, and then adding a text node with the message “Hello, Figma!”.

Conclusion

Auto Layout is a powerful feature in Figma that can greatly simplify your design process, especially when dealing with responsive designs. With just a few clicks, you can set up a dynamic layout that automatically adjusts as you modify your design. Happy designing!