source: techcrunch ai: figma adds code layers, support for animations, more ai features in new update
level: technical
figma introduced a new update that adds code layers directly to its collaborative canvas. this lets teams clone repositories and pull flows from code into design layers for testing. the goal is to help designers, product managers, and engineers explore ideas quickly without worrying about production-ready code. the company sees the multiplayer canvas as a space for rapid iteration and spatial exploration.
the update also includes native support for animations, transitions, and 3d transforms. previously, designers had to use external tools and convert work into code. now they can create motion directly in figma. ai can generate some of these assets, and the update adds ai-powered shader effects and fills. figma is also integrating weavy, a node-based tool it acquired, to let users generate workflows within the app later this year.
figma is expanding its ai assistant with new skills. users can write text prompts to create repeatable actions for ai agents. they can connect tools like notion, excel, and github, or attach files to give the ai more context. a new feature lets users build custom plugins, such as layout generators or vector path tracers, using prompts. these additions aim to make the design process more automated and connected to other tools.
why it matters: these updates bring code and design closer together, helping ai and data science teams prototype and test ideas faster without manual handoffs.
source: techcrunch ai: figma adds code layers, support for animations, more ai features in new update