Animation: jQuery or Raphael?

Question

I am building a page that will animate objects (image/shape/div) and float them around the screen. At times there may be a large number of objects floating and interacting.

A requirement is to have data associated with each object, as they will each have an id. So, if I click one object, it can grab that ID, then reference an array that holds the data about that object.

My debate is, if I should use the jQuery $.animate function or use Raphael. I know that SVG would be nice to use, but I am unsure if I can give each object and id, then bring up a div containing associated data onclick. Can clicking SVG elements reference DOM elements? How well does SVG work with dynamic text? I am also concerned about how much processing power the animation will take. Is there a better choice in this regard?

BTW, I am no talking about jQuery SVG here, just normal jQuery and DOM.

If anyone has any insight into this, or suggestions they would be greatly appreciated!

Answer 1

About speedy jQuery animations, you may be interested in this : http://code.zemanta.com/fry/ruleanimation/