How would you animate something so that it follows a curve?

Question

If I have
<div id="curve" style="position:relative; height:100px; width:100px; />

How would I make it move on a curve? I've googled and everything but can't seem to find another example that would call two functions at once. This is the kind of code I would like, but doesn't work:

$('#curve').click(function () {     $(this).animate(         {              top: 400,             left = $(this).left() + $(this).left()*$(this).left()         },         'slow',         function() { $(this).animate( { left: 600 }, 'fast' ); }     ); }); 

Even if that's not correct code, I believe animate only takes "destinations" for something to go to, so a dynamic destination wouldn't work I think. What am I looking for to make this work?

EDIT:: I'll definitely pick up that plugin, but I'm also wonder why this bit of code doesn't work as I'd expect it to.

Here's another attempt using a for loop and the delay method

$('#curve').click(function () {     for (var i=0; i<400; i++ )     {         $(this).delay(1000);         $(this).css( { top: i, left: i*1.5 } );     } }); 

Except it just instantly goes to that position, no delay or anything. so if it was starting at [0,0], as soon as I click it it teleports to [400,600]. Why doesn't the delay work?

Answer 1

The jQuery.path plugin is what you want:

Example: animate along an arc

var arc_params = {     center: [285,185],       radius: 100,         start: 30,     end: 200,     dir: -1 };  $("my_elem").animate({path : new $.path.arc(arc_params)}); 

Example: animate along a sine wave

var SineWave = function() {     this.css = function(p) {         var s = Math.sin(p*20);         var x = 500 - p * 300;         var y = s * 50 + 150;         var o = ((s+2)/4+0.1);         return {top: y + "px", left: x + "px", opacity: o};     }  };  $("my_elem").animate({path : new SineWave}); 

Answer 2

I think that this time, you have to recalculate animated curve part by part in js and then do it by moving by little parts (= you probably could find plugin OR you'll have to do all the math by yourself)

Edit 2: Previously added link was moved=> http://foxparker.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/bezier-curves-and-arcs-in-jquery/. Thanks, Zach.

Edit 1: this intrigued me, so I did little google research - just as I thought: plugin ready for use here: http://foxparker.wordpress.com/2009/09/22/bezier-curves-and-arcs-in-jquery/