Cards pin one after another inside a smooth-scroll viewport, each settling a few pixels below the last, while the cards underneath scale down and dim in proportion to how many cards cover them.
Preview
Customize
8 propsInstallation
Copies the component source and its CSS Module into your project.
npx motionfoundry add sticky-stack-cardsWrites components/ui/sticky-stack-cards.tsx and components/styles/sticky-stack-cards.module.css.
Usage
Updates live as you change the controls — only props that differ from the defaults are included.
1import { StickyStackCards } from "@motionfoundry/ui";2 3export function Example() {4 return (5 <StickyStackCards />6 );7}Props
Accessibility
The viewport is a focusable role="region" with an aria-label, so keyboard users can Tab to it and scroll with arrows/Page keys/Space (native, unsmoothed) and see a 2px :focus-visible outline. Wheel input is smoothed only while the viewport can still move; at the top/bottom edge wheel events are released so the page keeps scrolling. Touch and scrollbar dragging stay native. Under prefers-reduced-motion (or smooth=false) the wheel is not intercepted at all. Cards are an ordered list with real text titles; glow and chart decorations are aria-hidden. Under prefers-reduced-motion the stack still pins but covered cards are not scaled.
Toggle prefers-reduced-motion in your OS or browser devtools (Rendering → Emulate CSS media feature) to verify the reduced-motion state.
Source
1"use client";2 3import * as React from "react";4import styles from "../styles/sticky-stack-cards.module.css";5 6interface SmoothScrollState {7 /** Current scrollTop of the viewport in px */8 scroll: number;9 /** Maximum scrollTop in px */10 limit: number;11 /** scroll / limit, 0..1 */12 progress: number;13 /** Signed scroll velocity in px per 60fps frame */14 velocity: number;15}16 17interface SmoothScrollOptions {18 lerp: number;19 wheelMultiplier: number;20 smooth: boolean;21 onScroll?: (state: SmoothScrollState) => void;22}23 24const clamp = (v: number, min: number, max: number) => Math.min(max, Math.max(min, v));25 26function usePrefersReducedMotion(): boolean {27 const [reduced, setReduced] = React.useState(false);28 React.useEffect(() => {29 const mq = window.matchMedia("(prefers-reduced-motion: reduce)");30 const update = () => setReduced(mq.matches);31 update();32 mq.addEventListener("change", update);33 return () => mq.removeEventListener("change", update);34 }, []);35 return reduced;36}37 38/** True when a nested scrollable element under the pointer can still scroll in the wheel direction. */39function nestedCanScroll(node: EventTarget | null, root: HTMLElement, dy: number): boolean {40 let el: Element | null = node instanceof Element ? node : null;41 while (el && el !== root) {42 if (el instanceof HTMLElement) {43 if (el.dataset.mfScrollPrevent !== undefined) return true;44 const overflowY = window.getComputedStyle(el).overflowY;45 if ((overflowY === "auto" || overflowY === "scroll") && el.scrollHeight > el.clientHeight + 1) {46 const canMove = dy < 0 ? el.scrollTop > 0 : el.scrollTop + el.clientHeight < el.scrollHeight - 1;47 if (canMove) return true;48 }49 }50 el = el.parentElement;51 }52 return false;53}54 55/**56 * Self-contained smooth scroller for an overflow container. Wheel input updates a target57 * position; a rAF loop eases the real scrollTop toward it (frame-rate independent lerp) and58 * stops once settled. Touch, keyboard and scrollbar drags stay native. At the top/bottom edge59 * wheel events are released so the page keeps scrolling.60 */61function useSmoothScroll(62 containerRef: React.RefObject<HTMLElement | null>,63 { lerp, wheelMultiplier, smooth, onScroll }: SmoothScrollOptions,64): React.RefObject<SmoothScrollState> {65 const stateRef = React.useRef<SmoothScrollState>({ scroll: 0, limit: 0, progress: 0, velocity: 0 });66 const callbackRef = React.useRef(onScroll);67 React.useEffect(() => {68 callbackRef.current = onScroll;69 }, [onScroll]);70 71 React.useEffect(() => {72 const el = containerRef.current;73 if (!el) return;74 const ease = clamp(Number.isFinite(lerp) ? lerp : 0.1, 0.01, 1);75 const multiplier = Number.isFinite(wheelMultiplier) ? wheelMultiplier : 1;76 let target = el.scrollTop;77 let current = target;78 let raf = 0;79 let lastTime = 0;80 let lastNative = el.scrollTop;81 let lastNativeTime = 0;82 let settleTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | undefined;83 84 const getLimit = () => Math.max(0, el.scrollHeight - el.clientHeight);85 86 const emit = (velocity: number) => {87 const limit = getLimit();88 const scroll = clamp(el.scrollTop, 0, limit);89 lastNative = el.scrollTop;90 const s = stateRef.current;91 s.scroll = scroll;92 s.limit = limit;93 s.progress = limit > 0 ? scroll / limit : 0;94 s.velocity = velocity;95 callbackRef.current?.(s);96 };97 98 const tick = (time: number) => {99 const dt = lastTime ? Math.min(64, Math.max(1, time - lastTime)) : 16.667;100 lastTime = time;101 const limit = getLimit();102 target = clamp(target, 0, limit);103 if (Math.abs(el.scrollTop - current) > 2) {104 // Something else moved the viewport (scrollbar drag, keyboard, touch): hand control back.105 current = target = el.scrollTop;106 raf = 0;107 lastTime = 0;108 emit(0);109 return;110 }111 const prev = current;112 const frames = dt / 16.667;113 current += (target - current) * (1 - Math.pow(1 - ease, frames));114 if (Math.abs(target - current) < 0.35) current = target;115 el.scrollTop = current;116 emit((current - prev) / frames);117 if (current === target) {118 raf = 0;119 lastTime = 0;120 emit(0);121 return;122 }123 raf = requestAnimationFrame(tick);124 };125 126 const onWheel = (event: WheelEvent) => {127 if (event.ctrlKey || event.defaultPrevented) return;128 if (Math.abs(event.deltaX) > Math.abs(event.deltaY)) return;129 let dy = event.deltaY;130 if (event.deltaMode === 1) dy *= 16;131 else if (event.deltaMode === 2) dy *= el.clientHeight;132 dy *= multiplier;133 if (dy === 0 || nestedCanScroll(event.target, el, dy)) return;134 const limit = getLimit();135 if (!raf) current = target = el.scrollTop;136 // Release to native scrolling at the edges so the page is never trapped.137 if ((dy < 0 && target <= 0) || (dy > 0 && target >= limit - 0.5)) return;138 event.preventDefault();139 target = clamp(target + dy, 0, limit);140 if (!raf) {141 lastTime = 0;142 raf = requestAnimationFrame(tick);143 }144 };145 146 const onNativeScroll = () => {147 if (raf) return;148 const top = el.scrollTop;149 const delta = top - lastNative;150 if (delta === 0) return;151 const now = performance.now();152 const dt = lastNativeTime ? clamp(now - lastNativeTime, 8, 100) : 16.667;153 lastNativeTime = now;154 current = target = top;155 emit(delta / (dt / 16.667));156 if (settleTimer) clearTimeout(settleTimer);157 settleTimer = setTimeout(() => {158 lastNativeTime = 0;159 emit(0);160 }, 90);161 };162 163 if (smooth) el.addEventListener("wheel", onWheel, { passive: false });164 el.addEventListener("scroll", onNativeScroll, { passive: true });165 const ro = new ResizeObserver(() => emit(stateRef.current.velocity));166 ro.observe(el);167 if (el.firstElementChild) ro.observe(el.firstElementChild);168 emit(0);169 170 return () => {171 if (smooth) el.removeEventListener("wheel", onWheel);172 el.removeEventListener("scroll", onNativeScroll);173 ro.disconnect();174 if (raf) cancelAnimationFrame(raf);175 if (settleTimer) clearTimeout(settleTimer);176 };177 }, [containerRef, lerp, wheelMultiplier, smooth]);178 179 return stateRef;180}181 182export interface StickyStackCardsProps {183 /** Card titles, one stacked card per item */184 items?: string[];185 /** Heading shown before the stack */186 title?: string;187 /** Vertical step in px between stacked cards */188 offset?: number;189 /** Scale reduction applied per card covering an earlier card */190 scaleStep?: number;191 /** Accent color for card glow and charts */192 accentColor?: string;193 /** Viewport height in px */194 height?: number;195 /** Viewport corner radius in px */196 borderRadius?: number;197 /** Interpolation factor per 60fps frame (0.05 = floaty, 0.3 = snappy) */198 lerp?: number;199 /** Multiplier applied to wheel / trackpad deltas */200 wheelMultiplier?: number;201 /** Enable smooth wheel scrolling (native scrolling when false or under reduced motion) */202 smooth?: boolean;203 /** Optional className merged onto the root */204 className?: string;205 /** Inline styles merged onto the root */206 style?: React.CSSProperties;207}208 209const DEFAULT_ITEMS = ["Research", "Wireframes", "Visual design", "Motion pass", "Launch"];210 211const rand = (n: number) => {212 const x = Math.sin(n * 9301 + 49297) * 233280;213 return x - Math.floor(x);214};215 216const STICKY_TOP = 22;217 218export function StickyStackCards({219 items = DEFAULT_ITEMS,220 title = "Stacked, not stashed",221 offset = 14,222 scaleStep = 0.05,223 accentColor = "#f472b6",224 height = 380,225 borderRadius = 20,226 lerp = 0.1,227 wheelMultiplier = 1,228 smooth = true,229 className = "",230 style,231}: StickyStackCardsProps) {232 const reduced = usePrefersReducedMotion();233 const viewportRef = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement>(null);234 const listRef = React.useRef<HTMLOListElement>(null);235 const cardRefs = React.useRef<(HTMLLIElement | null)[]>([]);236 const listTopRef = React.useRef(0);237 const lastScrollRef = React.useRef(0);238 239 const total = items.length;240 const cardHeight = Math.round(height * 0.6);241 const spacing = Math.round(height * 0.42);242 const slot = cardHeight + spacing;243 const distance = Math.max(1, slot - offset);244 245 const apply = React.useCallback(() => {246 const scroll = lastScrollRef.current;247 for (let i = 0; i < total; i++) {248 const card = cardRefs.current[i];249 if (!card) continue;250 const stickAt = listTopRef.current + i * slot - (STICKY_TOP + i * offset);251 const covered = clamp((scroll - stickAt) / distance, 0, total - 1 - i);252 card.style.setProperty("--mf-ssc-c", covered.toFixed(4));253 }254 }, [total, slot, offset, distance]);255 256 const handleScroll = React.useCallback(257 (state: SmoothScrollState) => {258 lastScrollRef.current = state.scroll;259 apply();260 },261 [apply],262 );263 264 useSmoothScroll(viewportRef, { lerp, wheelMultiplier, smooth: smooth && !reduced, onScroll: handleScroll });265 266 React.useEffect(() => {267 const list = listRef.current;268 if (!list) return;269 const measure = () => {270 listTopRef.current = list.offsetTop;271 apply();272 };273 measure();274 const ro = new ResizeObserver(measure);275 ro.observe(list);276 return () => ro.disconnect();277 }, [apply]);278 279 const vars = {280 "--mf-ssc-h": `${height}px`,281 "--mf-ssc-r": `${borderRadius}px`,282 "--mf-ssc-accent": accentColor,283 "--mf-ssc-step": scaleStep,284 "--mf-ssc-card-h": `${cardHeight}px`,285 "--mf-ssc-spacing": `${spacing}px`,286 "--mf-ssc-top": `${STICKY_TOP}px`,287 "--mf-ssc-offset": `${offset}px`,288 ...style,289 } as React.CSSProperties;290 291 return (292 <div style={vars} className={`${styles.root} ${className}`.trim()}>293 <div ref={viewportRef} className={styles.viewport} tabIndex={0} role="region" aria-label={title}>294 <div className={styles.content}>295 <header className={styles.intro}>296 <span className={styles.kicker}>Sticky Stack</span>297 <h3 className={styles.title}>{title}</h3>298 <p className={styles.subtitle}>Scroll and each card settles on top of the last.</p>299 </header>300 <ol ref={listRef} className={styles.list}>301 {items.map((item, i) => (302 <li303 key={`${item}-${i}`}304 ref={(node) => {305 cardRefs.current[i] = node;306 }}307 className={styles.card}308 style={{ "--mf-ssc-i": i } as React.CSSProperties}309 >310 <span aria-hidden="true" className={styles.glow} />311 <div className={styles.cardHead}>312 <span className={styles.index}>{String(i + 1).padStart(2, "0")}</span>313 <span className={styles.chip}>{`Stage ${i + 1} of ${total}`}</span>314 </div>315 <span className={styles.cardTitle}>{item}</span>316 <span aria-hidden="true" className={styles.chart}>317 {Array.from({ length: 12 }, (_, b) => (318 <span319 key={b}320 className={styles.bar}321 style={{ height: `${Math.round(22 + rand(i * 31 + b) * 78)}%` }}322 />323 ))}324 </span>325 </li>326 ))}327 </ol>328 <p className={styles.outro}>That is the whole stack.</p>329 </div>330 </div>331 </div>332 );333}