Today we would like to show you how to create a modern gallery (with cool animation effect) using Raphael library and jQuery.

Create three files: index.html, default.css, init.js and download Raphael library. Then include all files in your head section:

<link href="css/default.css" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css">
<script src="js/jquery.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="js/raphael.js" type="text/javascript"></script>
<script src="js/init.js" type="text/javascript"></script>

Let's begin with lay down a simple HTML markup.

index.html

<div class="gallery">
    <ul class="reset">
        <li><img src="img/img1.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img2.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img3.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img4.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img5.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img6.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img7.jpg" alt=""></li>
        <li><img src="img/img8.jpg" alt=""></li>
    </ul>
</div>

We are creating main container called 'gallery', which holds unordered list with images. All images have size 400px on 400px.

default.css

ul.reset,
ul.reset li {
    display:block;
    list-style:none;
    padding:0;
    margin:0;
}
 
 
.gallery ul li {
    width:200px; /* a half of image width */
    height:200px; /* a half of image height */
    margin:0 10px 10px 0;
    float:left;
    position:relative;
}
 
.holder {
    position:absolute;
    top:0;
    left:0;
    margin:-100px 0 0 -100px; /* margin-left: a half of 'li' width and margin-top: a half of 'li' height */
}

As you see, it is very short style file. I give you a free hand!

init.js

$(function(){
     
    var li = $('.gallery').find('li'); // find all 'li' elements
         
    li.each(function(i){
        var t = $(this),
            img = t.find('img'), // find image in 'li' element
            src = img.attr('src'), // get path to your image
            width = li.width(), // get 'li' width
            height = li.height(); // get 'li' height
             
        img.hide().after($('<div>').attr('id', 'holder'+i).addClass('holder')); // hide all images and create containers for Raphael objects
 
        var r = Raphael('holder'+i, width*2, height*2), // create Raphael objects
            rimg = r.image(src, width/2, height/2, width, height); // create new images using previous variables
         
        rimg.hover(function(event) {
            this.animate({
                scale: 2, // enlarge your images to the normal size
                rotation : 360
            }, 1200, 'elastic');
        }, function (event) {
            this.animate({
                scale: 1, // decrease size of images
                rotation : 0
            }, 1200, 'elastic');
        });
         
    });
     
    li.hover(function(){
        li.css({ 'z-index': 1 }); // set z-index to all 'li' elements
        $(this).css({ 'z-index': 2 }); // set z-index to the hovering element
    });
             
});

That's it!