Creating a User-Friendly Circular Menu in Flutter with OrbitMenu
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Chapter 1: Introduction to Circular Menus
In this guide, we will delve into the process of developing a circular menu in Flutter with the help of the OrbitMenu package. This package allows for the quick creation of dynamic circular menus that orbit around a central point, resulting in a more engaging and intuitive user interface.
Introduction to OrbitMenu
OrbitMenu is a specialized Flutter package designed to facilitate the creation of circular menus equipped with customizable animations and interactive features. It provides a variety of configuration settings that allow developers to adjust the menu's appearance and functionality to suit their application's needs.
Installation
To integrate OrbitMenu into your Flutter application, you need to include the following dependency in your pubspec.yaml file:
dependencies:
orbitmenu: ^0.0.9
Afterward, execute flutter pub get to install the package.
Creating a Basic Circular Menu
Let's initiate the creation of a straightforward circular menu utilizing the OrbitMenu package. We will position several circular items around a central point:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:orbitmenu/orbitmenu.dart';
void main() {
runApp(MyApp());}
class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MaterialApp(
home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('Circular Menu Demo'),),
body: Center(
child: AnimatedOrbitMenu(
animate: true,
config: OrbitMenuConfig(
menuPositionX: 200, // X position of the menu
menuPositionY: 200, // Y position of the menu
menuColor: Colors.blue, // Color of the central menu
radius: 100, // Radius of the circular menu
menuItems: [
Item(
title: 'Item 1',
onPressed: () {
// Action when Item 1 is pressed},
image: 'assets/item1.png', // Image path for Item 1
),
// Add more menu items here
],
itemSize: 50, // Size of each circular item
itemColor: Colors.green, // Color of the circular items
),
),
),
),
);
}
}
Make sure to replace 'assets/item1.png' with the actual image path for each menu item. You can create additional menu items by replicating the Item widget with distinct titles and images.
Customizing the Circular Menu
OrbitMenu provides numerous customization options to enhance your circular menu's look and functionality. You can modify parameters such as animation type, duration, colors, and more:
AnimatedOrbitMenu(
animate: true,
config: OrbitMenuConfig(
// Customize menu appearance and behavior here),
),
Feel free to experiment with various configurations to achieve the desired aesthetics for your circular menu.
Creating a Circular Menu with Custom Widgets
While OrbitMenu supports built-in circular items, you can also incorporate custom widgets to orbit around the central menu. This approach allows for greater flexibility and creativity in your menu design.
To implement custom widgets in our circular menu, see the following example:
import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
import 'package:orbitmenu/orbitmenu.dart';
void main() {
runApp(MyApp());}
class MyApp extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return MaterialApp(
home: Scaffold(
appBar: AppBar(
title: Text('Circular Menu Demo'),),
body: Center(
child: AnimatedOrbitMenu(
animate: true,
config: OrbitMenuConfig(
menuPositionX: 200,
menuPositionY: 200,
menuColor: Colors.blue,
radius: 100,
menuItems: [
// Custom widget as a circular item
Item(
title: 'Custom Widget',
onPressed: () {
// Action when the custom widget is pressed},
// Define your custom widget here
image: 'assets/custom_widget.png',
),
// Add more menu items here
],
itemSize: 100, // Adjust size for custom widgets
// Set myWidget to use custom widgets
myWidget: MyCustomWidget(),
),
),
),
),
);
}
}
class MyCustomWidget extends StatelessWidget {
@override
Widget build(BuildContext context) {
return Container(
width: 80,
height: 80,
decoration: BoxDecoration(
color: Colors.orange,
borderRadius: BorderRadius.circular(40),
),
child: Icon(
Icons.star,
color: Colors.white,
size: 50,
),
);
}
}
In this illustration, we have created a custom widget called MyCustomWidget, which features a star icon inside an orange circle. This widget acts as an alternative to the default circular items available in OrbitMenu.
You have the flexibility to modify MyCustomWidget to meet your specific design needs, such as incorporating text, images, or animations. Simply pass MyCustomWidget() as the myWidget parameter in the OrbitMenuConfig to utilize it as a circular item in your menu.
By employing custom widgets, you can develop unique and visually attractive circular menus that align with your app's design language and branding.
Creating a circular menu in Flutter using the OrbitMenu package is a seamless process that can significantly enhance your application's user experience. With its customizable animations and interactive components, OrbitMenu offers a flexible solution for implementing circular menus in Flutter applications.
Chapter 2: Enhancing Your Circular Menu Experience
To further understand the creation of circular menus in Flutter, check out the following video tutorials.
This first video covers the Flutter FAB Circular Menu with Animation, demonstrating the use of a floating action button to create an engaging user interface.
The second video showcases the Flutter Animated Circular FAB Menu, offering a tutorial for beginners to design impressive user interfaces.