Today, I would like to show you another pure css3 navigation menu where I implemented several nice animation effects. I have just taught our sub menus to fly from nothing, and 'heart-beat' when you hover your mouse over elements. If you are ready, let's start.

Here are sample and downloadable package:

Live Demo

download in package

Ok, download the sources and let's start coding!

Step 1. HTML

In the beginning, we have to prepare the HTML layout of our menu. Here is the html code. As usual – this is the usual UL-LI based navigation menu. The most interesting thing is the CSS styles, of course.

index.html

<ul id="nav">
    <li><a href="http://www.script-tutorials.com/">Home</a></li>
    <li><a class="hsubs" href="#">Menu 1</a>
        <ul class="subs">
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 1</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 4</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 5</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
    <li><a class="hsubs" href="#">Menu 2</a>
        <ul class="subs">
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-1</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-2</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-3</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-4</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-5</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-6</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-7</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 2-8</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
    <li><a class="hsubs" href="#">Menu 3</a>
        <ul class="subs">
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3-1</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3-2</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3-3</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3-4</a></li>
            <li><a href="#">Submenu 3-5</a></li>
        </ul>
    </li>
    <li><a href="#">Menu 4</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Menu 5</a></li>
    <li><a href="#">Menu 6</a></li>
    <li><a href="http://www.script-tutorials.com/flying-css3-navigation-menu/">Back</a></li>
</ul>

Step 2. CSS

Here are the CSS styles of our flying menu.

css/menu.css

#nav,#nav ul {
    list-style: none outside none;
    margin: 0;
    padding: 0;
}
#nav {
    font-family: "Lucida Sans Unicode",Verdana,Arial,sans-serif;
    font-size: 13px;
    height: 36px;
    list-style: none outside none;
    margin: 40px auto;
    text-shadow: 0 -1px 3px #202020;
    width: 980px;

    /* border radius */
    -moz-border-radius:4px;
    -webkit-border-radius:4px;
    border-radius:4px;

    /* box shadow */
    -moz-box-shadow: 0px 3px 3px #cecece;
    -webkit-box-shadow: 0px 3px 3px #cecece;
    box-shadow: 0 3px 4px #8b8b8b;

    /* gradient */
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left bottom, left top, color-stop(0, #787878), color-stop(0.5, #5E5E5E), color-stop(0.51, #707070), color-stop(1, #838383));
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(center bottom, #787878 0%, #5E5E5E 50%, #707070 51%, #838383 100%);
    background-color:#5f5f5f;
}
#nav ul {
    left: -9999px;
    position: absolute;
    top: -9999px;
    z-index: 2;
}
#nav li {
    border-bottom: 1px solid #575757;
    border-left: 1px solid #929292;
    border-right: 1px solid #5d5d5d;
    border-top: 1px solid #797979;
    display: block;
    float: left;
    height: 34px;
    position: relative;
    width: 105px;
}
#nav li:first-child {
    border-left: 0 none;
    margin-left: 5px;
}
#nav li a {
    color: #FFFFFF;
    display: block;
    line-height: 34px;
    outline: medium none;
    text-align: center;
    text-decoration: none;

    /* gradient */
    background-image: -webkit-gradient(linear, left bottom, left top, color-stop(0, #787878), color-stop(0.5, #5E5E5E), color-stop(0.51, #707070), color-stop(1, #838383));
    background-image: -moz-linear-gradient(center bottom, #787878 0%, #5E5E5E 50%, #707070 51%, #838383 100%);
    background-color:#5f5f5f;
}

/* keyframes #animation1 */
@-webkit-keyframes animation1 {
    0% {
        -webkit-transform: scale(1);
    }
    30% {
        -webkit-transform: scale(1.3);
    }
    100% {
        -webkit-transform: scale(1);
    }
}
@-moz-keyframes animation1 {
    0% {
        -moz-transform: scale(1);
    }
    30% {
        -moz-transform: scale(1.3);
    }
    100% {
        -moz-transform: scale(1);
    }
}
#nav li > a:hover {
    /* css3 animation */
    -moz-animation-name: animation1;
    -moz-animation-duration: 0.7s;
    -moz-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -moz-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    -moz-animation-direction: normal;
    -moz-animation-delay: 0;
    -moz-animation-play-state: running;
    -moz-animation-fill-mode: forwards;

    -webkit-animation-name: animation1;
    -webkit-animation-duration: 0.7s;
    -webkit-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -webkit-animation-iteration-count: infinite;
    -webkit-animation-direction: normal;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0;
    -webkit-animation-play-state: running;
    -webkit-animation-fill-mode: forwards;
}
#nav li:hover > a {
    z-index: 4;
}
#nav li:hover ul.subs {
    left: 0;
    top: 34px;
    width: 150px;
}
#nav ul li {
    background: none repeat scroll 0 0 #838383;
    box-shadow: 5px 5px 5px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5);
    opacity: 0;
    width: 100%;

    /*-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -moz-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -o-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -ms-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;*/
}

/* keyframes #animation2 */
@-webkit-keyframes animation2 {
    0% {
        margin-left:185px;
    }
    100% {
        margin-left:0px;
        opacity:1;
    }
}
@-moz-keyframes animation2 {
    0% {
        margin-left:185px;
    }
    100% {
        margin-left:0px;
        opacity:1;
    }
}
#nav li:hover ul li {
    /* css3 animation */
    -moz-animation-name: animation2;
    -moz-animation-duration: 0.3s;
    -moz-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -moz-animation-iteration-count: 1;
    -moz-animation-direction: normal;
    -moz-animation-delay: 0;
    -moz-animation-play-state: running;
    -moz-animation-fill-mode: forwards;

    -webkit-animation-name: animation2;
    -webkit-animation-duration: 0.3s;
    -webkit-animation-timing-function: linear;
    -webkit-animation-iteration-count: 1;
    -webkit-animation-direction: normal;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0;
    -webkit-animation-play-state: running;
    -webkit-animation-fill-mode: forwards;

    /*-webkit-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -moz-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -o-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    -ms-transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;
    transition:all 0.3s ease-in-out;*/
}
/* animation delays */
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(1) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(2) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.05s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.05s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(3) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.1s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.1s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(4) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.15s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.15s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(5) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.2s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.2s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(6) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.25s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.25s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(7) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.3s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.3s;
}
#nav li:hover ul li:nth-child(8) {
    -moz-animation-delay: 0.35s;
    -webkit-animation-delay: 0.35s;
}

CSS3 does the miracle job. And we have just taught our sub menus to fly from nothing, and 'heart-beat' when you hover your mouse.

Live Demo

download in package

Conclusion

Hope you enjoyed with our new CSS3 menu, don’t forget to give thanks and leave a comment Good luck!