Konva is an object-oriented HTML5 canvas framework designed for building interactive 2D graphical applications. It provides a hierarchical scene graph that organizes shapes, images, and text into manageable nodes, groups, and layers. By mapping application state to canvas elements, the library enables developers to create complex visual interfaces using declarative patterns that synchronize with modern component-based frameworks.
The library distinguishes itself through a robust event system that supports hit detection, bubbling, and direct manipulation of graphical objects, such as dragging, resizing, and rotation. It includes a specialized animation engine capable of handling property interpolation and easing functions, alongside built-in tools for viewport navigation like zooming and panning. To maintain high frame rates in complex scenes, the framework utilizes layer-based rendering, off-screen node caching, and visibility management to minimize computational overhead.
Beyond standard rendering, the project supports data serialization for saving and restoring graphical states, as well as server-side rendering for generating images without a browser display. It also provides capabilities for applying pixel-based visual filters and enabling pointer-based freehand drawing. The library includes machine-readable documentation to assist with integration into development environments and AI-assisted coding workflows.
