Constraints for responsive behavior in Figma - Cell-by-Cell Formula Trace

Concept Flow

Frame (Resizable)
+-----------------------------+
|                             |
|  Element with Constraints    |
|  [Left] [Right] [Top] [Bottom]  |
|                             |
+-----------------------------+

This diagram shows a resizable frame containing an element. The element's constraints (Left, Right, Top, Bottom) determine how it moves or resizes when the frame size changes.

Formula

Original frame width = 300px Button width = 100px Constraints: Left and Right Frame width increases by 100px Calculate new Button width

We start with a frame and a Button inside it. The Button has Left and Right constraints set. We want to see how the Button's width changes when the frame width grows by 100 pixels.

Step-by-Step Trace

Step	Expression	Evaluates To	Explanation
1	Original frame width	300px	Starting width of the frame.
2	Button original width	100px	Initial width of the Button element.
3	Frame width after increase	400px	Frame width increased by 100px.
4	Button constraints	Left and Right	Button stretches horizontally with frame.
5	New Button width = Original width + Frame increase	100px + 100px = 200px	Button width increases by 100px.

The Button width doubles from 100px to 200px due to Left and Right constraints when frame width increases by 100px.

Variable Tracker

Variable	Value
Original frame width	300px
Button original width	100px
Frame width increase	100px
New frame width	400px
Button constraints	Left and Right
New Button width	200px

Key Moments

What constraints cause an element to stretch horizontally when frame width changes?

If only Left constraint is set, how does the element behave when frame width increases?

How much does the Button width increase if the frame width increases by 100px and Button has Left and Right constraints?

Sheet Trace Quiz - 1 Questions

What happens to the Button width when the frame width increases by 100px?

A Button width increases by 100px

B Button width stays the same

C Button width decreases

D Button moves but width stays same

Key Result

Elements with both Left and Right constraints stretch horizontally when the frame width changes, increasing their width by the same amount as the frame's width increase.

Transcript

We start with a frame 300 pixels wide containing a Button 100 pixels wide. The Button has Left and Right constraints set, meaning it stretches horizontally when the frame resizes. When the frame width increases by 100 pixels to 400 pixels, the Button width also increases by 100 pixels to 200 pixels. This behavior ensures the Button maintains its position relative to both left and right edges of the frame.