(The exact specification of the animation features in SVG has not yet been drafted).
It is recognized that the Web is a dynamic medium and that SVG needs to support the ability to change vector graphics over time. At a minimum, SVG will provide full scripting access to all graphical elements and attributes. This will allow virtually any kind of animation to be achieved, including motion paths, color changes over time, and transparency effects. The timer facilities in scripting languages such as ECMAScript would be used to start up and control the animations.
To provide better animation performance and easier scripting of animations, SVG will provide animation utility functions as part of its DOM. The exact list hasn't been developed at this time, but one particular example that is likely to be available is a motion path utility function which computes the (x,y) coordinate for x% distance along a path.
The SVG working group is particularly interested in public feedback on the above approach and whether it is sufficient and appropriate to the vector graphics animation needs of the Web.)