How to create custom easing function with Core Animation?

I found this:

Cocoa with Love – Parametric acceleration curves in Core Animation

But I think it can be made a little simpler and more readable by using blocks. So we can define a category on CAKeyframeAnimation that looks something like this:

CAKeyframeAnimation+Parametric.h:

// this should be a function that takes a time value between 
//  0.0 and 1.0 (where 0.0 is the beginning of the animation
//  and 1.0 is the end) and returns a scale factor where 0.0
//  would produce the starting value and 1.0 would produce the
//  ending value
typedef double (^KeyframeParametricBlock)(double);

@interface CAKeyframeAnimation (Parametric)

+ (id)animationWithKeyPath:(NSString *)path 
      function:(KeyframeParametricBlock)block
      fromValue:(double)fromValue
      toValue:(double)toValue;

CAKeyframeAnimation+Parametric.m:

@implementation CAKeyframeAnimation (Parametric)

+ (id)animationWithKeyPath:(NSString *)path 
      function:(KeyframeParametricBlock)block
      fromValue:(double)fromValue
      toValue:(double)toValue {
  // get a keyframe animation to set up
  CAKeyframeAnimation *animation = 
    [CAKeyframeAnimation animationWithKeyPath:path];
  // break the time into steps
  //  (the more steps, the smoother the animation)
  NSUInteger steps = 100;
  NSMutableArray *values = [NSMutableArray arrayWithCapacity:steps];
  double time = 0.0;
  double timeStep = 1.0 / (double)(steps - 1);
  for(NSUInteger i = 0; i < steps; i++) {
    double value = fromValue + (block(time) * (toValue - fromValue));
    [values addObject:[NSNumber numberWithDouble:value]];
    time += timeStep;
  }
  // we want linear animation between keyframes, with equal time steps
  animation.calculationMode = kCAAnimationLinear;
  // set keyframes and we're done
  [animation setValues:values];
  return(animation);
}

@end

Now usage will look something like this:

// define a parametric function
KeyframeParametricBlock function = ^double(double time) {
  return(1.0 - pow((1.0 - time), 2.0));
};

if (layer) {
  [CATransaction begin];
    [CATransaction 
      setValue:[NSNumber numberWithFloat:2.5]
      forKey:kCATransactionAnimationDuration];

    // make an animation
    CAAnimation *drop = [CAKeyframeAnimation 
      animationWithKeyPath:@"position.y"
      function:function fromValue:30.0 toValue:450.0];
    // use it
    [layer addAnimation:drop forKey:@"position"];

  [CATransaction commit];
}

I know it might not be quite as simple as what you wanted, but it’s a start.