The days of doodling in a notebook (the paper variety, not a laptop) seem the be dwindling, as iPads and computers take their place in the classroom. With less students using spiral bound, paper notebooks, the future of an amusing art form – flip book animation – is going by the wayside. Thanks to developer Kdan Mobile Software, Animation Desk for iPhone is a new way to keep simple sketched animation from becoming a lost art.
Overview:
Animation Desk for iPhone ($1.99 in the App Store) is a unique and entertianing animation app, which allows users to sketch on digital “onion skin paper,” and create simple flipbook style animation. Animation Desk is great for a wide array of iPhone users, as it’s rich collection of features can be great for ametures and experienced pros alike.
Starting a new animation is as easy as opening the app. Simply start drawing on your paper and your animation process has begun. The first frame will be your starting point for whatever animation is to come. After completing a frame, use the little “add page” button at the bottom to see your next frame. The onion skin paper allows you to see your preview image, so you can be sure your movement is in just the right spot.
Animation Desk features a wide range of tools for creating intricate motion, including 5 brushes, an eraser, a paint bucket (to fill inside of a shape), a dynamic range of brush sizes, opacity settings, and 44 unique color options to choose from. Not only can you customize the way your drawings look, you can also customize the background behind your image and you can draw on two separate layers to create depth with ease. Animation Desk is also equipped with a stamp tool which allows you to create stamps from elements on your drawing, as well as stamp images from your photo library or simple shapes.
Working on a small screen of an iPhone or iPod touch can get challenging, so the developers have included an export option to move your animations, through it’s built in package manager, to another device (like the $4.99 iPad version) to continue editing. Creating animations wouldn’t be nearly as fun if you couldn’t share with your friends, and Animation Desk allows you to share easily, with options to post to youtube, facebook, and email, or save the video into your photo library for other social network sharing.
Verdict: [rating: 4.5]
Creating content was one of the main concepts Apple had in mind for iOS devices, and Animation Desk is a testament to the capabilities of making fun and entertaining content. The ability to develop simple or complex animation and share it with friends makes Animation Desk a greatinvestement for anyone looking to have some creative fun. Animation Desk offers hours of fun, and is only limited by your creativity and imagination.
Pros:
- Wide range or colors, brushes, and other tools
- Simple and intuitive design
- Sharing and export options
- Previous/next frame views
Cons:
- Hard to draw detail on iPhone/iPod Touch (iPod version works great on iPad)
Creating animations on iPhone or iPod is fun and easy with Animation Desk. Pick it up for $1.99 in the App Store.
