Sketching on the iPad
23 Jun 2010 - 5:07pm
7 replies
1532 reads
joelmoney
2010
37Signals just launched their new app. Looks great.
It's called Draft and is strickly for sketching UIs.
http://cl.ly/1SWK
JOEL FISHER Director, User Experience | AOL Advertising P: 410.537.8619 AIM: joelmoney | E-mail: joel.fisher@corp.aol.com 1020 Hull Street | Baltimore, MD | 21230
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Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for iPad is only $7.99. Or simply buy a pen and a good Moleskine sketchbook.
-Andrei
On Jun 23, 2010, at 6:48 PM, joelmoney wrote:
> 37Signals just launched their new app. Looks great. > It's called Draft and is strickly for sketching UIs. > > http://cl.ly/1SWK > > >
I do a lot of sketching, and I'd be lost without my sketch book. However, recently there have been instances where digital sketching would've been helpful (as opposed to to running laps from paper to scanner to Photoshop, and sometimes back again).
I did some tests with an iPad, a stylus, and a couple apps. Overall Autodesk's Sketchbook Pro seemed like it had the best feature set -- I could do quick sketches, but do more complex things like work with layers, opacity, and colors if needed. It takes some time to get used to the stylus tip, which is necessarily made from a conductive foam and thus soft, rounded, and provides less fine control than a pen, but it still beats finger pads. I haven't picked up my own iPad yet, but if I do the sketching possiblities will definitely be a primary reason. I have qualms around switching from analog to digital, but it's more around aesthetics. (As a DJ and I had the same qualms about switching from vinyl to CDs and MP3s, but the upside to digital formats is darned compelling.)
I found this great Make video that shows a quick and easy way to make your own stylus:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YE8rGuLCtU
Penultimate is another nice app ($2.99), and you can similarly send pdfs right from the app. line weight varies w speed and it's very responsive. It i funny to me that they sell both a 2 color limitation and a lack of line weight variation as features for this app. And charge $9.99 for it.
Cojones.
Michael
On Jun 24, 2010, at 12:43 AM, Andrei wrote:
> Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for iPad is only $7.99. Or simply buy a pen and a good Moleskine sketchbook. > > -Andrei > > On Jun 23, 2010, at 6:48 PM, joelmoney wrote: > > > 37Signals just launched their new app. Looks great. > > It's called Draft and is strickly for sketching UIs. > > > > http://cl.ly/1SWK > > > > > > > >
Why not any "traditional" sketchbook for that matter?
> Autodesk Sketchbook Pro for iPad is only $7.99. Or simply buy a pen and a > good Moleskine sketchbook. > > -Andrei > > On Jun 23, 2010, at 6:48 PM, joelmoney wrote: > > > 37Signals just launched their new app. Looks great. > > It's called Draft and is strickly for sketching UIs. > > > > http://cl.ly/1SWK > > > > > > > >
Draft isn't strictly for sketching UIs, although that's what they're using it for. It integrates with their Campfire service.
I tested two sketching applications (Adobe Ideas, Alias Sketchbook Pro) on the iPad with both finger and capacitive stylus input.
The biggest problem in my tests was that none of the apps had any provisions for palm rejection: when your palm or wrist comes in contact with the surface, any contact point is interpreted as a drawing or gesture command. This requires you to hover your hand in the air above the surface. I like to rest my hand on the page while drawing and writing; until this is possible, drawing on the iPad is of limited practical use to me; features like colors, stroke smoothing or brushes are less critical.
-Bjoern
Penultimate has a toggle for this called Wrist protection.
Also Autodesk Sketchbook Pro is now on sale for 3.99. So worth that. Great interface and saves psd docs.
Sent from my iPhone
On Jun 25, 2010, at 4:13 AM, "Bjoern Hartmann" wrote:
> I tested two sketching applications (Adobe Ideas, Alias Sketchbook Pro) on the iPad with both finger and capacitive stylus input. > > The biggest problem in my tests was that none of the apps had any provisions for palm rejection: when your palm or wrist comes in contact with the surface, any contact point is interpreted as a drawing or gesture command. This requires you to hover your hand in the air above the surface. I like to rest my hand on the page while drawing and writing; until this is possible, drawing on the iPad is of limited practical use to me; features like colors, stroke smoothing or brushes are less critical. > > -Bjoern > > (