Lightweight Animation – On The Go!

FlipPad is the iPad version of the DigiCel FlipBook. It’s still pretty new and some of FlipBook’s features aren’t there yet but it’s getting better with every update and it’s priced accordingly. In fact, the basic version is free. The in-app upgrade to FlipPad Pro gets you support for the Apple Pencil, the Wacom Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch as well as more colors, more layers, more frames and more resolution, all for only 2 bucks.

You can download FlipPad for iOS from the Apple App Store.

Here’s what you need to know about how FlipPad works.

1. The XSHEET is what animators use as their timeline. It’s vertical because that’s the way animators have always done it. So every row is a frame and every column is a layer. The background (BG) is on the right. The layers to the left are in front. Images continue to display until they are replaced by another image.
2. The lines are called “ink” and the ink and paint are stored in separate files and edited with separate tools. The eraser works together with whichever edit tool is currently selected. 
3. The LIGHTBOX shows you several other drawings (tap and hold to set) and any drawing from other layers that will be displayed with the drawing your are working on.
4. Touch and hold the tool icons for more options.
5. Tap twice in the xsheet for context sensitive menus.

The EXPORT icon is in the PLAY toolbar and will let you export individual images, frames or movies  

Getting Started – Super Easy Quick Start Tutorial 

Select the Pencil. 

Tap in a cel in the xsheet and then draw in the image window. 

Tap in the next cel in the xsheet and then draw some more. 

Turn the lightbox on the see previous images while drawing. 

Tap on the PLAY icon to play the scene. 

Tap on the Pencil to go back to editing.