Ipad ?

[Dave London]

Hi Sam
When I open the separate categories on my iPad I only get 1/2 Size of the photos. Any ideas thanks Dave

 

[sam]

Hi Dave. I know what you mean by the images in the Categories on the front page. Unfortunately the vBulletin software doesn't format the pages for the iPad's resolution. That might come in a future update but I haven't heard anything yet.

 

[Dave London]

OK thanks , Dave

 

[rod]

Hello, Dave and Sam,

My wife has an iPad2, and of course I have been sneaking some use of it, for curiosity.

Since the iPad and the iPhone have an armor glass touch screen, it occurred to that the iPad could, from time to time, be used as a useful small "light table" for tracing. For example, you might be working on some floral design to be engraved, you take a walk, photograph some flower types, bring the photo up full screen size, tape some tracing paper over the screen, and draw some engrave-able styles, be it bright cut, or...
I tried it, certainly a nice compact size to use anywhere.

Here's my question, maybe Sam or Dave may know, when I try to trace the photo, the touch screen tries to move the photo, understandably, it thinks I want to manipulate the photo, is there any way I can freeze the photo on the screen, so it stays put?

Rod

 

[sam]

That's interesting, Rod. What a cool idea if there's away to keep the photo from shifting. Let me think on that...sure seems like there would be a way other than assigning the photo as wallpaper.
Abigail and I love our iPads and use 'em every day. They work especially well for showing photos if you have the $99 Apple TV.

 

[sam]

Here's an app, Rod:

"Tracing Paper is a simple yet elegant universal application for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch that helps you practice and improve your sketching skills by giving you a blank translucent canvas with a clean and simple grid on which you can trace anything you wish as often as you like. I believe it will be great for anyone who wants to learn how to draw or for kids that just want to play around!

After choosing a photo from your library you can adjust its size, location and rotation under the canvas using your fingers to pinch to zoom and one finger to drag it around, then you simply trace and shade whatever you wish using your finger. If you make a mistake simply choose the eraser tool and erase (also, you can use the eraser creatively to add details to your trace), or if you want more accuracy, there is undo/redo support. For those hard to see details zoom or pan the canvas in for further detail by simply pinching the canvas or using two fingers and dragging to move! For those details where we want the colors to really pop there is now support for coloring and changing the pencil size to draw larger or smaller details as needed! The grid is fully customizable so you can change its size, translucency or even turn it off!"

 

[rod]

Excellent, Sam,

I will give this a go!

It could make for a nice doodle when you are killing time at an airport, for example, trace over this photo for a bright cutting impression of this leaf pattern, etc.

 

[Dave London]

Thanks Rod and Sam
Great idea and app

 

[jlseymour]

Yea that's great info Rod and Sam...

 

[Tundrwd]

Another couple of thoughts along the lines of what Sam mentioned - any painting/photo app that allows the use of layers

ArtStudio, ArtRage, PaintBook, SketchBook Pro

 

[Tundrwd]

Oh, and if you're feeling particularly "artsy" (wanting to do some brush painting), check out www.nomadbrush.com for a brush that works on your iPad. Interesting to watch the video of the guy with his iPad on an easel doing a portrait painting. A bit "disconcerting"

 

[PhilJordan]

There's definitely an engravers 'tracing app' out there waiting to be developed. Just a very simple version of a gallery image viewer that freezes the screen allowing you to trace over it. Does anyone know someone who's particularly computer literate and able to write simple programmes? I'll ask a friend of mine, but I don't know about this stuff so I don't know if he'll be able to do it or not.

 

[Idaho Flint]

There's definitely an engravers 'tracing app' out there waiting to be developed. Just a very simple version of a gallery image viewer that freezes the screen allowing you to trace over it. Does anyone know someone who's particularly computer literate and able to write simple programmes? I'll ask a friend of mine, but I don't know about this stuff so I don't know if he'll be able to do it or not.

Phil
Developing an app like that on the iPad or iOS is fairly easy. It is the cost that stops a person like myself from doing it.
The person who develops for the iPad must first own a Apple PC (laptop or desktop). It will need to be new enough to run the latest version of the operating system (OS). They must then take the time to develop and debug an app for the iPad/iPhone. (Usually several weeks worth of work). Then they need to pay Apple $99 per year to be a registered developer. After all that is done. The app must me given over to Apples team for review/approval. If they approve it, the developer can release it to the public for download. If they don't like it for whatever reason, then it is back to the drawing board.
It can be a lengthy and costly process to develop a free app for the iPad/iPhone.

Mike

 

[RoycroftRon]

I have the app brushes for my iPad. It does up to 4 layers and has many brush and color settings. I think it was $8 might have been 10? It is pretty decent.

 

[nhcowboy1961]

"Adobe Ideas" is a good app to trace and draw with-vector based too! You have layers so a scroll backbone can be one, shading another etc. Any picture on your Ipad can be imported and used to trace. I used it last night with Sam's interlocking scroll picture, to try and work that out as a bright cut engraving idea. It' a very handy app with some punch!

paul Kelleher

 

[rod]

Phil,

Like Sam said, the app is available, I just downloaded "Tracing Paper" for $1.99 just now, and on a brief test, it pulls up either a blank white light table, you can add a grid of variable pitch and variable density, you have an on/off lock on your image not moving, and it appears you can do layers. More later when I work with it some more.

Thank you all for hints about other good apps for engravers' sketching. I must try some of these.

Rod

 

[rod]

Now that I see the potential for iPad tracing, has anyone a recommendation for a fine-line, drawing-stylus pen for the iPad/Phone?

There are quite a few on offer out there.

Rod

 

[Idaho Flint]

Just for info. I see this app "Tracing Paper" is on sale right now for .99 cents (50% off)

Says it will be until Monday.

Mike

Here's an app, Rod:

"Tracing Paper is a simple yet elegant universal application for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch that helps you practice and improve your sketching skills by giving you a blank translucent canvas with a clean and simple grid on which you can trace anything you wish as often as you like. I believe it will be great for anyone who wants to learn how to draw or for kids that just want to play around!

After choosing a photo from your library you can adjust its size, location and rotation under the canvas using your fingers to pinch to zoom and one finger to drag it around, then you simply trace and shade whatever you wish using your finger. If you make a mistake simply choose the eraser tool and erase (also, you can use the eraser creatively to add details to your trace), or if you want more accuracy, there is undo/redo support. For those hard to see details zoom or pan the canvas in for further detail by simply pinching the canvas or using two fingers and dragging to move! For those details where we want the colors to really pop there is now support for coloring and changing the pencil size to draw larger or smaller details as needed! The grid is fully customizable so you can change its size, translucency or even turn it off!"