SA on iPad?

[craig deeley]

It's been a while since some discussion happened about SA on an iPad. Not sure how long ago!?

I am very curious now - with the newer M1 driven iPads - what likelyhood there might be for developing an iPad version?

 

[Synthetik]

You can run Studio Artist V5.5 on a Surface Pro today if you want to work with a tablet and pen.

 

One issue that comes up for me when i work that way is some of our interface conventions were built around the concept of hot key modifiers to switch the function of the cursor.  And that made total sense when people were working with a configuration consisting of a wacom tablet and pen in front of a monitor and keyboard. 

But it doesn't make any sense when you move to a flat tablet computer with a display and pen.  When you are working with the Surface that way, you have folded the keyboard around to the back of the tablet, and if you set it up more like a lap top configuration with the keyboard in front and the display vertical, then you lose what is nice about working with just the flat tablet display surface for drawing.

So we're looking into some approaches to deal with that in the next release.  Without forcing you to bring the keyboard to the front in order to get access to the hot key modifiers.

[craig deeley]

Appreciate the update! I am more curious about options, than willing to shell out for a new iPad or Surface (tho the Surface Pro is on a par in price with the high end iPad Pros). Thinking about it!

I sketch on an iPad9. None of the apps available there do what I really want - and none compare to SA for working up ideas and accidental discoveries.

I am very happy with V5.5 on the Mac (iMac) - but find of all things - that sitting all day at work and more sitting after hours is taking its toll. Being able to work mobil (reclining on - uh - vegetating into - a couch) is ideal for after hours. Dreaming of working with SA in a position other than sitting in a chair.

I use the keys for Undo mostly and everything else is reaching around the menus with stylus/tablet, mouse. For me - it wouldn't matter a lot to not have a keyboard popping into the interface. But I get where other work styles are using the keyboard - or need a virtual keyboard.

[Synthetik]

Here's a good example of what i'm talking about.  If you are manual painting and you want to change the brush size interactively,  you hold down the b key modifier and then use the cursor to interactively resize the brush.  

So if you are working on the Surface Pro tablet as a flat tablet with the keyboard folded around the back, you currently have to fold the keyboard back around to access the b key if you want to use the modifier key with the pen.  Clunky to say the least. 

As soon as i started doing a lot of manual painting on the Surface tablet i started running into this thing.  The option key is another one, since there are memory buttons everywhere in the Studio Artist interface, and you option click them to record from the interface into the memory button whatever it is they record.

I don't think having a popup keyboard is a great solution to this.  Certainly a solution, but probably not the optimal one. We're looking at something a lot more compact that lives in a toolbar to improve peoples workflow in this situation.  But i'm certainly open to any suggestions if people have them.  I think the Studio Artist painting experience on the Surface tablet with the Surface pen is awesome except for this issue.

 

So i'll take a shot at apple, since you asked about the M1 ipad.  Apple goes out of their way to insure Studio Artist in it's current form cannot run on the ipad.  There is no reason why it couldn't technically, but apple does not want mac applications to run on the ipad.   Nor do they want an open file system on the ipad, they want it closed, shut off. Nor do they want applications to run on it that were not purchased from their app store.  All of their arguments about why they do this are deflection crap, it's all about control and money grubbing the most they can out of their customers, and out of their developers pockets as well.

Microsoft on the other hand does not have that issue with things like their Surface tablet devices.  And i think they are great for the kind of thing you are talking about, sitting back on the couch and free sketching on a flat tablet surface.  The Surface tablet also stores your pen when you fold the keyboard on top of the display tablet side to store it away, so you don't have to worry about hunting down the pen, you can just store it in the shut down device.  It's an actual full function tablet computer, not a closed locked down restricted proprietary information appliance.

[craig deeley]

Right you are! It has become so second nature to hold the b key to scale a brush - I forget I am using it. The Option key thing is one I have been ignoring for a long time... But I remember using it when SA was fresh (like two decades ago!) Congrats to You and Synthetik for raising your baby to drinking age and beyond! Healthy and regularly reaching new heights!

I can see invoking a set of top level buttons in a touch and stylus (like) interface. I do dig the art apps that get the tools out of the way til they are invoked by touching a collapsed icon...

I am very unlikely to get an iPad Pro that would have the horse power needed... But the Surface Pro might be a future option. Appriciate your indulging the question.

[Thor Johnson]

Thank you John, I think you sold me on a Surface Pro :)