Hi Everyone! iClay 2.0 was just submitted yesterday and is pending approval. Should be available in a couple weeks. For those that haven't caught iClay in the app store, it's a clay sculpting app that utilizes touch to manipulate the clay. My goal is to make it a serious modeling tool that's also fun and easy to use. Remember that toy you'd find at Spencer's in the mall that was a block of pins? You know, you could smush your face into it? That's what it's based on but at a much higher resolution. For those of you that bought iClay 1.3, my apologies, but hopefully the new update will make it up to you. I've been working hard and have completely rewritten the rendering engine from scratch to allow for more clay at much more detail than before. Here's a before and after screenshots: BEFORE AFTER New features include: * An easy to use modal interface. Looking at the after picture, the bottom bar selects your mode. The second toolbar from the bottom changes depending on the mode to give you further options. For example if you select paint mode, you'll get a set color button in the second (contextual) toolbar. * 3D camera. You can move, zoom and rotate the camera around a focal point that always snaps to the clay. * A set of sculpting tools to include; push, pull, leveled push, leveled pull, smoothed leveled push, smoothed leveled pull, and a smooth command. This is just an initial offering. I want to add more tools in the future. Like maybe a smear or something. * All tools and brushes come with sliders to adjust their size and level of effect. * Clay persistence. Your creation will be waiting for you as you left it the next time you start the app. I've got a bunch of other features planned, like save slots, but before I start on those I'm hoping to get some feature requests and input on the new version. As you can see from what I created in the after photo, I'm not an artist. If I could get some input from an actual artist that'd help out tremendously. Well, I suppose that's it. I hope everyone enjoys it. -Greg
as is, it makes a pretty funky impasto medium. lookin forward to the update though, i keep accidentally hitting clear! rozzie
Hi marlenedegrood! That's the old one. If you look at the pictures I posted, the old one is the smiley face. The new one is right below it. Should come out in a couple weeks. Normally I would've waited for it to be in the app store before posting, but I just had to tell someone. Thanks for trying the old app Rozzie! In the new version I've added a dialog to ask if you really wanted to clear. -Greg
Excellent. Yeah it's an app I look forward to seeing evolve. You can't tell it from that squiggle, but I have 4 years of art college under my belt. Edit: I'd most like to have the task bar hidden while sculpting in a future update. Rozzie
That's great! I look forward to your input then. I can certainly add a full screen mode. I had one in 1.3, where you would shake the phone once to show and remove it, but I took that out for this new version. I didn't think anyone would know it was there for one and I was worried people might accidentally shake it and wonder where the toolbar went to. So I thought I'd take it out for now and wait until I had some time to rethink how to do it. -Greg
Hi Everyone, Rumor has it that it's taking two weeks for Apple to approve an app. Must be an influx of apps or something. So hopefully iClay 2.0 will be available on the 2nd or 3rd of September. I also wanted to drop a line to say that I've fixed an issue with the sliders being a bit touchy. Apple designed their sliders so that you have to touch exactly on that round button or it doesn't slide. My fingers are huge compared to that button so I've been having trouble getting it to slide. Some people don't have problems. I suppose we'll see. I'm not willing to start over with the current update because it'll set us back another week and I need everyone's feedback. So I figured I'll wait and resubmit an update after 2.0 goes live. The new fix that I haven't submitted yet snaps the slider to wherever your finger is and thus avoids the responsiveness problem. The version you're about to get works; it's just a little wonky at times if you have giant fingers like mine. Just wanted to give you a heads up. -Greg
iClay 2.0 is now available in the app store! Apple was much faster than I expected. I'm still working on a video. Should have one this evening. -Greg
just having a play with 2.0 now. much improved over the original. i'll see if i can quickly create something worth posting! rozzie
,,,,,,, this was just a quick few minute playaround, thought i'd post a few pics, give people a sense of what's on offer. its very easy to use and the res is MUCH higher than in the last version. i felt in control of both clay and colour, though there was a slight learning curve for me on rotating and moving the clay to where i wanted it. i'll try to come up with an actual scultpture later, but i am very impressed! rozzie
Thanks Rozzie! I'm very glad you like it. I want to add more and better tools for sculpting, so please let me know what you think should be done. A video is on the way. I made one with my old camera. It's slightly blurry, but I think it'll do the trick. I make a volcano in it. -Greg
i'm waiting for my baby to fall asleep, annd i'll have a better look at it, get back to you on areas i think still need improvement. rozzie
Thanks! It still needs work, but now I feel like I've got a good base to build off of. Whereas the older version would've just continued to suck had I not rewritten everything. -Greg
