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Air Display developer Avatron Software today launched Air Stylus, an app that allows users to utilize the iPad as a pressure-sensitive, wireless drawing surface for over 30 graphics programs on the Mac.

air_stylus_1.jpeg
The app is compatible with a number of pressure sensitive styli, including the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and works with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Pixelmator. Air Stylus also includes support for pinch-to-zoom and two finger gestures while drawing, and features the ability to toggle palm rejection on and off.
- Make Your Mark - With palm rejection and multi-touch support, Air Stylus lets you draw naturally and makes your stylus do all the work.
- Quick On The Draw - Air Stylus creates a fast, reliable wireless link so you can immerse yourself in your art without distraction.
- Draw The Line - Pen-based pressure sensitivity means your lines are accurate, whether they're paintbrush bold or feather light.
- Best Of All - Compatible with 30+ graphics apps so you can incorporate your iPad into your existing workflow (support for Windows and Android imminent!)
Air Stylus can be purchased from the App Store for $19.99 and is available now. [Direct Link]

Article Link: 'Air Stylus' Turns Your iPad Into a Drawing Tablet for Your Mac
 

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:
 

Pakaku

macrumors 68040
Aug 29, 2009
3,138
4,452
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:

Maybe if you hold your hand absolutely rigid... Otherwise no, I can't see that working at all, speaking as an artist and tech enthusiast.
 

jayducharme

macrumors 601
Jun 22, 2006
4,534
5,993
The thick of it
I'm confused how this works. From the photos, it looks like the iPad is mirroring the iMac's display. In theory this could be really powerful, since most drawing tablets don't have that ability. I have a Wacom tablet, but find the disconnect from the actual image a challenge to accurate illustration (though I've seen others do great work with them). Air Stylus could solve that problem for me.
 

twintin

macrumors 6502a
Aug 10, 2012
720
246
Sweden
I'm confused how this works. From the photos, it looks like the iPad is mirroring the iMac's display. In theory this could be really powerful, since most drawing tablets don't have that ability. I have a Wacom tablet, but find the disconnect from the actual image a challenge to accurate illustration (though I've seen others do great work with them). Air Stylus could solve that problem for me.

That's exactly how it appears to work if you watch the following clip from their home page.

http://player.vimeo.com/video/97067106
 

NightFox

macrumors 68040
May 10, 2005
3,240
4,487
Shropshire, UK
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:

But when I draw or paint most of my detailed movement is in the hand or fingers - my wrist hardly moves at all
 

Pakaku

macrumors 68040
Aug 29, 2009
3,138
4,452
But when I draw or paint most of my detailed movement is in the hand or fingers - my wrist hardly moves at all

Also, an iWatch would never be able to know when your pen is actually touching the surface or not. Not to mention if you move your sketchbook around, among other variables...
 

Keerock

macrumors regular
Feb 9, 2005
225
72
brush. lag.

Brush. lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag.

You get my point.

Unusable as a daily tool. Even the promotional video can't hide that (and they try). But, perhaps it would be worth it for quick retouches and and fixes that require a brush or pen.

Let's be serious, drawing on the iPad is already a challenge. I've tried all styli and apps and no matter what (yes even with advanced bluetooth versions) there are palm rejection issues and most importantly a lag when using any type of fast gesture with a pen or brush. Very annoying unless you are this snail-like artist in the video.

Add the additional lag from iPad to Mac and, boom, instant drawing hell.

I read the one review on the app store claiming it "draws smooth and updates quickly". There is no way with the technology involved that this isn't anything more than a fun novelty app that would lose it's appeal once you try to be productive as an artist.

Let's wait and see when the real reviews start rolling in. I don't wish bad things for Avatron, I just don't know how this can actually work in the real world.
 

FieldingMellish

Suspended
Jun 20, 2010
2,440
3,108
No palm rests for the iPad opens the door to physical add-ons you can buy. The same way that items like keyboards and supports for iPads blossomed.
 

DonutHands

macrumors 6502
Dec 20, 2011
350
310
Los Angeles
pointless software, at least today.

the ipad is neat to doodle on when away from a computer but anyone serious about using a stylus to create digital art would never even consider this a viable option.

Now if this software works with a surface pro with an built in wacom type drawing surface. thats a different story
 

ronaldhennessy

macrumors member
Jul 11, 2008
34
1
For those poo-pooing the ideal of a stylus for art on a iPad, I beg to differ. From a person who actually DRAWS on an iPad (and has since 2011), bluetooth stylii have come a LONG WAY from the crummy rubber tipped ones introduced back since 2010. Of course, it's no way as elegant as a Cintiq, the trade offs are becoming less of a nuisance. I draw with procreate and a Jot Touch 4 from time to time (my Cintiq 13HD is my primary tool for digital art) and it's quite a blast for drawing.

I'm eager to hear from people who have actually used Air Stylus and are not talking out of their ass about bluetooth limitations and lag.
 

charlituna

macrumors G3
Jun 11, 2008
9,636
816
Los Angeles, CA
Brush. lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag.

But who knows what the next hardware will be like. It might solve that issue.

This kind of idea is potentially highly useful so how about recognizing that someone is trying rather than nitpicking and dumping on them over a 'defect' that might not be as hideous to everyone as it seems to be for you (and is coming from a place of not actually using the product but just watching a video).

this trick run natively, same with the whole pressure thing we saw with the Paper app/Pencil stylus, would be a killer feature set. And might open up more apps to similar moves. Like previous mentioned ideas of things like using the brushes in the iOS version of iPhoto with photos that are on the computer (without having to deal with transferring photos back and forth)

----------

pointless software, at least today.

the ipad is neat to doodle on when away from a computer but anyone serious about using a stylus to create digital art would never even consider this a viable option.

A lot of various serious and even famous artists use the iPad all the time and sing the praises. And have been doing so since the early days when the styli were so crappy it was actually better to use your fingers most of the time
 

campyguy

macrumors 68040
Mar 21, 2014
3,413
957
The app is compatible with three pressure sensitive styli, including the Wacom Intuos Creative Stylus and the Adonit Jot Touch 4, and works with popular programs such as Adobe Photoshop and Pixelmator.

There, fixed that for you.

Looks like a decent app but I'll stick to my Intuos Pro for now. Too many complaints from friends that the Jot 4 scratches iPad screens (and doesn't work well with screen protectors), significant lag with the Creative Stylus (see that too on Wacom's forums), and - after almost a year now - the Pogo Connect STILL isn't compatible with the Air (which is what I own).
 

MagnusVonMagnum

macrumors 603
Jun 18, 2007
5,193
1,442
iWatch will make this a relic of the past. Just pick up any object and draw with it. iWatch translates to screen. Job done, game over by :apple:

That's possibly the most absurd thing I've ever read on here. Hey dude, your wrist doesn't DO much when you do fine drawing (the detail is in the fingers and the position of the brush kind of matters...a LOT, so unless you want nothing better than Kindergarten hand splotch painting, it's not going to work. :rolleyes:

BTW, Apple cares NOTHING for artists or they would have had a stylus option from the start. Jobs insisted that a stylus is just something people would lose and therefore BAD BAD BAD. But given Apple's moves with Logic X and the years of ignoring the Mac Pro, I don't think they really care about professional or artistic markets beyond the 8th grader painting with his finger or playing with pre-made beats in Garage Band. They think those markets are too small to bother, but halo effects aren't created by having crap at the top of the lineup.

Apple should be far more concerned about their long term market share at t this point. It's down from 17% to 15% since last year and history tells us what happens when the market share drops below 10% (developers start feeling like the plague has hit). Apparently, Apple learned nothing from the debacle with Microsoft in the '80s and '90s and is repeating the same mistakes they made back then all over again with Google/Android. If they don't make some changes soon to their business plan, I'm afraid it's just a matter of time before they droop down below 10% and then it's Game Over Apple. I don't see overpriced, poorly performing headphones being the answer to Apple's long term problems nor does a pastel color makeover of iOS cut it either. I think the two actions contradict themselves in terms of what market share they're trying to appeal to, IMO. Since when do pastels appeal to the youth markets? Bright colors or classic black makes more sense there. Pastels appeal more to the AARP crowd, IMO. Frankly, I'm not sure Apple knows what market they want to target.

Apple had better get their crap together. They're just drifting on past success at this point, but that won't last forever. People are too busy looking at the next Quarter and seeing more $$$$, but GM and Chrysler weren't done in by a single quarter. They sank inch by inch for years and years before the recession put them into financial deep water. Apple still floating high, but stormy seas are on the horizon and Steve Jobs isn't here to bail them out this time when the waters get rough.
 

baryon

macrumors 68040
Oct 3, 2009
3,878
2,929
Brush. lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag. brush lag.

Exactly. Wacom's tablets are usable because there is no lag that you can notice at all. It feels like you're actually holding the actual mouse cursor, not a thing that controls it. Any tech that has any noticeable lag is missing the point. There must be NO LAG for this to work!
 

Zxxv

macrumors 68040
Nov 13, 2011
3,558
1,104
UK
So, just to recap:
1) Pick up any object
2) Draw with it
3) Game over

So, the hypothetical iWatch can even draw pictures.

You sir, are the reason Apple fans can't be taken seriously.

You are the reason. Oh why bother ;)

The motion is transferred to the iPad or Mac. Didn't I say that. Hmm think I did. ;)

----------



That's possibly the most absurd thing I've ever read on here. Hey dude, your wrist doesn't DO much when you do fine drawing (the detail is in the fingers and the position of the brush kind of matters...a LOT, so unless you want nothing better than Kindergarten hand splotch painting, it's not going to work. :rolleyes:

BTW, Apple cares NOTHING for artists or they would have had a stylus option from the start. Jobs insisted that a stylus is just something people would lose and therefore BAD BAD BAD. But given Apple's moves with Logic X and the years of ignoring the Mac Pro, I don't think they really care about professional or artistic markets beyond the 8th grader painting with his finger or playing with pre-made beats in Garage Band. They think those markets are too small to bother, but halo effects aren't created by having crap at the top of the lineup.

Apple should be far more concerned about their long term market share at t this point. It's down from 17% to 15% since last year and history tells us what happens when the market share drops below 10% (developers start feeling like the plague has hit). Apparently, Apple learned nothing from the debacle with Microsoft in the '80s and '90s and is repeating the same mistakes they made back then all over again with Google/Android. If they don't make some changes soon to their business plan, I'm afraid it's just a matter of time before they droop down below 10% and then it's Game Over Apple. I don't see overpriced, poorly performing headphones being the answer to Apple's long term problems nor does a pastel color makeover of iOS cut it either. I think the two actions contradict themselves in terms of what market share they're trying to appeal to, IMO. Since when do pastels appeal to the youth markets? Bright colors or classic black makes more sense there. Pastels appeal more to the AARP crowd, IMO. Frankly, I'm not sure Apple knows what market they want to target.

Apple had better get their crap together. They're just drifting on past success at this point, but that won't last forever. People are too busy looking at the next Quarter and seeing more $$$$, but GM and Chrysler weren't done in by a single quarter. They sank inch by inch for years and years before the recession put them into financial deep water. Apple still floating high, but stormy seas are on the horizon and Steve Jobs isn't here to bail them out this time when the waters get rough.

In that case you'll need the matching iRing. For kids the strap aka iWatch will do as they draw bigger. Most parents will already have bought iWatch for their kids as it allows them to find them. Speaking of which your moms calling you :)
Don't forget to ask her to buy you the iRing so you can draw pretty
 
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