Apple Pencil Executives Discuss New Hover Features in iPadOS 16.4

[MacRumors]

With iPadOS 16.4, Apple added new functionality to the Apple Pencil hover function, introducing tilt and azimuth support. The updated hover feature is designed to allow artists to view a mark at any angle before it's actually made, making the iPad more useful than ever for drawing.

Apple Director of Input Experience Leslie Ikemoto and Apple Director of Platform Product Marketing Stephen Tonna spoke with TechCrunch about the hover update. Using Procreate as an example, Ikemoto said that users can now see exactly where a mark will appear when the Apple Pencil is set on the display.

"If you look at Procreate, they have the pencil brush, which is small and thin when you're perpendicular to the display. With Tilt and Azimuth, Procreate can render an exact outline of the mark that you're going to make when you set down your pencil brush, and that's a huge accelerator for their users.

Tonna said that Apple is "always listening to customer feedback" and also "building things our customers didn't even think of." The Apple Pencil team also uses what it builds, participating in "Inktober" every October. All of the team will draw and paint during the month, even those without notable artistic skill.

The new hover functionality works in native Apple features like Markup, as well as in third-party apps like Procreate. "We wanted hover to be as easy to adapt as possible," said Ikemoto, which is why hover was designed to use APIs that had already been used for the Magic Keyboard Trackpad. This allows hover to work automatically for any app that already supported UI pointer interaction, with further refinement possible through the UI hover gesture recognizer.

For those unfamiliar with hover, it is an M2 iPad Pro exclusive feature. It allows an Apple Pencil 2 to be held up to 12 millimeters above the M2 iPad Pro for a more seamless transition when stopping and starting on a digital canvas.

More information about Apple's perspective on hover can be found in TechCrunch's full interview.

Article Link: Apple Pencil Executives Discuss New Hover Features in iPadOS 16.4

 

[antiprotest]

Apple Director of Input Experience

That is a very specific position. No judgment. Perhaps there is really that much to do there.

 

[Paddle1]

It's too bad this is exclusive to the new M2 Pro. Not much incentive for developers to do things with it right now.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

How about allowing us to use Apple Pencil on iPhone Pro Max?

 

[dannys1]

M2 iPad Pad pro exclusive is a bit much for this one - unlike phones I think iPads should have features back dated and be treated more like Macs

 

[zilchfox]

In case you're wondering what the hell "azimuth" is like I was...

 

[Shanghaichica]

How about allowing us to use Apple Pencil on iPhone Pro Max?

Been asking for this for years.

 

[turbineseaplane]

The iPad lineup needs a total shake up and complexity reduction.

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Been asking for this for years.

At this point, I think it might be an iPhone Ultra feature.

 

[WiiDSmoker]

At this point, I think it might be an iPhone Ultra feature.

Nah goes back to SJ. “Who wants a stylus? Yuck!”

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Nah goes back to SJ. “Who wants a stylus? Yuck!”

True! but I think "Courage" has taken over at Apple.

 

[macsplusmacs]

Well I guess I will be using it, next year.

My 2018 iPad Pro 12.9 still is fantastic.

 

[crsh1976]

That is a very specific position. No judgment. Perhaps there is really that much to do there.

Corporate job titles are a funny thing, they aim to be very specific for clarity, often they just appear ridiculous to outsiders.

Where I work, we have a director of mobile experience, a director of technical mobile experience, and a director of mobile design experience - these all make sense to me because I know what is the turf of each of these people, but when I mention this to my partner, it sounds like I'm making this up for laughs.

 

[madebybela]

artists have been asking for this since the first iPad Pro as its the standard experience they get with a Wacom Tablet, but thank you Apple for listening 6 years later and locking it down to your newest and most expensive and redundant model.

 

[BobSc]

At this point, I think it might be an iPhone Ultra feature.

Just curious, but how exactly would you use the pencil on your iphone?

 

[tomtad]

I want to be an Apple Pencil Executive

 

[Slippery Gimp]

I would like 2B one too.

 

[Slippery Gimp]

I want to be an Apple Pencil Executive

I would like 2B one too.

 

[Shanghaichica]

Nah goes back to SJ. “Who wants a stylus? Yuck!”

Well he also said that the 3.5 inches was the perfect size and was against the iPad mini but here we are.

 

[carrrrrlos]

Is Apple so big that the Pencil has its own Executive team?

 

[TheYayAreaLiving 🎗️]

Is Apple so big that the Pencil has its own Executive team?

Believe it or not, Apple has its own Executive team for Apple Polishing Cloth.

Apple Releases Polishing Cloth for $19

Apple today released a microfiber Polishing Cloth accessory, designed for cleaning the screens of Apple devices, for $19. Although today's...

www.macrumors.com

 

[CarAnalogy]

That is a very specific position. No judgment. Perhaps there is really that much to do there.

With the state that autocorrect has been in for a decade, how much work could this person possibly be doing?

 

[Kimmo]

I want to be an Apple Pencil Executive

Me, too, but I think this guy has the inside track on that job.

 

[Solomani]

M2 iPad Pad pro exclusive is a bit much for this one - unlike phones I think iPads should have features back dated and be treated more like Macs

I agree. As I read this article, there is an implication that they were able to implement this feature via iPadOS 16.4 software, and that the hardware capability is embedded on the Apple Pencil 2. If that is the case, then I hope they eventually allow this feature to ALL iPads that are compatible with the Apple Pencil 2.

 

[Leon Ze Professional]

artists have been asking for this since the first iPad Pro as its the standard experience they get with a Wacom Tablet, but thank you Apple for listening 6 years later and locking it down to your newest and most expensive and redundant model.

Agreed, Apple can be very frustrating at times with the way they do things.