In Freeform, the idea is to provide an infinite canvas, based on Scott McCloud's original idea. You can collaborate and brainstorm with Keynote, but your space is restricted to the page size. This can be very helpful to organize ideas, and add more elements as you need, without worrying about page size.
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Hands-On With the New Freeform App in iPadOS 16.2
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I have many friends that haven't talked to me in a long time, I'm hoping Freeform will win them back!
This seems to be exactly what the application Mural have been doing for a long time. And it is cross platform, even better.
When the new software updates were introduced way back in June, Apple demonstrated a new Freeform app that was in development. Freeform is now in the final stages of development, and the app is available in the iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1 betas.
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Freeform is available cross-platform, but it works best on the iPad because of the Apple Pencil integration. At first glance, it looks similar to the Notes and Preview apps, offering up some of the same editing tools.
There's an interface with a grid where users can insert drawings, sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, photos, and videos, plus it supports links, PDFs, and other document types. There are all kinds of shapes to choose from, including animals, nature, food, geometry, symbols, arts, science, and people.
Text and shapes can be customized with different colors and styles, and there are quick access tools for edits like duplication and deletion. Undo and redo tools are available, and on the Mac, you can add photos, scanned documents, and sketches from your iOS device using Continuity features.
Multiple Freeform boards are supported, and Apple intends for Freeform to be used collaboratively. All of your boards can be shared with others, and all participants can update a board and add new features, with the changes shown in real-time. As of right now, the sharing features do not appear to be implemented.
Apple will continue to improve the Freeform experience over the course of the beta testing period, adding new features and new functionality.
Article Link: Hands-On With the New Freeform App in iPadOS 16.2
I think when they said cross platform, they meant iPhone and iPad and Mac. Lol not exactly the first definition I think of.
Hm, is this an omni graffle killer?
When the new software updates were introduced way back in June, Apple demonstrated a new Freeform app that was in development. Freeform is now in the final stages of development, and the app is available in the iOS 16.2, iPadOS 16.2, and macOS Ventura 13.1 betas.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Freeform is available cross-platform, but it works best on the iPad because of the Apple Pencil integration. At first glance, it looks similar to the Notes and Preview apps, offering up some of the same editing tools.
There's an interface with a grid where users can insert drawings, sticky notes, text boxes, shapes, photos, and videos, plus it supports links, PDFs, and other document types. There are all kinds of shapes to choose from, including animals, nature, food, geometry, symbols, arts, science, and people.
Text and shapes can be customized with different colors and styles, and there are quick access tools for edits like duplication and deletion. Undo and redo tools are available, and on the Mac, you can add photos, scanned documents, and sketches from your iOS device using Continuity features.
Multiple Freeform boards are supported, and Apple intends for Freeform to be used collaboratively. All of your boards can be shared with others, and all participants can update a board and add new features, with the changes shown in real-time. As of right now, the sharing features do not appear to be implemented.
Apple will continue to improve the Freeform experience over the course of the beta testing period, adding new features and new functionality.
Article Link: Hands-On With the New Freeform App in iPadOS 16.2
It looks like an enhanced version of Notes with markup tools from Preview on MacOS built in and a few linking bells and whistles.
So does freeform only work on m1 and up? Have a iPad Pro 11” about 2 years old. I downloaded 16.2 beta yesterday and no freeform.
Oh yeah i just saw the flow chart looking things and assumed they were similar. I use omni casually for making gigantic family trees with lots of annotations, but my omni license is getting old and wasnt sure if this might be an alternative
How "infinite" is a Freeform board? I know the user can set up a row of 40 squares, each 1 inch by 1 inch, and separated by a 1/4 inch space (or 3 centimeters by 3 centimeters, separated by 1/2 centimeter space.) The user can see them all by zooming. But the size on the screen will be smaller than 1 inch by 1 inch. In Freeform, can the user see them all at the 1 inch square size on the screen by, for example, dragging the board with a hand, or some other means?
Nothing demonstrated in this video is especially new or interesting- every notebook app has similar features. But Freeform, as demoed by Apple when it was announced, had one extraordinary feature that I think will be a game changer... if it wasn't cut. It did handwriting recognition. But not just that, you could manipulate handwritten text as if it were typed. So, you could place an insertion point, select, copy/paste, insert, etc. That's a pretty big deal.
So, was this feature removed, or is it still in there?
So, was this feature removed, or is it still in there?
I don't get some of the hate here. Yes there are plenty of similar and more fully-featured apps, but there were plenty of notes apps and Apple Notes is pretty useful for lots of users.
There's going to be a lot of people who couldn't tell a Figma from a fig, but will use this for laying out ideas, brainstorming, etc. The collaborative feature looks great for projects, obviously everyone has to be on iOS/iPadOS/MacOS though.
There's going to be a lot of people who couldn't tell a Figma from a fig, but will use this for laying out ideas, brainstorming, etc. The collaborative feature looks great for projects, obviously everyone has to be on iOS/iPadOS/MacOS though.
There isn't any "hate" here. People are just pointing out that this app is just not a very compelling proposition to get an iPad. And it's really not. Apple needs to step up the game if they want to promote their iPads as a unique device.
As a drawing tablet / handwriting device, it's pretty good – except that the Apple pencil is disposable, so when the battery eventually dies, you'll be forced to throw an otherwise perfectly fine device away, even though it could be 100% designed to be opened and easily maintained.
I can’t wait. I tried some of the 3rd party apps after Freeform was announced and none of them were exactly what I was looking for. A lot of them are flow chart apps first with a million features/templates/plug-ins or paywalled features. Personally, I’m just looking for a Notes app but with an infinite canvas, with links that aren’t just the spelled out link (many of them wouldn’t link out if pressed, you’d have to copy and paste it). The way Freeform seems to work would fit what I’m looking for without costing me anything or having tons of unnecessary stuff in the way or a steep learning curve.
If you already use a 3rd party app that fits your needs, that’s great. For those of us looking for something more basic, Freeform will likely be a perfectly usable solution.
If you already use a 3rd party app that fits your needs, that’s great. For those of us looking for something more basic, Freeform will likely be a perfectly usable solution.
I think you need to see Freeform in context. Adobe has bought Figma and is going all in on collaboration, Google’s office applications have been collaboration centric for a while. The collaboration features that were introduced with Monterey in Pages, Numbers and Keynote need a whiteboarding environment that integrates with Facetime to round them out to make a good all-around collaborative office.
Well, kind of.
What I would really like is to be able to write on sticky notes with the Apple Pencil and then move them around - with the handwritten note still on it.
That doesn't seem to be possible. If you write on a sticky note with the Pencil now and then move the note, your handwritten text stays where it is.
It is. You have to enable it on each device. In settings go to Apple ID>iCloud>Apps Using iCloud, tap show all, and enable Freeform.
Can someone please tell me if it supports electrical/electronics and computer/networking diagram type symbols?
Even if someone could please screenshot the available symbols for us 🙏🏻
I need to find an app that I can draw up schematics for these situations and ideally the ability across multiple Apple devices and Apple Pencil or worst-case, just something that is web-based as long as it has all these symbols 🤞🏻
Even if someone could please screenshot the available symbols for us 🙏🏻
I need to find an app that I can draw up schematics for these situations and ideally the ability across multiple Apple devices and Apple Pencil or worst-case, just something that is web-based as long as it has all these symbols 🤞🏻
i just started testing it on my iPad Pro 9.7” from 2016. and it works fine for now.
Tried i out, and though i love it’s simplicity. it does Most all the important things quite well…The deal breaker is hyperlinks working awfully bad.
Links in a text box have to be in one line. if the link is multi line or reformated to multiple lines it is broken. Hyperlinks can be long, A feature to edit links must be available. Hyperlinks on pictures should also be possible.
Without those features i find the app disappointing.
i Used goodnotes before, but it also lacks hyperlink features.
i find it stupid to again edit the exported pdf on macOs or on other ipad app like pdf expert.
Can someone recommend some good DTP on iPad Os?
i am working on Ipad pro 9.7” from 2016 i can’t see any reason to upgrade to new m1 or m2 Pro
Links in a text box have to be in one line. if the link is multi line or reformated to multiple lines it is broken. Hyperlinks can be long, A feature to edit links must be available. Hyperlinks on pictures should also be possible.
Without those features i find the app disappointing.
i Used goodnotes before, but it also lacks hyperlink features.
i find it stupid to again edit the exported pdf on macOs or on other ipad app like pdf expert.
Can someone recommend some good DTP on iPad Os?
i am working on Ipad pro 9.7” from 2016 i can’t see any reason to upgrade to new m1 or m2 Pro