Animation Desk for iPad Review – Let your dreams come true
App Type: Uncategorized
Our rating: 
By: Kdan Mobile
Version #: 1.7
Date Released: 2011-12-13
Developer: Kdan Mobile
Price: 4.99
User Rating:
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Everyone has been fascinated by animated characters as a child. Maybe it was Bambi, with its hyper-realistic drawing. Maybe it was The Lion King with its carefully designed features. Or maybe it was the latest in technology with Toy Story or Wall-e? All these masterpieces trace back to the same: a pencil, and a stack of onion paper.
Maybe when you were young you did flip-book animations in the sides of your school notebooks, before giving up because it was hard to align the characters. Maybe. We’re in the 21st century, and you’ve grown up. There’s no need to use children’s tools: there’s Animation Desk (for iPad and for iPhone).
What does Animation Desk offer? Exactly that: an animator’s desk. With the advantage of having a digital canvas. Listing all its features is almost impossible. One of the best: you have onion skin to know what was in the previous frame… And by the awesomeness of technology (of course, in real life you could also swap papers) you can also set the skinning to show previous and next frames. Of course you also get undo, a wide arrange of pen, pencils, brushes and erasers, all with size and opacity options. A stamp tool, too, to make repeated figures (or copyright notices, or your animator signature). You can go as far as to record your own soundtrack with it.
I’m currently reading Basics Animation: Drawing for animation, and in the first 2/3 of the book I’ve found nothing that I could not do with Animation Desk (and I don’t think I’ll find it in the remaining 1/3). This is a proof of how complete this app is. I know what you’re thinking now this means it’s hard to use! Don’t be scared: Animation Desk is very intuitive. Not only do the tools and options stand out in a clear way, there’s also an in-app help showing you what each button, option and object does.
Still undecided? Animation Desk has been featured by Apple in the Entertainment section of the App Store Rewind 2011. What else do you need?
Quick Take
Value:Very high
Would I Buy Again:Yes
Learning Curve:Medium
Who Is It For:Aspiring animators, or drawing lovers
What I Like:The wide array of features
What I Don't Like:It's perfect. And they keep adding features... Nothing wrong here!
Final Statement:An app all iPads need. And even iPhones.
animation **Anyone can be an animator. Any idea matters**
Animation Desk for iPad scored 4.5 out of 5 Heads in CrazyMikesApps' review: "A very well made intuitive application to learn animation on your iPad."
Animation Desk for iPad scored 4.5 out of 5 in PadGadget’s review: “This app is special. It’s not just another game and it won’t make you more organized or productive, it does something more. It makes you creative.”
Animation Desk for iPad has hit the front pages as “New and Noteworthy” in more than 60 countries including Germany, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, France, Mexico and Taiwan App Stores. Follow the footsteps of others and summon the animator in you!
Screenshots
Article By ruben
Ruben Berenguel is finishing his PhD in Mathematics while writing in mostlymaths.net about being a 'geek of all trades'. He also happens to be the senior editor in the What's on iPhone network: any complaints go to him!
ruben has written 174 awesome app reviews.
