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    Thursday, April 9, 2020

    iPad I created an iPad Note-taking app with infinite canvas and focus on the essence of pen and paper. Called Blankbook.

    iPad I created an iPad Note-taking app with infinite canvas and focus on the essence of pen and paper. Called Blankbook.


    I created an iPad Note-taking app with infinite canvas and focus on the essence of pen and paper. Called Blankbook.

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 03:23 AM PDT

    I created an iPad Note-taking app with infinite canvas and focus on the essence of pen and paper. Called Blankbook.

    https://preview.redd.it/4s9htgw5krr41.jpg?width=1420&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=db7cdc9bd37228865968fb09e01bae8990e7e309

    Taking notes and drawing something down, is the impetus for many people to buy an iPad and Apple Pencil. After trying various solutions on the market, I still haven't found the software I want. Not satisfied with this, I developed an app called "Blankbook".

    Click to download at App Store

    Why bother creating another note app?

    I found too many apps that try to do everything, yet when they do that, they lose focus. Blankbook's goal is to reduce the clutter and reproduce the essence of a modern handwriting experience. I want to focus on the advancement of digital technology and the intuitiveness of pen and paper. The combination is Blankbook.

    Design Thoughts

    The original design of the Blankbook is not simply a pile of functions, but a thoughtful simplification. Intuitive interaction, easy-to-use tools, and endless drawing paper are the core experience of the Blankbook.

    I love paper and pen, or am very picky about paper and pen. For the past few years, 28 grams of presentation paper with excellent texture, paired with a red ring 800+ drawing pencil has been my only choice. I like electronic devices too. I think the electronic device, as a brand new carrier, brings infinite possibilities that traditional paper and pencil do not.

    https://preview.redd.it/pzfw3kwskrr41.jpg?width=1120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=76c08d6722e00a47efcf2f1aba45686001e8983e

    At the time of the rise of the web media, people demanded web pages with the design ideas of traditional newspapers. They inadvertently overlooked the web as a new medium, with its infinitely expandable nature, often resulting in fixed-sized text and buttons.

    At the time of the iPad's rise, software makers designed iPad software in the same way they designed desktop software, and the result was a big, bloated, all-purpose software that was as close to Photoshop as possible.

    https://preview.redd.it/7kaxmgdukrr41.png?width=1384&format=png&auto=webp&s=04c1301cf3a5a0562cf2a636175c75290b34f8f0

    Open the software and you're overwhelmed by the variety of features that come with it. For me, what's lost is the impulse to create as soon as I grab the pen.

    What Blankbook wants to do is really focus on what you feel on paper and pen, the urge to create with a pen. I wanted to make the most of the electronic storage capabilities, not deliberately stitching together every page, but providing a canvas that can be infinitely extended and scaled, with the canvas size automatically expanding with the content. I want the core functionality of the software to non-intrusively serving the users, and opening the software is like spreading out the paper, a blank canvas encouraging you to create.

    What is Blankbook?

    The core of Blankbook are paper and tools. For paper, it means an infinite canvas that automatically expand as you write; and for tools, it offers three customized tools, saved per note.

    https://preview.redd.it/6fid2e8wkrr41.png?width=2122&format=png&auto=webp&s=dfd1a6338bd80ce7d6e96fb36f793561b78dd965

    An infinitely expanding piece of paper: the essence of a Blankbook is a piece of paper, but this piece of paper should not have a clear size boundary. In many of the whiteboard or paper-like software I use, what is provided to the user is indeed a clear size paper, such as letter size. The problem is that when you write for a while, you quickly find that you have encountered the boundaries of the paper. Yet such boundaries are artificial limits, not the limits of the electronic device itself.

    The paper roll in the picture above shows the limit of the paper as medium, which can be extended in one direction, but is missing in width. The Blankbook eliminates the final flaw of the paper medium. In Blankbook, your content determines the size of the canvas. The anchor point is at the top left corner, allowing you to expand the content of your notes infinitely down or to the right.

    https://preview.redd.it/cp2mv4vwprr41.png?width=1758&format=png&auto=webp&s=5674a49cad5fa124203ae5e023f5a94576f3a0e7

    Of course, people use it for different things and have different requirements for canvas feedback. When taking notes you may want the canvas to slide only vertically and not zoom so much that you lose control of its position; when making a thought guide you may want the canvas to be very small so that you can see the big picture; when whiteboarding you may want the canvas to zoom within reason; when making a draft you may not care how the canvas zooms as long as you can write all the time, and you need space to make space.

    To meet your needs in different scenarios, Blankbook provides three settings for the canvas, namely: canvas direction, canvas logic and zoom factor. Below are some recommended settings that you can refer to to make adjustments to your usage situation.

    https://preview.redd.it/epivgm4gqrr41.png?width=2080&format=png&auto=webp&s=ab4780ab7a6b2d7f5c2525012d09743438cfd2f7

    Three tools that belong to each note: When we wanted to paint as children, we usually opened the watercolor pen box and selected a few pens to put next to it. The tools in the Blankbook use the same logic. Each note stores three separate tool slots, where you can place any tool you choose.

    For example, in the picture below, you can use the toolbar on the right as your toolbox, and the three custom toolbars are your selected tools. Any tool in the toolbox can be added into the custom toolbar. The custom toolbar saves all the settings of the adding tool, including the color transparency of the pen, and does not mind the number of adding tools of the same type. For example, you can add three colors of highlighters, pixels or a standard eraser, depending on your actual needs.

    https://preview.redd.it/getss4qykrr41.jpg?width=1120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=be28f44944d329ac226a119e60f208ed136b4f44

    Considering that some of the tool settings are not obvious, I'll go through the differences between standard and pixel erasers, the use of lassoes, and pen thickness and color changes in the following article.

    Gestures and Functions

    The Blankbook, the gestures are at the heart of the experience. It's not helpful to talk too much, here are a few common gestures and tools, so please follow along with me.

    If the following GIFs does not display correctly, you can also view them Alternative Link.

    Naming: Tap to name a note.

    Rearrange: Long press to rearrange.

    https://reddit.com/link/fxq1bf/video/diqoxwz4tsr41/player

    Undo: Two fingers tap to undo.

    Zoom: two fingers pinch to zoom, one finger long press to return to the default zoom, zoom to enter the focus mode.

    https://reddit.com/link/fxq1bf/video/t6iocalttsr41/player

    Eraser: There are two types of erasers, clicking twice on the eraser in the toolbox will bring up the toggle option. The default eraser erases the entire stroke, while the pixel eraser erases the point under the pen. Lean the pencil closer to screen will increase erase area.

    https://reddit.com/link/fxq1bf/video/2u2x578grsr41/player

    Lasso Tool: The Lasso Tool in the Bookbook supports moving, deleting, cutting, copying and duplicating. When you need to delete in bulk, just lasso the entire area to delete; tap to move the selected content. Cutting, copying and reproduction are worth mentioning as well. Cutting refers to moving the current object somewhere else; copying refers to keeping the current content and pasting the selection elsewhere; and copying refers to copying a selection in place with the same content. The lasso tool's selection can be colored as a whole.

    https://reddit.com/link/fxq1bf/video/w10mqnw9tsr41/player

    Pen properties: similar to an eraser, click on any pen in the toolbox twice to bring up the properties settings. The top represents thickness and the bottom represents transparency.

    https://reddit.com/link/fxq1bf/video/5xo5mdzntsr41/player

    iPad split-screen: when you need to take notes while referring to something else, you can use the bookbook's split-screen feature to side the blankbook next to other software. In Safari, for example, when you open the browser, swipe up from the bottom bar, select the Blankbook icon and drag it to the right of the screen.

    https://preview.redd.it/ldl0se31orr41.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=abaadfe921e55f37c219132bc69ed124904fbb9b

    Dark Mode: Blankbook supports full dark mode, it reflects the system settings of iOS. When you switch to dark mode, the stroke color of the book blank, paper background, and interface elements all switch to dark mode. For example, in the figure below, all elements are reversed in darkmode. (Image from YuanYu Zhou)

    https://preview.redd.it/ttfftrphlrr41.png?width=1120&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5ad890fe4b9e49565241c11f5eb815ae9dfcbc1

    Note Encryption: If you want the contents of your notes to remain private, you can turn on Face ID encryption in the security option. To avoid frequent verification affecting your normal use, if you have successfully decrypted, the Blankbook will not be re-encrypted for five minutes after being switched to the background.

    https://preview.redd.it/lvqp2utilrr41.jpg?width=1120&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=da368542b222a2bf99320e578da7f63153373256

    Canvas Refinement Settings: the Blankbook canvas offers a variety of detail settings to suit your using habits. For example, the directional lock, which allows notes to slide in only one direction at a time after opening, is good for notes; conversely, turn off the directional lock is good for drafts or drawings, allowing you to slide freely in any direction.

    https://preview.redd.it/lpsei7fdorr41.jpg?width=3072&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5c9ef0e7b6760bd2ab0deb21fcdf6a0f5f33183f

    Export: Blankbook supports exporting virtually unlimited length PDF documents, as well as unlimited height poster documents up to 8000 in width and below. The current version of Blankbook does not support exporting super wide documents and will be added in a later version based on feedback. The export file of the Blankbook is a pure vector file without background. This makes it easy to drag and drop into any design software, such as Sketch, to edit backgrounds, add shadows and other effects.

    https://preview.redd.it/379ay6pllrr41.png?width=720&format=png&auto=webp&s=a71d3aaf3c13eb8e829cfa71ad880aeec13be2dc

    A Sneak Peak of Blankbook's Mac Viewer: Blankbook viewer for Mac is an app that I'm currently working on. Expect to be delivered together with iCloud sync later this year. It's a supplement app that will allow you to view your notes taken on iPad or iPhone. But you can't modify it:) It'll be free for all Blankbook's users.

    https://preview.redd.it/y0y0i5crzsr41.png?width=3118&format=png&auto=webp&s=ee90b16f6b43d2e6b095b0a6223bd3425642c7df

    Ownership: Free users can try the first two infinite notes of the full-featured Blankbook without any additional conditions. Paying users (priced at $3.99 for lifetime) can unlock the notes limit.

    Use camera app on iPad / iPhone to view Blankbook at App Store

    Click to download at App Store

    Each user's suggestion will be carefully recorded, and the future of Blankbook will be decided by everyone of you. The current planned features are iCloud, macOS notes preview app, folders. I hope to add these functions to the software in a way that is consistent with the original design of the Blankbook.

    Blankbook, the blank is left for you to fill!

    Help with Blankbook's Localization

    Hello there! If you are interested in helping Blankbook translated elegantly to your language. Could you please send me an email with the language you want to work on at [057@live.com](mailto:057@live.com)? As an appreciation to your help, your name will be listed as translator on your country's Blankbook description. I'm also willing to give you 3 lifetime Blankbook codes for you to share with your friends. Thank you!

    A Question

    A user asked me today.

    "You are now adding so many customers to a group. If the app get popular and your customers harass you every day wanting various features, will this change your original intention?"

    I replied to him as follows.

    "I don't think it will change the way Blankbook developed in the future. I have a lot of ideas that I would like to put into practice in the Blankbook application. But I want every new feature to be added in a way that fits the Blankbook's design. The future of Blankbook will remain extremely restrained.

    That design thoughts was actually also written for myself. I think that the large and comprehensive software on the market may also be a result of constantly meeting customers needs. Blankbook will encounter same problem as they faced. When the future is hard to decide, I'll read the design thoughts and think about why I started the Blankbook.

    I have always believed in the idea that 'do not multiply entities beyond necessity'. I want future features to be integrated in a way that quietly helps the users, and don't want features to jump ahead and disturb the user experience."

    💡 Special thanks to YuanYu Zhou, Minja for contributing design ideas, providing valuable comments and feedback during the development of the Blankbook.

    Special thanks to all the users and people who shared their ideas, it was your feedback and trust that made it possible.

    submitted by /u/Legolas-Wang
    [link] [comments]

    My quarantine setup with the 10,5 inch iPad Pro and a mechanical self-built keyboard. Thought you might appreciate it.

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 09:47 AM PDT

    Field Work with iPad

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 02:29 PM PDT

    I tried an iPad Air 3, and decided to replace it with an iPad Pro 11 inch instead and I am SO excited!!!

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 09:50 AM PDT

    I got my tablet through Sprint so I used their exchange program to return the iPad Air 3 for an iPad Pro. Someone on this subreddit made a comment about some people liking regular cars, and some people liking Ferraris when it comes to gadgets like iPads. I'm just one of the ones who likes Ferraris. The iPad Air 3 is great, but I just couldn't help wanting new the iPad Pro. Just wanted to share my joy with people who will understand. :)

    Edited - for grammar mistakes.

    submitted by /u/jaimbot
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    Totally unnecessary but would be cool if the settings icon did the spinny update animation on the home screen.

    Posted: 08 Apr 2020 05:18 PM PDT

    Warning: do not buy Sandisk iXpand drives to use with your older iPads (with lightning ports)

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 11:19 AM PDT

    I have a Sandisk iXpand mini and was wondering why it was not detected by the latest iPadOS Files app on my iPad mini 5. It is usable through the proprietary app, but won't show up in the Files app

    Today I saw this announcement on their official website:

    "Current iXpand drives are not MSC (Mass Storage Class) devices and use iAP2 (iOS Accessory Protocol 2) to communicate with iOS applications and that's the reason why the iXpand Drive App needs to be installed in order to view or save files using the Files App."

    https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22573

    submitted by /u/mahdif62
    [link] [comments]

    What’s the best e-mail app for new iPad Pro 12.9?

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 06:30 AM PDT

    Just picked up the new iPad Pro 12.9 yesterday.... what's the best e-mail application? I have a couple personal accounts and a work account. Any recommendations?

    submitted by /u/Keekly22
    [link] [comments]

    Any recommendation for a free/cheap photo editing app for unprofessional usage?

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 08:59 AM PDT

    I love to manipulate the pictures I took with my iPhone on the bigger screen of my iPad. But since I'm not a professional photographer, expensive apps/subscription models seem unnecessary for me. Do you have any recommendations?

    submitted by /u/Ascles
    [link] [comments]

    apps that simulate a notebook? used to using a small sketchbook and am hoping to find something that has pages like one for my rough drafts

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 08:29 AM PDT

    ideally it's something that has X amount of pages, and in landscape mode you see two pages and can flip back and forth through the book. if you can't see two pages at once that's fine, but really looking for the digital notebook style. any suggestions?

    submitted by /u/givemeamugoftea
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    Is Paperlike absolutely necessary for using the Apple Pencil regularly?

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 10:34 AM PDT

    I just got an iPad Pro 12.9 2020 yesterday for basically replacing my laptop. Some major things that I will be using it for is annotating school worksheets and slides, taking notes and typing out basic papers. I've heard that Paperlike is a must but can't you just do all of those things on the regular screen? I absolutely refuse to sacrifice any image quality because on my off times I would like to watch some anime, tv, and movies on it. I really am a stickler for image quality in my media. I can't deal with any grainyness come from it so I'm steering towards a tempered glass screen protector instead.

    To sum up, is Paperlike absolutely necessary? Or does it just give the apple pencil some "feel" for those select few that can't stand writing on the normal screen?

    submitted by /u/kevinFSU92
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    App to stream my iPads Screen to someone

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 08:58 AM PDT

    Hi

    is there any app which allows me to stream my iPads screen to someone? I tried teamviewer quicksupport but the connection drops after about 2 minutes every time. What is working is zoom but I don't like that the viewer needs to create an account. I just need to share my screen to one person when I need help when learning. Isn't there any easy way to archive that?

    Thanks in advance

    submitted by /u/joshi0816
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    Why doesn’t Apple sell IPad screen protectors?

    Posted: 08 Apr 2020 11:09 PM PDT

    Kinda sucks having to buy a screen protector from another site when I'm shopping for iPad accessories. I wonder if there is a reason behind it.

    submitted by /u/RebelliousCash
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    A question about performance

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 08:52 AM PDT

    Hey r/ipad,

    I've been using a 6th gen iPad for a while now and while I'm mostly happy with the device, I have a question about the performance. When I'm switching apps, there's a delay between the app display showing up and it becoming interactable. I vaguely recall reading that this is done on purpose to make it seem like the app loaded instantly by keeping a snapshot of the app and displaying it before the app actually loads properly. This becomes annoying sometimes when I switch to Safari for example and the webpage is 'stuck' for a few seconds before I can scroll/click on anything.

    My question is; is this delay noticeably shorter on iPad pro processors like A10x or A12x(z)?

    submitted by /u/phloxevl
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    Mini websites? Can anyone help?

    Posted: 08 Apr 2020 11:40 PM PDT

    I use Google Sites to create mini websites for sharing/explaining information about an approaching project (I build music studios). All done on my mac. But I'm trying to go all out on my ipad pro and it's not so easy from there.

    I use different pages to separate elements of the work, for example, electric package, decorations, acoustic management, equipment, finance etc etc.

    Is there an app that offers the equivalent of this?

    submitted by /u/Fres10
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    Charge iPad with powered USB hub through camera adapter

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 02:21 AM PDT

    Hello everyone, I'm using the iPad to record music with the camera adapter connected to a hub (which holds a microphone and a keyboard) and I want to avoid using two different wall plugs (iPad charger and usb hub power plug) and just connect the lightning power to one of the usb hub's ports instead of connecting it to the wall. The (camera adapter lightning)-(usb hub)-(camera adapter usb) loop might cause some harm? With some sort of short/grounding issue? Or is it ok? Thank you

    submitted by /u/MusicDeMetropolitain
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    Best Drawing Apps?

    Posted: 08 Apr 2020 10:26 PM PDT

    I've been meaning to get into drawing on my iPad for a while now and with my exam's over next week I figure now's as good a time as any to start looking into it.

    I see Procreate talked about all the time but I've never really done a lot of drawing before hand and I'm hesitant to spend $15 on an app I'm not sure I'll end up using a lot.

    So what're some good (preferably cheap or free) drawing apps someone just getting into it should try out?

    submitted by /u/Shotgunn5
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    Not enough RAM for multitasking?

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 12:57 AM PDT

    Hi, I am a medical student and currently using the 6th gen iPad.

    My study usually involves reading pdf and then taking note. I have been using Readle Document for pdf cause it is easier to highlight and I can open 3 pdf at once on each tab, then I would type my note on Notion. I usually jump between these 2 apps, but every time I switch app with Command tab or 4 finger drags, the other app would have to be reopen.

    Is this because of my iPad having not enough RAM?

    How can I solve this for smoother workflow.

    submitted by /u/Sruptor
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    What are your go to photo editing apps?

    Posted: 08 Apr 2020 05:07 PM PDT

    I've been using Affinity Photo the past few months but it's very laggy and kicks me out a lot, specially when working with 12m pixels or more.

    I wouldn't mind working with 2 apps to do what Affinity Photo does by itself. Also I'd like something that is NOT subscription based.

    I edit iPhone and GoPro photos. I like to make my photos look professional and I like to add my own blurs to GoPro photos. this isn't a job, just a hobby

    submitted by /u/sknysky
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    Music player to play back from an SMB Server

    Posted: 09 Apr 2020 01:13 AM PDT

    Hey folks, as the question says, any recommendations?
    I searched google, but would prefer if you've got any personal suggestions.

    submitted by /u/lord_frost_
    [link] [comments]

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