-
Unleashing Genetic Algorithms on the iOS 7 Icon
Last week, I released a Photoshop script that I’ve been using to make icons and rounded rectangles for my iOS 7 app updates. The script generates shapes using values that I reverse-engineered from Apple’s UIBezierPath class. If you’re creating rounded rects for user interface elements, the shapes it produces are a near-exact match. If you’re […] read more
-
Photoshop Script for iOS 7 Rounded Rectangles
When Apple revealed iOS 7 at this year’s WWDC, it was obvious that the new app icons had a more rounded rectangular shape. I was happy to see the improvement, because the old shape had an awkward transition between the rounded corners and the straight edges. With this new shape, it’s almost as if someone […] read more
-
Ai->Canvas 1.2 for Illustrator CC (and CS6)
I’ve ported my Adobe Illustrator to HTML5 canvas export plug-in to work with Illustrator CC, and while I was at it, I added support for gradient stop opacities and non-zero/even-odd fill rules. I know that many of you are still running CS6, so I’ve added these features to the CS6 version too. You can download […] read more
-
Halftone 2 Object Interaction
I attended Apple’s WWDC 2013 event in San Francisco last week, and I spent a lot of time talking to fellow developers and designers. As we shared tips and techniques, there were a few topics that repeatedly came up regarding my Halftone 2 app. This post covers the user interaction model for graphical elements like […] read more
-
Freemium Distaste
Background The original version of Halftone (henceforth referred to as Halftone 1 to avoid ambiguity), has been available in the App Store since February, 2011 for $0.99 USD. While it has enjoyed a surprising level of success, I’ve always wished that more people could try it. You see, the word halftone is unfamiliar to most […] read more
-
How to Make Your Own App Promo Cards
As many of you know, my Halftone app was featured by Starbucks as its Pick of the Week this past August. I visit Starbucks daily for my morning caffeine fix, and over the course of a couple weeks, I managed to collect a small stack of the Halftone cards. They’ve proven to be a fantastic […] read more
-
Illustrator to HTML5 Canvas Plug-In Updated for CS6
Update on 7/18/2013: An updated version of the Ai->Canvas plug-in is now available for CS6 and CC. My Ai->Canvas Plug-In (Canvas Tutorial”>introductory tutorial and read more
-
I’ve been heads-down working on my next Juicy Bits app, and it was just approved by Apple tonight. If all goes according to plan, it’ll be released in the next week or two. Watch for it. While I’m not ready to reveal the app name, I do want to share the icon. This beautiful icon […] read more
-
This week, I’ve been working on a radial menu control for an upcoming Juicy Bits app. I recorded a short video that illustrates the evolution of the project and shows the menu in action. The radial menu has proven to be a quick and convenient way to select context-sensitive options. Also, because the buttons are […] read more
-
Smaller Apps with Vector Images
3/26/2012: Added an update at the end of the post. For the past couple of weeks, I’ve been working on new vector processing code for a future update of my Halftone app for iOS. As I’ve mentioned before, Halftone draws a lot of its graphics using vectors, and as a result, it automatically takes advantage […] read more