Procreate 5 Expands Animation Features in New Release

Procreate has expanded its animation features in its latest Procreate 5 release. The popular iPad illustration app first added an export to GIF option in an earlier 2019 update.

Procreate 5’s Animation Assist expands on the current GIF Layer Export feature with more flexibility. Animation Assist now provides a frame-by-frame timeline, allowing users to play and pause their animation while working on the canvas. Frames can now be reordered directly through the timeline. Users can also set foreground and background layers.

Other animation features:

• Onion skins allow users to see animation layers. There is also color coding on the onion skin (red for previous frame and green for following frames), with the the previous frame of animation becoming a faint layer.
• Hold Frame allows for pauses in the action of the animation.
• Animation can be played as a loop, one-shot, or ping-pong (forward, then reverse).

Here’s a look at tests that animators have been creating with the new version of Procreate:

#Procreate5 has been released! Many thanks to Danni Fisher-Shin (dannifs on Instagram) who created our release video animation – check it out! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/8XZM9k2lSj

— Procreate (@Procreate) December 9, 2019

Huh? Testing the animation assist on #Procreate5 #animation pic.twitter.com/7kAQkRrjK9

— Sandeepan Chanda (@sandeepanchanda) December 9, 2019

Trying out Procreate5’s animation functions so I animated a quick rough cowbell straight ahead. A bit finicky and I have a few nit picky concerns but it’s a start! pic.twitter.com/u51ltQPvGl

— Michael Ruocco (@AGuyWhoDraws) December 10, 2019

So much fun with @Procreate 5 animation. #Procreate5 pic.twitter.com/oWDTBUvrHx

— monez (@monezz) December 10, 2019

A simple Pachyrhinosaurus moo, made with the new animation tools in Procreate.
Can we all just appreciate how amazing the people behind @Procreate are, they gave us these new amazing tools for free!#Procreate5 pic.twitter.com/mZW4M2b6mI

— Meep 🐉💤 (@the_meep_lord) December 10, 2019

shitty animation i’ve made with procreate5 pic.twitter.com/ywimlzLP6F

— 𝗪𝗜𝗞 ⚠️ @ commissions open (@wikszyk) December 10, 2019

Animated test on #Procreate5!! My #originalcharacter Alexandra is curious about the new place she’s animated in, but doesn’t see anything weird so she happily leaves#animation #animationtest #procreate @Procreate #penciltest #animonthly #cartoon #roughanimation #2danimation pic.twitter.com/Fh0m8B1fbv

— Layne (@misslayneg) December 10, 2019

Tried out the #procreate5 animation tools. It was super easy, will work really well for making little animations or animatics! The ping-pong option is really useful too.#animation #2danimation #handanimation #framebyframe @Procreate #art #drawing pic.twitter.com/xEgYKXTCeY

— Beck Williams (@BeckWilliams2D) December 11, 2019