While most cinemagraphs or moving pictures are created from short video clips, Plotagraph only requires a still photo. The program allows photographers to turn their stills into a moving picture by masking out a section of the image and adding animation points. For the desktop version, the software could take anywhere between five minutes and thirty to develop an animation.
The iPad version is designed to give users the ability to create their own GIFs for sharing in iMessage or downloading to the Camera Roll by creating looping videos or animated PNG files. The program was designed to take advantage of the enhanced processor in the latest iPad Pro, the company says, but is compatible with any iPad with a 64-bit processor and iOS 10 or later.
“We created Plotagraph+ to help consumers animate their own photos in a fun and easy way, bringing their images and memories back to life,” said Plotagraph founders Troy Plota and Sascha Scheider.
The iPad app is a lighter version of the desktop software, but still gives the user the ability to select a portion of the image and create animation tracks. The speed of the animation can be controlled in real time and playback is instant, the developer says. The tablet interface also brings Apple Pencil pressure sensitivity, as well as touch controls like pinch to zoom. The animations can be saved using social sharing presets — including compatibility with Facebook’s new ability to use an animated image for a cover photo — or sent directly to the Camera Roll.
After launching the desktop software last year, Platograph announced earlier this summer an unusual take on the software with a social media platform where users can unlock more new features as they add more followers. The software has been under development since 2009 after Plota, a photographer, and Scheider, an artist, came up with the idea to reverse the GIF process and start with a single photo.
As part of the app’s launch, the iPad version is available for $5 but will go up to $10 after the launch special.
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