This update is live on Android markets and the iOS App Store!

Well that took a while…

So if you haven’t heard, this update contains the long awaited transparency feature. Who cares, right?

It also includes other stickfigure filters, but those are Pro only. I’m a greedy bastard I know, it happens. More on that lower in this post.

Changelog

• Transparency setting for stickfigures…NOW WILL YOU STOP ASKING ME FOR IT 🙂
• In addition to transparency, there are MORE effects available including invert colors, tint, saturation, and blur. Select a stickfigure and look under “Stickfigure Filters” (Pro only).
• Look under “Camera Tools” for new settings, including “widescreen effect” (black bars) and ability to lock a textfield to the corner (for your name, for example).
• Can now show outline for segments when in animation mode, look under “Project Tools”.
• Also under “Project Tools”, a button to show guidelines to help position your stickfigures.
• Drag a stickfigure, textfield, or camera in a straight line and it will lock to that axis.
• A “Clear frame” button at the bottom of “Frame Tools”, deletes everything in a frame.
• Some magnifier fixes, can now select static nodes.
• Many new sounds, search “220” in the sound import window (Pro only).

Obviously the biggest features are what were revealed in my Youtube “part” series (why haven’t you watched it yet?). These include new stickfigure filters:

• Transparency Obviously makes stickfigures transparent.
• Invert colors Black turns white, red turns blue, etc. Useful for “time freeze” effect maybe?
• Saturation Takes all the color out of a figure, makes it black and white. Alternatively, upping saturation makes colors brighter.
• Tint Colors a figure and all segments, useful for turning a complex Goku figure red for a kaioken effect.
• Blur Horizontal, vertical, or both – useful for fast motion or maybe a depth-of-field effect.

DISCLAIMER!!! These filters CAN and LIKELY will lag your device. This is the whole reason I didn’t bother with it for months/years now.  If you have a low-end device, for example, blurring even 1 figure will likely slow down your playback (blurring is the most CPU intense). High-end devices can handle more filters.

To combat this, I lowered the quality of filters only when in the app. When you export your animation, the filtered stickfigures will look better AND there will be no lag, even if you experience lag when you play the animation in the Stick Nodes app. Okay, disclaimer over.

There are other new features in this update as well, as you can see from the changelog, many useful ones too. I harbor no illusions that the filters will dominate much of the discussion, but don’t overlook the other neat things (guidelines, “clear frame” button, camera widescreen/watermark, etc).

Price Increase

Stick Nodes Pro is now $2.99 USD vs the old price of $1.99. Why is this?

Truthfully, it’s because of the amount of work I put into the app. It’s a one-man operation. I manage the community, keep the website running, run the social media accounts, download/approve/screenshot/upload stickfigures daily, reply to comments/messages, pay for the website/domain/app market charges, and on top of all that I continue to update the app with new and interesting features years after the initial release.

So to be honest, I feel a $2.99 price isn’t asking much. If I had to guess, I’d wager that price itself isn’t what will prevent the majority of people from buying the app, rather it’s just the fact that there’s a price at all (maybe they have no access to money online, parents, etc). So I think there will be little outrage over this…I hope 🙂

Filters Pro Only

Why did I make the filters Pro-only? Well, because they are very Pro-like features to be honest. Note I did not make transparency Pro-only, that would be pure evil move since the community as a whole has really been wanting it. But the rest of the filters were made Pro-only to give Pro users a gift/incentive to upgrade.

So that’s that.

There’s transparency, and other filters. Finally.

I already know what’s coming in 2.3.0. It’s hinted at in part4. Enjoy guessing.