Flow 2.5
Welcome to Flow 2.5
Welcome to Flow 2.5 – this is a huge update with exciting new features and enhancements to the existing things you already love.
SharePlay
Flow has pioneered collaboration in a drawing app and with SharePlay, you can now automatically share a Flow document while on FaceTime. Strokes appear in realtime so it’s just like sharing a piece of paper, wherever you are.
To use SharePlay, ensure all devices have been updated to iOS 15.1 or above and when on FaceTime just open Flow and follow the prompts. If other participants do not have a Flow membership, they will still be able to collaborate with you whilst on the call.
Special mention to our tireless Adam D who has spent many hours on FaceTime calls with himself whilst in the testing phase of the SharePlay feature. Adam1, please remember Adam2 is probably not real but we hope you created some wonderful art together.
Pen Sets
Pen Sets is a huge new feature we are really excited to get in your hands. It’s a simple and powerful new way to use pens in Flow that will improve how you work and create. Instead of a single dock of pens, you can now create multiple sets of pens and quickly swap between them.
For example you can now curate a set of pens for taking notes, and another set for colored pencil sketching, and swap between them with either a gesture or the new Pen Sets button on the Pen Dock. You can create multiple set of pens with a range of colors for easy access.
Flow will remember which of your Pen Sets you were using for each document and automatically switch to the last set you were using as you move between documents.
On the Pen Sets screen you can swipe between all your Pen Sets, create new ones and edit them. When editing you can add a name for the Pen Set and re-arrange the pens within it. You can tap on each pen to edit it individually. You can also delete, duplicate and drag pens between your sets.
You can even share Pen Sets with other people by sending them a special link. Sharing is caring right?
New Eyedropper
We’ve improved both the eyedropper and quick color grid tools. In fact they’ve merged (Voltron style) into a more powerful tool than you can possibly imagine. The new eyedropper icon on the Tool Editor replaces what was previously the Quick color Grid button. Press and hold on it to instantly activate the eyedropper.
When the eyedropper is active, the Tool Editor changes to display a redesigned color grid with a range of shade and tint variations on the current color. You can drag over these to select one, or drag over the canvas or pens to pick a new color. The eyedropper itself now displays as a ring, with one half showing your existing color for comparison.
iMessage Sticker App
Draw your own custom set of iMessage stickers from Flow. When you save selections from your documents into the pasteboard, they automatically become available in the new Flow iMessage app. Your stickers are synced between devices so you can create them on your iPad and send them from your iPhone.
Enhancements
- Delete items from the pasteboard by tapping the new delete button
- Refinement of icons and button spacing through the app
- Adjusted the size of the tool editor
- Pen opacity control now displays in the ink color
- Highlighted tools and menus now use a higher contrast black and white scheme
- Pen Dock layout fine tuned for smaller devices
- Timing improved so selecting tools is more responsive
- Range of greys increased in tool editor
- Pencil Case interface refined
Bug fixes
- Fixed an issue that could cause the Pen Opacity control to not respond to first tap
- Lots of other minor fixes