FAQ

What is SimpleMotion? 

SimpleAnimation is a frame-by-frame animation app for iPad. It lets you draw directly on a canvas using Apple Pencil, build animations across multiple layers, import reference video for rotoscoping, and export your finished animation as a GIF, MP4, or PNG.

Do I need an Apple Pencil to use Simple Motion? 

Apple Pencil is strongly recommended for drawing, as it gives you pressure sensitivity and precision. However the app does support finger input as well, so you can navigate, select layers, and scrub the timeline using touch.

What iPad models does Simple Motion support? 

SimpleAnimation runs on any iPad running iPadOS 17 or later. For the best experience, an iPad with Apple Pencil support is recommended.

Does the app require an internet connection? 

No. Simple Motion works entirely offline. All your projects are saved locally on your iPad and no internet connection is ever required.

How do I create a new project?

 From the gallery screen, tap the New button in the top right or the large plus button in the project grid. A setup sheet will appear where you can enter a project name, choose a canvas size, and set your frame rate.

What canvas sizes are available? 

Simple Motion includes several standard presets: HD (1280×720), Full HD (1920×1080), 4K (3840×2160), Square (1080×1080), Portrait (1080×1920), iPad (2048×1536), and Classic (1024×768). A visual preview shows the aspect ratio of each option before you create.

Can I rename a project? 

Yes. Long press on any project thumbnail in the gallery to bring up the context menu, then tap Rename.

How do I delete a project?

Long press on the project thumbnail in the gallery and tap Delete. This permanently removes the project and all its files from your device and cannot be undone.

Where are my projects stored? 

All projects are saved locally in the app's documents folder on your iPad. Each project has its own subfolder which you can browse in the Files app under On My iPad → Simple Motion. Projects are included in your iPad's standard backups via iCloud or iTunes.

How do layers work?

 Layers let you separate different parts of your animation. For example you might have a background layer, a character layer, and an ink cleanup layer. Layers are stacked on top of each other — layers higher in the panel appear in front of lower ones. Each layer can be independently shown or hidden, and has its own opacity control.

How do I add a new layer? 

Tap the + button in the top right of the layer panel. New drawing layers are added above the currently selected layer.

How do I select a layer? 

Tap the layer name in the layer panel on the right side of the screen, or tap any frame cell on that layer in the dope sheet. The active layer is highlighted with an amber border.

How do I reorder layers? 

Tap the Reorder button in the layer panel header. You can then drag layers up and down to change their order. Tap Done when finished.

Can I rename a layer? 

Yes. Double-tap the layer name in the layer panel to enter rename mode. Type the new name and tap the checkmark to confirm.

How do I change a layer's opacity? 

Tap the layer to select it. An opacity slider will appear below the layer name. Drag it left to make the layer more transparent and right to make it fully opaque.

What is the eye icon on each layer? 

The eye icon toggles the layer's visibility on and off. Hidden layers are still part of your animation but won't show on the canvas or appear in exports.

How do I add a new frame? 

Tap the Add Frame button (plus rectangle icon) in the playback bar at the bottom. A new frame will be added to the currently active layer.

What is the dope sheet? 

The dope sheet is the timeline grid at the bottom of the screen. Each row represents a layer and each column represents a frame. Filled cells show which frames have content drawn on them. You can tap any cell to jump to that frame.

What is a hold frame? 

A hold frame is when the same drawing is displayed across multiple consecutive frames without needing to redraw it. This is useful for held poses or static backgrounds. Long press a frame cell in the dope sheet and choose Set Hold Duration to configure it.

How do I delete a frame? 

Long press any frame cell in the dope sheet to bring up the context menu, then tap Delete Frame. This removes that frame from the layer and shifts subsequent frames back.

How do I clear a frame without deleting it? 

Long press the frame cell and tap Clear Frame. This erases the drawing on that frame but keeps the frame slot in the timeline. You can also clear the current frame using the eraser button in the playback bar.

How do I select multiple frames at once? 

Long press any frame cell and tap Select Frames. This enters selection mode for that layer. Tap additional cells to add them to your selection, then use the action bar that appears to delete, clear, or duplicate them all at once.

Can different layers have different numbers of frames? 

Yes. Each layer manages its own frame count independently. If one layer is shorter than others it will hold its last frame for the remaining duration of the animation.

What drawing tools are available? 

Simple Motion uses Apple's PencilKit drawing engine, giving you access to the full range of tools in the floating tool picker — pen, pencil, marker, monoline, fountain pen, watercolour, crayon, and eraser. Tap any tool to select it and adjust its size and opacity within the picker.

How do I change the drawing colour? 

Use the colour picker within the tool picker to choose any colour. You can also use the floating colour palette on the canvas to quickly switch between up to four saved colours. Long press any colour swatch in the palette to change it.

How do I undo and redo? 

Two-finger tap to undo. Three-finger tap to redo. This works anywhere on the canvas.

What is onion skinning? 

Onion skinning shows a ghost of the previous frame underneath your current drawing, helping you maintain consistent movement between frames. Toggle it on and off with the Onion Skin button (camera filters icon) in the playback bar.

Can I rotate and zoom the canvas? 

Yes. Use a two-finger pinch to zoom in and out. Use a two-finger rotation gesture to rotate the canvas. Tap the Reset Canvas button (counterclockwise arrow) in the playback bar to return to the default position and scale.

What drawing tools are available? 

Simple Motion uses Apple's PencilKit drawing engine, giving you access to the full range of tools in the floating tool picker — pen, pencil, marker, monoline, fountain pen, watercolour, crayon, and eraser. Tap any tool to select it and adjust its size and opacity within the picker.

How do I change the drawing colour?

 Use the colour picker within the tool picker to choose any colour. You can also use the floating colour palette on the canvas to quickly switch between up to four saved colours. Long press any colour swatch in the palette to change it.

How do I undo and redo? 

Two-finger tap to undo. Three-finger tap to redo. This works anywhere on the canvas.

What is onion skinning? 

Onion skinning shows a ghost of the previous frame underneath your current drawing, helping you maintain consistent movement between frames. Toggle it on and off with the Onion Skin button (camera filters icon) in the playback bar.

Can I rotate and zoom the canvas? 

Yes. Use a two-finger pinch to zoom in and out. Use a two-finger rotation gesture to rotate the canvas. Tap the Reset Canvas button (counterclockwise arrow) in the playback bar to return to the default position and scale.

What export formats does Simple Motion support? 

You can export your animation as an Animated GIF, an MP4 video, or a PNG still image of the current frame.

How do I export my animation? 

Tap the Export button (share icon) in the top right of the editor. Choose your format and export size, then tap Export. A Share button will appear once the export is ready, letting you save to Files, share via AirDrop, send via Messages, or open in another app.

What export sizes are available? 

You can export at half size (½×) for smaller file sizes or full size (1×) for the original canvas resolution.

Why does my exported GIF look different from the canvas? 

GIF format has a 256 colour limit per frame which can cause some colour banding on complex artwork. For full colour fidelity, export as MP4 instead.

How do I back up a project? 

In the gallery, long press any project thumbnail and tap Backup Project. The app will create a .smpkg backup file and present a share sheet so you can save it to Files, iCloud Drive, or any other location.

How do I restore a project from a backup? 

Tap the Restore button in the gallery header. Browse to your .smpkg backup file and select it. The project will be restored to your gallery with all layers, frames, and settings intact.

Can I transfer projects between iPads? 

Yes. Back up the project on your first iPad as described above, save the .smpkg file to iCloud Drive or transfer it via AirDrop, then use the Restore function on your second iPad to import it.

My drawings aren't showing up on the canvas. 

Make sure the layer you're drawing on is visible (eye icon is showing) and is the active layer (highlighted with an amber border in the layer panel). Also check that the layer is a drawing layer — video and image layers cannot be drawn on directly.

The tool picker is showing white as the default ink colour. 

This can happen if the device is in dark mode. Simple Motion is designed to work in light mode. Check your iPad's display settings and ensure the app is not being affected by system dark mode. We recommend setting your iPad to light mode while using Simple Motion.

My animation plays too fast or too slow. 

The playback speed is determined by the frame rate you set when creating the project. You can check your project's frame rate — it is displayed in the new project setup sheet. Standard animation rates are 12fps for traditional animation, 24fps for film, and 8fps for a classic flipbook feel.

I accidentally deleted a frame — can I recover it? 

Unfortunately deleted frames cannot be recovered within the app. We recommend using the Backup feature regularly, especially before making large changes to your timeline.

The app is running slowly with a long video imported. 

Importing a long video creates a large number of image files on disk. For best performance, trim your reference video to only the section you need before importing, and consider working at half canvas size if your project has many layers and frames.