Procreate 5.2

ANOTHER DIMENSION The accomplished painting app has taken its first step into a larger world, with the ability to work with 3D models. We assess the results

An amazing new feature is that you can view your model at your desk using an AR feature right there in Procreate

Procreate was first released in March 2011 and was the first pro-level drawing app that really grabbed people’s attention on the ipad. Fast forward to November 2021 and we now have Procreate 5.2. It’s an amazing update in lots of ways, but the biggest addition is the ability to take 3D models and use all the Procreate brushes and effects right there on the model.

Procreate comes with a few 3D samples that enable you to get going the second you download the app, but the real power comes when you take your own models from programs such as Zbrush, Blender, Maya and even models created on the ipad with apps like Nomad Sculpt and Forger. Models have to be unwrapped and have UV coordinates, which is how textures are applied to models in 3D.

There’s one fly in the ointment for ipad sculptors: there aren’t many options for creating UV coordinates on an ipad (Forger has some basic tools) and so you have to resort to a desktop program such as Blender to generate them.

PAINTING IN 3D

The 3D painting process is easy to grasp. In fact, as long as you already know how to use Procreate then there isn’t much to learn. You import the model you want to paint. It has layers in the same way a flat image does. If the model has separate parts you can tap the part you want to paint on, and away you go. There are sub-layers for establishing roughness and how metallic the object should appear, which makes it possible to enhance your painting with reflectivity.

There’s also a new 3D tab that gives you access to lighting and the environment. You can add new lights, colour them and alter the HDRI (backgrounds that will reflect in your model). You can use any Procreate brush or feature, and so tools such as Smudge are great for mixing up the paint that’s already on the model. There is an option to see your texture

flattened out. This means you can also bring in other images or textures and add them via your usual 2D workflow.

AUGMENTED REALITY

An amazing new feature is that you can view your model at your desk using an AR feature right there in Procreate. This shows where digital art is heading and it’s fantastic that Savage has added this feature to this update. Being able to check out your designs in the very room you’re working in is liberating. It won’t be long before we see some exciting things created with this update.

The non-3d additions include a much-improved stroke stabilisation feature for when you’re creating your own brushes. If you’re lucky enough to have a 16GB ipad Pro you can now take advantage of larger documents and even more layers. There’s a new Page Assist feature that enables you to view all of your sketch ideas in a convenient sketchbook format, which is fantastic news for storyboard artists and comic book illustrators. Finally, you can bring in PDFS and annotate them, which widens the app’s appeal.

It would have been nice to get some automated Uving tools to make it easy to import any model, but we’re sure there’ll be future updates that will support Procreate’s impressive step into the 3D realm.

Give your 3D robot model a bit of wear and tear by adjusting the Roughness and Metallic layers. You can import a couple of popular file formats, but you can export a lot more – including both your 3D models and the textures that you’ve painted. If you’re already familiar with Procreate then you can use the 3D features. The layers engine is exactly the same, with some additions.

Savage has added an AR feature that enables you to show your painted 3D creation in the real world right there on your desk!

The Page assist feature means that you can bring in and view your PDFS and read them like a comic.