Procreate 5.2: What’s new? What’s updated? And what is different?

Published in

Rutgers Creative X

7 min readDec 8, 2021

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Procreate released a new update on November 1, 2021, with new and exciting features awaiting exploration. Here is a run-down of the new features:

Note: This article focuses on the iPad app, not the iPhone app (Procreate Pocket).

3D Model Painting

This new feature allows users to explore and transform finished 3D models. These models can be personalized with the Procreate brushes. In addition, one can also import their own templates in the following 3D file formats: OBJ, USD, and USDZ.

Read here to learn more about the file formats and import process: https://beebom.com/how-import-export-3d-models-procreate/.

A screenshot of a stack of a 3D Model templates provided by Procreate. The templates include: surfboard, electric guitar, ceramic vase, sunglasses, and motorcycle helmet. — **Template eXamples!**

Some features to explore with the 3D Model Painting:

Transform

This helps to transform the content on the model while ensuring it remains attached to the model surface. There are 2 settings: Automatic and Advanced. The Automatic is for simple transformations that are restricted to the surface it belongs to. The Advanced allowed for more dynamic transformations that don’t need to be attached to the model surface. The Flip, Rotate, Bilinear and Reset features carry over from the normal transform features. The Projection feature is special to the 3D model transform; this helps control the direction and depth of the transformation. It can take 2D pieces like a swatch and extend over the entire surface.

Learn more about these features here: https://procreate.art/handbook/procreate/3d-painting/transform/?section

Lighting Studio

Screenshot of how to access the Light and Environment Feature: Actions > 3D > Edit lighting and environment — **Actions > 3D > Edit lighting and environment**

There is a lighting studio feature available specifically for the 3D models. The 2 main settings are the Add Light and Environment.

Add Light helps to up to 4 light sources, and one can choose its location about the model. The hue, saturation and intensity settings can be altered individually for each light.

The Environment features 11 lighting conditions (both indoor and outdoor) that can be added after the light source. The Environment itself won’t be shown; the setting mimics the lighting conditions.

Other features include Show Environment (gives the option to remove environment setting if not desired) and exposure (similar to photography exposure and controls the light allowed in the Environment.

View in AR

**This feature helps to view the 3D model in real space and time. One can change the angle and size of the model to explore the design.**

Export features

The Model file can be exported in the following formats:

The image exports are the same as before:

The animation exports are the same as well:

However, the settings within the options are a bit different.

**Animation options; also available in HEVC format.**

The animation style is either a 360 angle rotation or 180 swings.
Animation duration alters the length of the animation.
Zoom Distance determines how much the model zooms out.
Ease changes the momentum of the object animation
The Show Environment helps to change the background essentially to show the lighting settings or have a transparent background.
The MP4 and HEVC formats have further export formats like 720p, 1080p, 4K and Square.

Lastly, the share textures option helps to export the textures as individual PNG’s.

The Ambient Occlusion, Color, Metallic, Normal and Roughness will all be exported through the feature.

**Left: layers of the model; Right: exports of all layers in 5 different formats in png**

Brushes + Studio

The new update made remarkable additions to the Brushes Library and Brush Studio.

Brush Sizes + Memory

Say goodbye to remembering which brush you and what size it was at!

**Brush size memory; applicable to the opacity settings + smudge and erase brushes**

For each brush specifically, one can save up to 4 of their favorite size and opacity settings. These will appear anytime the brush is selected. This also extends to the Smudge and Erase options as well.

Brush Library

**A new subsection called “Recent” tracks all the brushes you’ve used across all your procreate files!**

The downside is that the memory isn’t unlimited, i.e., it only remembers the last 8 brushes you have used.

Some options within the Recent include Pin (you can pin your favorite brushes) and Find (helps to find where the brush is located in the library).

New inking and materials brushes are introduced with the update and are available to use in any context. Go brush library> Inking or Materials to see the new brushes!

Brush Studio

There are 2 new features in the Brush Studio: Stroke Stabilization and Materials.

**Location of features in the Brush Studio**

The Stroke Stabilization feature helps to smoothen out hand-drawn strokes, making them straighter in appearance. The settings for this feature are Streamline, Stabilization and Motion Filtering (will be discussed in the accessibility features).

**Stroke Stabilization options; excludes the Motion Filtering (see Accessibility)**

Streamlines smooth out any wobbles in drawn lines; it is particularly useful for inking and calligraphy. Stabilization helps to make strokes more deliberately smoother and straighter. It averages out any wobbles, making them appear as discreet as possible.

The Materials feature can alter the metallic and roughness attributes of the brushes like the amount, scale and source.

Color Palette

There are 2 new features introduced in the Color Palette section: Color History and Color Palette Cards.

Color History: there is a small section above the selected color palette. It shows the recent color history.

Cards: it is an expanded color palette with large square swatches and the color name. There are 3 colors per row.

The color name is an estimated guess. The name can be changed as needed.

Page Assist

This new feature helps to transform a procreate file into a sketchbook. This is helpful for the creation of storyboards or the consolidation of ideas.

**Right: Actions > Canvas > Page Assist; Left: Page Assist nav bar at the bottom of the screen**

You can also import PDFs that will automatically be translated into different layers and accessible with this feature.

**Open PDF files in the Files App and the Open in Procreate option will become available; Procreate will translate each page as a new layer and can be viewed as a book with Page Assist**

New Accessibility Features

Larger Text

One can change the type size in the Accessibility settings of an Ipad. It will automatically apply to the Procreate application.

**Before and After (circa 2021 + Colorized)**

Motion Filtering

Motion filtering is like a more advanced version of the Stabilization feature. It helps to smooth out any wobbly lines resulting from tremors or shaky hands without changing the stabilization settings.

Its expression feature can help retain character/expression that could be lost with the previous settings.

**Part of Stroke Stabilization feature in Brush Studio**

Cards

**One can change the color by double tapping on the color card!**

The color palette cards are also an accessibility feature to help with the viewing experience of the color palette and understanding the colors more.

Feedback sounds

Feedback sounds create alert sounds for any action performed with procreate features like selecting brush size, using the selection tool, etc.

Customizable onion skins

Within animation assist mode, one can now customize the background color. The color features are similar to the color studio option.

**Actions > Canvas > Animation Assist (will the nav bar shown in the bottom of the screen); background color for animation can be changed accordingly**

New languages

There are 3 new application languages available: Thai, Hindi and Polish.

**Left: Thai; Middle: Hindi; Right: Polish**

One can change their language settings in Settings> General> Language and Region to the languages above. It will automatically apply to procreate.

**Settings > General > Language & Region > iPad Language (change to desired language)**

Additional resources

Procreate Handbook: https://procreate.art/handbook/procreate/introduction/. A helpful source to learn more about the updates and Procreate in general!
For visual learners, here are some video recommendations:
https://youtu.be/BD1UvBlU6W0
https://youtu.be/N0jvsLYb4mM
https://youtu.be/HCJfkviYgms (this one includes time stamps)

The UI/UX of procreate has made significant improvements. Its accessibility features keep improving with each update. There are endless features available for any given canvas and encourages a diverse range of art.

There is a feature that Procreate hasn’t addressed much through its updates: Stacks. The organization features are easily the biggest issue with app. It is hard to move files around stacks or even unstack artworks. Hopefully, this issue will be addressed in the next update.