Inscribed is a web application that lets users create stop-motion animations and slideshow presentations using Excalidraw drawings. It provides a simple interface for sequencing drawings, adding transitions, and exporting the final product as a video or GIF. The tool leverages the familiar Excalidraw drawing experience, making it easy to create engaging visual content, from animated explainers to dynamic presentations.
A new web application called Inscribed has been launched, offering a streamlined and intuitive platform for creating stop-motion animations and dynamic slideshow presentations, all powered by the popular online whiteboard tool, Excalidraw. Inscribed leverages Excalidraw's familiar drawing interface and extends its functionality to incorporate the element of time, allowing users to craft engaging visual narratives.
The application simplifies the typically complex process of stop-motion animation by allowing users to create individual frames within Excalidraw and then seamlessly string them together within the Inscribed interface. This removes the need for external software or complicated workflows, making the creation of stop-motion content accessible to a wider audience. Furthermore, the integration with Excalidraw allows users to capitalize on its existing features, such as a library of pre-drawn shapes, collaborative drawing capabilities, and a simple, user-friendly interface.
Beyond stop-motion animation, Inscribed also facilitates the creation of dynamic slideshow presentations. Users can design individual slides within Excalidraw, incorporating drawings, text, and other visual elements, and then sequence them within Inscribed to build a presentation. This allows for a more visually engaging and interactive presentation format compared to traditional slide decks, as the Excalidraw integration allows for hand-drawn aesthetics and flexible design options. The resulting presentations can then be shared and viewed online, offering a novel approach to conveying information and ideas.
In essence, Inscribed expands the capabilities of Excalidraw by adding a temporal dimension, transforming it from a static drawing tool into a platform for creating dynamic visual content, ranging from animated stories to engaging presentations. This integration simplifies the creation process and opens up new avenues for creative expression using the familiar and accessible Excalidraw environment.
Summary of Comments ( 4 )
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=43078555
Hacker News users discussed Inscribed's potential, particularly its integration with Excalidraw. Some saw it as a valuable tool for creating explainer videos and presentations, appreciating its simplicity and the familiar Excalidraw interface. However, others questioned its value proposition compared to existing tools like PowerPoint or dedicated animation software, expressing concerns about limited features and potential lock-in. The lack of offline functionality and reliance on a closed-source platform were also points of concern for some commenters. There was also a discussion about the challenge of effectively using stop-motion animation for conveying complex information.
The Hacker News post for Inscribed, a tool for creating stop-motion animation and slides using Excalidraw, generated several comments discussing its potential uses, limitations, and comparisons to other tools.
Several commenters expressed enthusiasm for the application, praising its intuitive interface and the clever integration with Excalidraw. One user highlighted its potential for creating engaging presentations, envisioning its use for crafting animated explanations of complex topics or producing short, animated stories. They appreciated the ability to leverage the familiar drawing tools of Excalidraw within a dedicated animation environment.
The discussion also touched upon the limitations of the current version. Some users pointed out the absence of features like onion skinning (the ability to see previous frames while drawing the current one), which is a standard feature in most animation software. This limitation, they argued, makes it challenging to create smooth and consistent animations. Another user suggested the addition of tweening functionality (automatic generation of in-between frames) to simplify the animation process.
Comparisons were made to other tools like Rough Animator, which some commenters felt offered a more robust feature set for animation, albeit at a cost. The open-source nature of Excalidraw and its integration with Inscribed was seen as a significant advantage by some, who valued the flexibility and control it offers. One commenter specifically mentioned using Excalidraw for storyboarding and expressed interest in how Inscribed could further streamline their workflow.
The conversation also drifted towards broader topics like the potential of web-based animation tools and the increasing accessibility of creative software. One user pondered the future of presentation software, suggesting that tools like Inscribed could pave the way for more dynamic and engaging presentations compared to traditional slide decks.
While some users expressed concerns about potential performance issues with complex animations, the overall sentiment towards Inscribed was positive. Many viewed it as a promising tool with the potential to fill a niche in the animation and presentation software landscape, particularly for users already familiar with the Excalidraw ecosystem.