FlipaClip is Free 2D animation software released in 2012 by the Meson brothers of studio Visual Blasters. It is one of the most easily available and beginner friendly animation software, often being most animators first animation program.
As it free, you do have to watch some adds to unlock certain features temporarily, or you can purchase FlipaClip Plus to get around this, for a beater experience.
This page will aim to answer any questions and clear up confusions.
(The current info box is temporary)
UI[]
Interface[]
New:
The examples shone below are of how it used to look. You can still make it look this way if you prefer the original layout instead by going into the settings.
Old:
canvas[]
Size: Make sure you change the canvas size before making a new project. If you realise you have already started working on a project but needed the canvas size to be smaller or bigger, then your out of luck as the canvas size can not be changed once a project has been made. However you could meticulously copy every frame from your first project into the second project with the canvas size that you need (You should avoid this outcome). Or, you could Change the size of the exported mp4 or the .fc format project file to achieve this, the following advice has been provided;
| “ | For the .fc file, you can try transferring to a computer, right clicking and opening in notepad. If it's gibberish then there's nothing you can do. If the file has normal text in it you might be able to use the find function (ctrl-f) to find "1280" as well as "720" and manually change the canvas size. If you modify data there's a chance of it corrupting the file or even prevent flipaclip from loading so make backups of all flipaclip files before putting a modified file on your phone |
” |
— HeartOfTheStorm
|
Tools[]
Lasso tool[]
When you tap on the Lasso tool, you can select an object on your canvas by drawing around it. It will create a dotted line box around the object you draw around. You can also double tap on the lasso tool icon to automatically select the object on the frame. Here is what you can do:
Copying an area with the lasso tool:
- Step 1- Select the lasso tool from the tools menu.
- Step 2- Trace the lasso tool around the object you want to copy.
- Step 3- Hit the copy icon at the top of your screen.
- Step 4- Tap the paste icon and drag to where you want the object.
Resize or rotate with the uniform transform tool:
When you trace around the object you want to copy, the transform tool is automatically selected on the bottom toolbar. Here you can resize the selected object by dragging any of the squares that appear around the object. You also have the option to rotate the selected object by dragging the circle at the top of the selected object.
Brushes[]
| Name | Appearance | description |
|---|---|---|
| Pen | 
|
The pen tool is selected by default. This allows you to draw solid lines on the canvas. |
| Sketch | 
|
Use Sketch brush to create rough, preliminary drawings or sketches of characters, objects, or scenes. |
| Airbrush | 
|
Create smooth gradients, shading, and subtle transitions of color with the Airbrush. |
| Airbrush (Darker) | 
|
Enhance depth and intensity in your artwork with the Airbrush (Darker), perfect for adding rich shadows and bold accents to your compositions. |
| Crayon | 
|
This brush simulates the look and texture of traditional Crayons. It is commonly used to create a unique, expressive, and hand-drawn look. |
| Penceil | 
|
The Pencil brush draws lines similar to what a real pencil would make on paper. |
| Brush | 
|
This lets you draw lines with a brush-like effect. The output lines gradually fade in, solidify, and then fade out as you end the “brush stroke.” The lines it produces are rounded. |
| Highlighter | 
|
This brush lets you “highlight" using different colors. It works well to create more dynamic art by adding a semi-transparent layer of color. The highlighter is square-shaped, which is one of the things that differentiates it from the other tools. |
| Pixel | 
|
Create retro-style graphic pixel animations to achieve a specific aesthetic reminiscent of old-school video games or pixel art. Use this pixel brush along with the Pixel Effect feature in layers. |
| Ink | 
|
Create dynamic, flowing, and expressive lines that resemble the strokes of a brush dipped in ink. |
| Spray | 
|
Simulate the effect of spraying paint or ink onto a surface to create textured and atmospheric effects, such as splatters, speckles, or spray paint-like patterns. |
| Stripple | 
|
Create a stippling effect, which involves applying small dots or stippled marks to achieve artwork shading, texture, or tonal variations. Stippling is a technique commonly used in traditional art, such as pen and ink drawings. |
| Rough Pen | 
|
Mimic the texture and stroke qualities of a rough or textured pen to achieve a rough, hand-drawn, or inked look, similar to what can be achieved with traditional pen and paper. |
| Coligrophy | 
|
The Calligraphy brush is a brush style that mimics the strokes of a calligraphy pen or brush. It is often used for creating elegant and flowing lines in artwork. |
| Halftone | 
|
The Halftone brush simulates the effect of halftone printing, which creates shading and gradients using tiny dots. It's typically used for adding texture and depth to illustrations. |
| Halftone Right hatch | 
|
This brush produces a right-leaning hatch pattern using halftone dots, which is commonly used for shading and creating gradients in a specific direction. |
| Halftone Left hatch | 
|
Like the right hatch brush, the Halftone Left Hatch brush creates a left-leaning hatch pattern with halftone dots for shading and adding gradients in the opposite direction. |
| Gradient | 
|
The Gradient brush is used to apply smooth color transitions, creating a gradient effect. It's useful for blending colors and adding depth to illustrations. |
| Mosaic | 
|
The Mosaic brush generates a mosaic-like pattern, often used for creating pixelated or mosaic-style artwork for a unique visual effect. |
| Sparkles | 
|
The Sparkles brush adds sparkling or twinkling details to your artwork, enhancing the overall visual appeal by adding shimmer and shine. |
| Leaves | 
|
The Leaves brush is designed to create the appearance of various types of leaves and foliage. It's commonly used in nature-themed artwork and for adding organic textures. |
| Hair | 
|
The Hair brush is ideal for simulating the texture and appearance of hair in illustrations. It can be used for drawing realistic or stylized hair in character design and portraiture. |
| Fur | 
|
The Fur brush is designed to replicate the texture and appearance of fur. It's commonly used for adding realistic or stylized fur details to animals and creatures in artwork. |
| 3D Brush | 
|
The 3D brush is a tool for creating three-dimensional effects in your artwork. It allows you to add depth and dimension to objects, making them appear as if they are popping out of the canvas. |
| 3D Candy cane | 
|
The 3D Candy Cane brush is a specialized 3D brush that gives you a realistic-looking candy cane with three-dimensional effects. It's often used in holiday-themed illustrations. |
| Grunge | 
|
The Grunge brush is known for its rough and textured appearance. It's commonly used to add a weathered, distressed, or grungy look to artwork, which can be particularly useful for creating vintage or gritty visuals. |
| Sprinkles | 
|
The Sprinkles brush is designed to create the appearance of sprinkles, like those found on desserts such as cupcakes or ice cream. It's great for adding a fun and colorful touch to food-themed illustrations. |
| Dots | 
|
The Dots brush produces a pattern of dots. It's versatile and can be used for various purposes, such as adding stippling texture or creating pointillism-style artwork. |
| Squares | 
|
The Squares brush is a tool that creates a pattern or texture composed of square shapes. It's often used for adding a grid-like or pixelated effect to artwork, or for creating geometric and structured designs. |
| Dash | 
|
The Dash brush is a brush that produces a series of dashes or short, linear segments. It's useful for creating dashed lines or patterns in artwork, and it's commonly employed in graphic design and illustration to give a distinctive visual style to lines or strokes. |
| Dip | 
|
Capture intricate details and elegant lines reminiscent of traditional pen-and-ink illustrations with the Dip Pen, offering precise control and expressive strokes. |
| Gear | 
|
Unlock dynamic textures and mechanical precision with the Gear brush, ideal for adding intricate patterns and industrial flair to your designs. |
| Grain | 
|
Infuse your artwork with organic texture and depth using the Grain pen, allowing for nuanced shading and tactile realism reminiscent of traditional media. |
| Heartbeat | 
|
Inject life and emotion into your creations with the Heartbeat brush, pulsating with rhythmic strokes that convey energy, passion, and vitality. |
| Pen (Choppy) | 
|
Add an edgy and dynamic flair to your artwork with the Pen Choppy brush, creating bold, fragmented lines and unpredictable textures for a striking visual impact. |
| Pen (Soft) | 
|
Craft gentle and smooth strokes with the Pen Soft brush, ideal for creating delicate linework, subtle shading, and soft transitions in your compositions. |
| Pencil 6B | 
|
Replicate the rich, dark lines and expressive shading of a 6B pencil with precision and versatility using the Pencil 6B brush, perfect for achieving lifelike textures and depth in your sketches. |
| Pencil H | 
|
Capture fine details and crisp lines with the Pencil H brush, offering precise control and subtle shading for meticulous illustrations and technical drawings. |
| Pencil HB | 
|
Strike the perfect balance between precision and versatility with the Pencil HB brush, ideal for crisp lines, smooth shading, and nuanced detailing in your artwork. |
| saw | 
|
Infuse your designs with the rugged texture and raw power of a saw with the Saw brush, perfect for adding gritty, industrial elements and dramatic accents to your compositions. |
| Static | 
|
Electrify your artwork with the Static brush, unleashing crackling energy and chaotic textures for a striking, avant-garde aesthetic. |
Ruler-Tool[]
Where to find:
How to use:
- Double tap the brush icon to display the secondary menu which includes the ruler.
- Once enabled you will see the ruler icon highlighted and the last used ruler will be shown on the canvas. You will also see that you now also have options to choose a straight line, circle, or square on the right-hand side of the screen. This is also where you will activate the mirror and lock tools.
- Select a ruler type and move the ruler around and adjust its size as needed. You can draw anywhere on the screen. Drag the shape or horizontal line to the desired location on the canvas: Slide the red dots to adjust the angle of the shape and hold and drag the red square to move the entire location. The ruler will cause any drawing to follow the shape of the ruler.
- When finished using the tool, click the Ruler icon again to exit the ruler mode
Time-Laps[]
To create a time laps, select the project you want make a time laps of, after doing so, a few opinations a will appear at the bottom of the screen.
Once you have turned it on in the setting, You can view the time laps you have made. Select the project, click on share time-lapse save to your device, then you will be able to view it in your camera roll.
FlipaClip Plus[]
Since FlipaClip is Free, it also makes money from its subscription services, which is 5 dollars (and 56 cent's) a month.
| Benefits | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Customize grid settings | Modify the size and opacity on the stage's grid |
| Add your own audio | Add your own audio to your project to personalize it |
| Add longer videos | Import videos of any length |
| Back up projects | Download your FlipaClip project into a shareable file to send to a friend or to another one of your devices |
| Remove watermark | Turn OFF the FlipaClip logo in your movies |
| Export Image Sequence | Save your animation as a PNG |
| Customize canvas sizes | Create any unique canvas size up to 1920x1920 |
| Customize onion settings | Modify the opacity, frames shown, and colour |
| Add more layers | Add up to 10 layers and merge them too |
| Audio Library | Full access to 100's of sounds in the Audio Library |
| Magic Cut | Upload and cut images of your own to add to your animations |
| Extra Brushes | Access to additional brushes |
| Voice AI | Bring your characters to life effortlessly with our new Voice AI feature! |
| Remove Ads | Removes all ads! |
Watermark[]
By default, FlipaClip movies will have a watermarked logo. Removing it is a premium feature, Requiring FlipaClip Plus. You can toggle this off if you want to remove it from your movie.
The information shown below the “Make Movie” button is related to your animation project:
- The first info to the left is the number of FPS your animation project is set to.
- In the middle it shows you the total duration of your animation in seconds or minutes.
- The info to the right is the total number of frames that makes your animation project.
Making Backups[]
-This is a premium feature.
- View your projects.
- Tap and hold the project you are backing up.
- Tap the share icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap Share Project.
- Save to your files or share it (You could email it to your self).
Tips[]
- For beginners, it is recommended to keep your frames-per-second betwean12 to 15 for smoother animation. (This doesn't really apply for everyone so it's best to see what works for you)
Help[]
- Audio: The Audio formats that are supported in the current version are: wav, mp4, m4a, and mp3.
- Uploading errors: If your having trouble directly uploading an animation from FlipaClip to YouTube (i.e, giving you an error message, or failing to upload for seemingly no reason), either share it to your gallery or download it to your device, and upload it from there. (This problem may occur for some people after the most recent update)
- Import a video: When on the stage of any frame, press on the three dots in the top-right corner. Select “Add Video” Then Select where you want to get your video from and choose the video. You can trim the video to your liking after that Finely, Press the check mark to import the video.
- Formats: The video formats you can chose are MP4, GIF and PNG Sequence
- Files: FlipaClip project files have a .fc file extension. Your device should automatically recognize that the .fc file extension is associated with FlipaClip so once you tap on the .fc file it should automatically be opened with FlipaClip.
- Cloud Storage (Baking up projects): The app does not have its own backup cloud service for your animation projects therefore you have to manually save them to third-party cloud storage apps like Google Drive.
- Pressure sensitive: Yes, FlipaClip has this feature.
- External hardware: Drawing pads and stylus pen's as well as most other hardware are usually compatible with the app.
Examples of animation[]
An example of dualists animated with FlipaClip would be Taal or Hydro2O.
Resources/Sources[]
- [Website]
- [FlipaClip Wiki]
- [Help-forum]