iAd Producer from Apple

http://developer.apple.com/iad/iadproducer/

by joao • 16 years ago

113 44 16 years ago

developer.apple.com

mshafrir• 16 years ago

Note that you must be a member of the iOS Developer Program to download IAd Producer.

futuremint• 16 years ago

Can this be used to edit/manage all HTML5/CSS3 animations? If this is like a Motion for HTML/CSS that'd be awesome.

cubicle67• 16 years ago

my prediction - within 24 hours someone will have posted details on how to use this to generate content for non-iAd purposes

Samuel_Michon8• 16 years ago

This is quite impressive. Combined with the codebase of Dashcode and Xcode 4, Apple now has everything it takes to make the HTML5 authoring suite that we've been waiting for. Imagine not having to code Canvas or SVG animations, just point and click. Once such a WYSIWYG app exists, there'd be no excuses left to use Flash online.

(EDIT) To clarify: what I have in mind is a pro app that is sold in the same way Apple's other pro apps are (Final Cut, Logic, Aperture). No dev account needed, pricing between $300-500. It would produce clean, readable code that would run on any platform that has a decent JavaScript engine and support for HTML5, Canvas, CSS3, SVG, and h.264.

whatever_dude• 16 years ago

Awesome. Now we'll just have to use an application that requires people to sign up and pay for a developer program to be allowed to use, that only runs on a single platform, and that can only generate content for a single ad platform on selected mobile devices.

That's quite better than the super-proprietary world of Flash... that allows me to use any of the 3 major platforms, using a number of free development environments, and publish anywhere and any way I want.

jbrennan• 16 years ago

I don't think the OP means to use this exact tool as an alternative to Flash and its tools, but that Apple could adapt this tool and its other developer tools to create a really compelling "HTML5" development tool.

rimantas• 16 years ago

Trolling? Either you compare HTML5 (which runs more than one platform and is open standard) vs Flash, or particular tools and then your "using a number of free development environments" does not apply. If not talking about particular tool: well, you know, you can write html and js in many many editors…

oneplusone3• 16 years ago

Apple doesn't get designers and any HTML5 authoring suite they produce would most likely be shitty. I know people think Mac is the designer's platform, but that has not been the case for quite some time. Software such as Aperture is an amateur version of Photoshop. Oddly enough I would look to Adobe for innovation in the HTML5 space.

noisebleed2• 16 years ago

I know as a fact that Adobe intends to try, but I can't help but think whatever they cook up is going to be only marginally useful for serious development (which frankly is my first impression of Producer as well, though it does have potential)

brisance• 16 years ago

But Aperture is NOT meant to be a Photoshop competitor but an Adobe Lightroom alternative. Aperture's primary function is photo management and is a step up from the very basic iPhoto; image editing and manipulation with heavy filters and layers were never its primary functions.

Samuel_Michon8• 16 years ago

"I know people think Mac is the designer's platform, but that has not been the case for quite some time."

Maybe you should send out a memo to set them straight, the entire creative industry is still using those overpriced toys. Surely designers don't need high quality type display, font and color management, and built-in multi-language support.

foljs2• 16 years ago

> Software such as Aperture is an amateur version of Photoshop.

And it's Apple that "doesn't get designers"?

Aperture is a photography workflow app, it's not an image editor. If you want to compare it to something, compare it to Adobe's own Lightroom, to Capture One, et al.

amadiver• 16 years ago

I'm a professional Flash dev, but I spend my after work time on CoffeeScript/JavaScript/HTML5/Node/MongoDB (♥ ECMAScript). There's definitely still a use-case for Flash. It's still faster for some stuff I do (in Webkit{Safari,Chrome}). ActionScript has some nice additions to ES that were unfortunately left out of JS going forward (classes/packages/implicit getters+setters, type enhancement). Adobe's doing some really interesting stuff with 3d+gpu http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/flash/molehill/

I don't blame people for statements like "Once such a WYSIWYG app exists, there'd be no excuses left to use Flash online". They're authoritative and are tapped into the zeitgeist. As an Interactive Dev, though, I hope my opinion can count as some kind of counterweight to what I sometimes view as polemic.

podperson• 16 years ago

If I may wax polemic...

Here's Adobe/Macromedia's fairly recent tech history:

* Use AS2, so much better than AS

* Use AS3, so much better than AS2 and soon to be the ES Standard. Whoops!

* Use our new 3D API, it sucks less than our non-3D API you hacked to kind of do 3D.

* Use our new, new unreleased incompatible 3D API, it sucks much less than our existing 3D API.

* Please continue to use our runtime because it has three virtual machines for three different languages, a 15 year old graphics engine we still haven't really modified to take advantage of modern GPUs, and an IDE that's a cruel joke.

And that's just Flash. They also spent two years hyping Atmosphere before abandoning it. They added a 3D API to Director, then ripped it out, then added another one, then basically left it without an update for five years.

So, basically, yes there's a use-case for Flash. Animated / interactive ads that run on a lot of platforms and custom video players that let you implement ads overlaid on video. Oh, and some casual games where you can ignore the fact Flash doesn't like to handle dynamic screen refresh rates.

Any new functionality Adobe bolts onto its carcass needs to be avoided like the plague.

That's really just about it.

steveklabnik2• 16 years ago

So _this_ is what they're using SproutCore for.

boucher• 16 years ago

Nope.

steveklabnik2• 16 years ago

Wow. It's not? That's crazy... it's all custom?

Samuel_Michon8• 16 years ago

SproutCore is already used for the MobileMe and iWork.com web interfaces. However, it is not the only web app framework Apple uses. Other known projects are Gianduia, Coherent, AdLib, TuneKit and PastryKit.

---

Coherent (Dashcode's JS framework): http://coherentjs.org/

AdLib (for iPad): http://almost.done21.com/2010/04/adlib-apples-secret-ipad-we...

PastryKit (for iPhone, iPod touch): http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/12/pastrykit-best-iph...

http://daringfireball.net/2009/12/more_on_pastrykit

Gianduia (for desktop browsers): http://lists.apple.com/archives/Webobjects-dev/2009/Nov/msg0...

---

More about the use of these different frameworks:

http://www.appleinsider.com/print/10/05/07/apple_developing_...

akamaka2• 16 years ago

As of the last time I checked, Apple still hasn't opened up iAd development to outsiders, so this doesn't seem to be of much use to us.

Does anyone know if this will be changing any time soon?

noisebleed2• 16 years ago

I think publicly releasing this application is pretty solid proof they intend to open it up soon.

akamaka2• 16 years ago

I'd love to think so, but they released their original and very basic programmer-oriented JavaScript library back in May, and that didn't lead to anything.

mambodog• 16 years ago

I would imagine that the release of this software outside of Apple would imply as much.

mortenjorck2• 16 years ago

Stealth launch in plain sight. This thing's true form, a full web app SDK with built-in distribution and a podcast directory-like, sandboxed-widget version of the App Store is going to be unveiled at WWDC. Seriously, I'd give this at least a 50% probability.

This is Apple's preemptive assault against the WebOS Ares SDK. They know they could have a situation on their hands if HP doesn't botch the next generation of WebOS devices.

cobralibre• 16 years ago

That sounds great to me, but I'm inclined to take pronouncements of this sort with a grain of salt. It was only a couple months ago, after all, that some industry watchers proclaimed that the new Apple TV with AirPlay was a trojan horse that would conquer every American living room and topple the cable TV industry.

But here's the thing: When Apple releases something that they think is significant, they say so.

kj12345• 16 years ago

Why would Apple create a serious competitor to their proprietary app stack when it's doing so well though? Seems to me the last thing Apple wants is to encourage cross-platform native-quality apps right now.

Samuel_Michon8• 16 years ago

On apps sold through the App Store, Apple makes 30 percent. On free iAd-supported apps it makes 40 percent.

Personally, I don't think iAd Producer (or its sibling) will create "native-quality" apps. I can't imagine games like Infinity Blade being created in HTML5. But surely, database viewers (like many apps in the App Store are) should run fine.

modeless• 16 years ago

Anyone here ever clicked on an iAd? The experience is reminiscent of an early '00s Flash-based website, complete with 30 second loading screen, "skip intro" button, poorly-designed non-standard UI widgets to puzzle over, and terrible framerate. It's an experience I wouldn't put up with for a useful app, let alone an advertisement. Not sure what Apple was thinking...

shock-value• 16 years ago

I'm surprised Apple doesn't allow iAds to run natively as opposed to only HTML/JS. I mean, I'm sure once they open it up to everyone there will still be an approval process anyway, a la the App Store, so what would be the downside?

You could do a lot of cool, eye catching graphical stuff (3D, etc) that wouldn't suffer slowdown and would probably even use less memory (if well designed). Plus ad designers would have the full native UI library at their fingertips.

Anyone know why they aren't allowing this?

silvestrov• 16 years ago

Native apps cost a lot more to develop, and WebKit frames are easier to sandbox UI-wise and are easier to integrate into other apps. Native apps has to be downloaded and installed and certificate-verified whereas html5 ads can just be launched.

So the iAd market will have to get really huge before native ads are worth the trouble.

jrockway• 16 years ago

I love how the first thing your eye sees is the phone with the map, and then a Google logo. I guess that rivalry is not as tough as Steve Jobs' 140 character email replies would lead one to believe...

iAd Producer from Apple

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