Animation
Pencil2D: use onion skin to compare a small movement
Nearby drawings can guide a movement, but a crowded canvas can hide the drawing you are editing. Start with a small onion-skin comparison.
TOPIC FIELDNOTES
Creative tools and recording
Drawing, image editing, audio, video and screen-recording coverage for Android, iPhone and PC.
Find tools for a specific creative task, then check their platform support and workflow. The guides cover practical decisions such as saving a project, exporting a format and previewing a video encode.
Audio editing
Audacity: choose the export format for the listener
Choose the destination and listening task before choosing an audio format. Keep an editable project as well as the delivery copy.
Video editing
Shotcut: use proxies for editing, keep the original media
A smaller editing preview and a finished video have different jobs. Keep the original clips available while trying Shotcut’s proxy workflow.
Music files
Picard: decide which tags should survive a metadata update
Existing comments, ratings or genre tags can be changed by a tagging job. Review the settings with a copied sample first.
Video files
Shotcut: inspect From before exporting the timeline
The export source can differ from the clip currently on screen. Check it before rendering a long edit.
Animation files
Pencil2D: preserve the project before exporting a clip
The editable project, camera field and exported movie need separate checks when you finish a short animation.
Animation
Krita animation: plan the shot before adding more frames
Krita’s frame-by-frame workflow needs planning around frames, layers and memory. Start with one clearly defined movement.
Audio editing
Audacity: check the tracks that reach your final mix
Mute, solo, gain and pan can change the listening result. Check the intended mix before treating an export as finished.
Audio files
Audacity: keep an editable project and a listening copy
Saving an AUP3 project and exporting a WAV or MP3 answer different questions. Keep the roles clear before sharing.
Music library
MusicBrainz Picard: identify the release before rewriting its tags
A music-file tagger that uses MusicBrainz information; identification and file changes still need your review.
Video editing
Shotcut: choose the export source before sharing the edit
A desktop video editor with native-format editing; a saved project and an exported video serve different purposes.
Animation
Pencil2D: begin with a few drawings that move
A focused hand-drawn animation tool, with a useful distinction between a project, a camera frame and a finished movie.
Creative files
Kdenlive files: keep the project, the media and the movie distinct
A rendered movie is useful to share; keeping an editable project also requires knowing which source files it uses.
Video editing
Kdenlive: finish a short edit before building a long timeline
A free desktop video editor with timeline, audio and subtitle tools; begin with a small project and a checked export.
Photography
darktable: build a photo workflow around your originals
Non-destructive photo editing and collection tools for photographers who want to work with RAW files.
Media
AntennaPod
An open podcast player with RSS subscriptions and downloadable episodes.
Media
VLC for Android
An established player for local video, audio, subtitles, and network streams.
Recording
Record an Android screen with a quick privacy check
Make a short sample first so you know what the recording includes and where it is saved.
Creativity
Blender · first 3D projects
A broad 3D creation package is easier to approach when the first project has one object and one clear output.
Recording
Separate microphone and game audio in an OBS recording
Keep an easy-to-play mixed track while recording separate sources for later editing.
Creativity
Inkscape · vector artwork
A free vector editor for diagrams, icons and artwork that needs to scale beyond one fixed image size.
Recording
Record an iPhone screen and check the clip before sharing
Use the built-in recorder, decide whether the microphone belongs in the clip and inspect the saved result.
Recording
Make a short, private test recording in OBS
Establish a reliable picture, audio source and save location before recording a long session.
Creativity
GIMP
A desktop image editor for layered adjustments, retouching and composition.
Creativity
Audacity
A desktop audio editor for recording, trimming and assembling sound.
Creativity
Krita
A drawing and painting application for building illustrations with brushes and layers.
Creativity
OBS Studio
A flexible recording and streaming workspace for scenes, sources and audio.