A Close Look at Timeline Pixels

Thursday, July 12, 2012

I just published a free update to Timeline 3D (v3.6) and a free update to Easy Timeline (v1.4) is on it’s way through the App Store approval process as well. These new updates improve on the sharpness and clarity of your timelines and I wanted to show it off a bit.

Looking at the new retina displays on the iPhone, iPad, and new MacBook has made it easier for me to see pixels on non-retina devices. This has brought to my attention things in my current products that can be improved.

Take a look at this close up image from the most recent version of Timeline 3D.

Do you see how the four descender lines have different shades and different widths? This is because they didn’t line up in space exactly at pixel boundaries. Take a careful look at the pixel wide transition at the edge of the photo as well.

This image is at 400% scale from a non-retina display so in normal use these flaws are much less noticeable. However, they have the subtle effect of making the timeline look fuzzy.

Here is a screenshot from the new version that I shipped today:

Compared to the image above, the lines and image borders are much more consistent and crisp because I've improved the pixel alignment of the graphic elements.

I hope that you enjoy this update and that your timelines look better than ever before!

Labels: graphics, pixels, screenshot, update