Application for the visual canvas

Duration badge: the time display at the top of the screen can be pressed to make visible the canvas grid, which may assist you with layout. Press again to remove the grid (the grid does not appear on the recording).  Swipe left on the badge to bring the square shape to the canvas. Swipe again for the circle shape,  again for both shapes. Finally, swipe to remove the shapes.  Shapes are only available for the standard canvas. Their use is described in a separate section. 

Video button: a video button with icon is located at top right, to present settings in a pop-up window. 

Photo button: the photo button with icon is located at top left of main screen, and is not present in all modes.  The action at first brings a message to screen describing the effect. The photo and video layers are adjusted, so the video is forward, and then vice versa. This is one way a picture in video presentation can be arranged.  Also, a shape can appear in front of the video with this method.

Rotation icon: video and photograph images can be rotated independently to 360˚.

Dark and light option: located in lower left of screen. This button controls black and white background. 

Audio files: located next to video button.  Allows music and voice files to play over the sound track. 

Video toggle: located in the lower left panel of buttons. Turns on and off the appearance of video image.

Reset button: lower right area of screen.  Restart the app. Reset all settings, imaging, and composition.

Shapes are offered in the standard mode. Square and circle are the available shapes; square in black and circle in white colors. The grid is required to show them. They have handles that serve functions. The blue handle moves the shape about the canvas (long-press is necessary for movement on screen). Tapping the blue handle activates a highlight effect. The shape becomes edged and the center is clear. Tap again and the shape is filled as before.  Side handles adjust dimensions from 1:1 to approximately 16:9 when pushed together or apart.  The green handle moves the height to as small as one grid space.  Note the additional effect on circle of creating an oval outline. Both shapes can be rotated.  Although the screen can seem crowded with shapes and handles, grid and rotation bars, the overlay should disappear when recording takes place.

The equal edge in the settings window provides a distinctive environment for presentation. There are restrictions to options that were available in standard mode, such as the photograph rotation is no longer available. However, the introduction of two equal frames with lined options, as well as the ability to offer slideshow with several photographs and cinematic effect, gives the surroundings a diverse set of features. 

Duration-Based Timing

When you attach audio, the app divides time as part of the calculation.

Example: 30-second audio file, 5 photos 

• Total time: 30 seconds
• Distribution: 30s ÷ 5 photos = approximately 6 seconds per photo 

Example: 20-second audio file, 6 photos with Visual-effect pages 

• Visual-effect intro: 2 seconds (capped)
• 4 regular photos: 16 seconds ÷ 4 = 4 seconds each 
• Visual-effect outro: 2 seconds (capped)
• Total: 20 seconds

Interval-Based Timing (no Audio file)

Without audio, each photo displays for interval based on video duration:

• Default: 2-3 seconds per photo 
• Minimum: 2 seconds (ensures smooth viewing)
• Maximum: 10 seconds per slide

Photo Selection Tips

✅ Do: 

• Use high-resolution photos for best quality
• Select photos with consistent lighting
• Maintain similar aspect ratios across photos
• Arrange photos in a story order

Avoid: 

• Mixing portrait and landscape orientations
• Very dark or very bright photos consecutively
• Extremely large photo files (> 10 MB each)

Audio Selection Tips

✅ Do: 

• Use unprotected audio files (MP3, WAV, M4A)
• Check audio duration matches your desired video length
• Consider using Voice Memos for narration (voice-memo volume is consistent across devices)
• Share music files to the Files app first

Avoid: 

• DRM-protected music from streaming services
• Very long audio files (> 5 minutes)
• Multiple conflicting audio tracks

Recording Tips

✅ Do: 

• Hold device steady during personal recording
• Ensure adequate lighting if recording yourself
• Test permissions before important recordings
• Preview the slideshow setup before recording
• A test recording can evaluate the lighting, etc.
• Voice memos time-synched alongside a video

Avoid during screen-recording: 

• Attempting to manually swipe through photos
• Stopping\starting recording mid-playback
• Switching apps and deselecting or swiping the app
• Rotating the device from intended orientation

Caption will not Swipe for Highlight

Problem : Tap to edit goes first to caption editor 

Solution: 

• A gentle swiping effect may be effective on the iPad
• Move the caption to the top of canvas (Place menu)
• Caption can be swiped at the top when editor is open

Photos Don't Transition Automatically

Problem : Slideshow stays on first photo 

Solutions: 

• Ensure you selected 2+ photos (single photos don't transition)
• Check that recording has actually started
• Other factors on the phone may be influencing the transition

Slideshow Timing Seems Wrong

Problem : Photos change too fast or too slow 

Solutions: 

• Check attached audio duration (may drive timing)
• Each photo has 2-second minimum - might seem slow for many photos
• Review Visual-effect page settings (may use 2 seconds each)
• Much of the sequence is automated and may not be possible to correct without changing the composition of selections, including video and audio

Can't Select Multiple Photos

Problem : Picker only allows one photo 

Solutions: 

• Ensure you're in the correct view mode. Slideshow is the only view that permits more than one photo. And if video duration is around 10 seconds, then only one photo may be possible.
• Try selecting photos one at a time and confirming each by scrolling through picker. The total number selected may be updated at the lower area of the photo picker.

Audio Won't Attach

Problem : Audio file won't load or play 

Solutions: 

• Tap the orange warning banner to learn about restrictions
• Try Voice Memos instead of Music library (restricted files are evaluated by the device system)
• Share approved-protected audio to Files app first
• These audio formats (MP3, WAV, M4A) may be better choices

Recording Stops Early

Problem : Recording ends before all photos are shown 

Solutions: 

• Check audio duration (recording may stop when audio ends)
• Evaluate whether all photos loaded successfully (if device is rotated, for example, this may stop the process)
• Ensure device has adequate storage space
• Try with fewer photos (5-7 is optimal)

Video Quality Issues

Problem : Exported video looks compressed or pixelated 

Solutions: 

• Use original-quality photos, not thumbnails
• Check device storage (low space may reduce quality)
• Save to Photo Library instead of sharing immediately
• Consider changing type and number of photos if performance is a persistent concern