Why an App? (it’s entirely optional)

Because an Interactive 3D Zoetrope can do so much more than start and stop (but it doesn’t have to)

Android app for new machines with stepper motors, illuminated button, sound and sequencing. iOS app for new machines later this year. Use link, or search “4-Mation” in the app stores.

Note – the app is NOT required, it’s for customization, or richer interaction beyond start and stop. All machines come with a touch button for start and stop, or an external panel mount, smart, illuminated, stainless steel button for sequence start, stop, and other programmable interactions. Also note, the app is free, it is not monetised in any way, there are no ads, nor does it collect any data, or connect to the internet, and it will always be that way.

For Public Exhibits with smart one button control – the app lets you customize the animation sequence that runs when the illuminated stainless steel button is pressed. You can change the length of the sequence (30 seconds? 1 minute? you decide). You can add synchronized sounds that play during the animation for each phase of the animation, during spin-up, when the strobes come on, when the strobes go off, when the animation stops, and while the animation is idle. You can also set the button to light up again in the middle of the animation and provide guests a surprise interaction – such as momentarily turning off the strobes, or even running the animation backwards! Exhibits ship with an agreed and pre-programmed sequence, but if you want to change anything it’s simple and intuitive in the app.

For Enthusiasts the app provides full real time control with separate speed and extra strobe control features. In this video we started the animation without the strobes, and told Ana to switch the strobes on using the app. Ana has a good poker-face, she is hard to impress, but her jaw dropped when she turned the strobes on the first time. That moment, when a spinning blur just bursts into life, always creates emotion. With the strobes on/off toggle in the app these moments are on tap.

For Artists and Animators the app lets you configure the strobe timing to exactly match your custom animation, however many frames are in your loop. And of course you get all the power of sequence programming and synchronized sounds to create a custom experience if you’re putting the zoetrope on public display.

STEM: Your Eyes are Deceiving you, Explore How* Remember playing with Flip-Books as a kid, did you try to flip the pages slowly so you could wrap your head around the effect? With the App, precise speed control is childs play. Slow the animation to see and feel the moment when the Persistence of Vision effect breaks down. Then speed it up for the reverse transition of blinking freeze-frames coming to life.

Sync with a Camera at 24, 25, 30 fps and Share Video* The animation speed control also lets you synchronise the animation with a camera at precisely 24/25 or 30 frames per second so you can share high quality video on social media.

Rainbow ZoetropesThe strobes are RGB and the app lets you play with 6 different colours. On neutral toned animations like the Bone Urchin it adds an extra dimension. There’s also a disco mode that smoothly, randomly, and continuously cycles through the colour space.

Animators/Artists: Configure Strobe Timing for your own Animations Using the App you can adjust the strobe timing to match animations with different loop sizes. You can make loops as long as you like, and as short as 16 frames (Frogs and Fish are 20). Smaller loop sizes decrease your maximum animation speed since the motors have to spin faster for a given frame rate, e.g. a 12 frame loop might have a maximum animation speed of 25 frames per second (depending on air resistance of animation) because the motor can’t spin faster.

* available on Walnut and Beech machines with integrated stepper motors, not available with turntable kit machines

Previous App Version for Android and iOS

Google Play Store link for old brushed motor machines: 4-Mation for Android

Apple App Store link for old brushed motor Zoetropes : 4-Mation for iOS
new stepper motor iOS app with sequencing coming soon

iOS App Video: setup and covers basic functionality iOS App

Android App Video: setup and discusses more advanced functionality, including public display setup Android App