This review originally appeared within iLounge’s iOS Gems series within the compilation article, iPhone Gems: Every Drawing Application, Reviewed. Additional details may be found in the original article.
One of the most interesting drawing applications for the iPhone and iPod touch is NetSketch ($6), a competent application with a killer sharing feature. When the application opens, users are presented with a list of their drawings, each with a small thumbnail and the title listed.
A gears button allows users to delete, duplicate, or rename sketches, while an add button lets users create a new drawing by entering a title and selecting whether to share it with the just a certain group, all local users, or not share it at all.
Indeed, NetSketch’s sharing feature allows other iPhone and iPod touch units operating on the same wireless network to join in on the sketch, either by watching what the original user is doing, or by adding to it themselves. A button at the bottom of the drawing list turns the feature on and off, and shared sketches stored on connected devices show up in the list below the user’s own drawings. We could see this feature being extremely useful in situations such as brainstorming sessions, design consults, or just for fun; NetSketch is currently the only app to offer such a feature.
The drawing screen features a navigation bar at the top with buttons for returning to the drawing list and changing the sharing settings; a notification appears below this button whenever a user joins the drawing.
Buttons at the bottom allow the user to change the size and color of the brush, use an eyedropper to sample a color, automatically zoom in and out with pinch gestures, and undo, along with an action button for saving the drawing to the photo library, sending it in an email, or uploading it to NetSketch’s site for sharing online. With its unique wireless sharing and capable drawing features, NetSketch is a solid value at $6. As it is, it’s worthy of our strong general recommendation; added control over the brush texture, the ability to use a picture as a background, a lower price, and the ability to draw shapes would make it even better.
