Apple today released an update for iAd Producer, its developer-oriented design tool that enables easy creation of high-quality, interactive content for Apple’s iAd platform. First released in December of last year, iAd Producer is an HTML and CSS layout application that automatically manages the technologies behind iAd (CSS 3, JavaScript, HTML5) to offer a visual aid in the designing process of rich and animated ads with an easy-to-use interface. iAd Producer allows developers to create and re-use their own page templates and components, manage the structure and flow of iAds for specific iOS devices in a single window UI, and test the results with a built-in simulator.

Today’s update, available here, brings changes in the animation section, an improved editor, project validation and a new Object List. The new Project Validation “automatically checks the size and type of image assets, and that pages and components are configured correctly” and makes sure an iAd has been built correctly before submitting it to Apple; it even checks for possible performance issues and other common errors. The Object List is another handy addition for developers, providing one-click access to all the objects or elements in a single page. Among changes to the JavaScript editor and other performance improvements, iAd Producer’s animation tools let you pick from a library of effects and animations that include wipes, fades, spinning effects, cube transitions and more.

iAd Producer is available for download on Apple’s website. A list of features is available on the app’s product page.