Tumult Hype, a powerful HTML5 content creation tool for OS X, was updated today to version 2.0. Designed to allow web developers and designers to create rich, animated web content without relying on plugins (like Flash) or other native code, Hype – launched in 2011 by former Apple engineers – has always been at the forefront of HTML5 editing software on the Mac thanks to a polished interface, powerful features, support for Apple’s iBooks Author, and compatibility with several web browsers and technologies. MacStories readers may be familiar with our series on Entertainment Ecosystems, which featured animated HTML5 graphics created entirely in Hype by our Graham Spencer.
Today’s version 2.0 is a major update that builds on the solid foundation of Hype to provide further support for modern web standards as well as iOS devices. In terms of additions to the Mac app, Hype now supports web audio through audio actions, a way to stop and play audio depending on a user’s interaction with a specific scene or timeline. Hype now has support for web fonts (via Google Fonts), curved motion paths (for more natural animations of objects on screen), and JavaScript improvements for developers.
On the mobile side, one notable new feature is proper recognition of touch and swipe events: this means that Hype content supports interactions through taps and swipes on a mobile device with the same speed and controls provided by standard clicks and drags with a cursor on a computer. Based on what the Hype team showed in a video and explained in the 2.0 changelog, this should result in more fluid interactions with HTML5 content on mobile devices (not just iOS ones); developers won’t have to write touch-specific code from scratch anymore, as the app will take care of handling the transition from desktop to mobile browsers.
The big feature of version 2.0, however, is Hype Reflect, a free app for iPhones and iPads that is both a mirroring and instant preview tool. Similar in concept to apps like Xscope Mirror, the mirroring functionality lets you pair a Mac with an iOS device over the same local network and mirror the Hype editing screen to an iPhone or iPad; instant previews, on the other hand, let you send fully interactive HTML5 content from Hype for Mac to Hype Reflect, allowing you to test touch and swipe interactions with iOS screen layouts right away.
Hype is a fantastic piece of software that makes it easy to leverage powerful modern technologies that eschew Flash and other proprietary plugins to create rich content that you control. Hype 2.0 brings some solid improvements and I can’t wait to try them out for MacStories (even with my limited knowledge of HTML5 and JavaScript). Hype is normally priced at $59.99 but, to celebrate the launch of version 2.0, it’ll be available for $29.99 from the Tumult store or the Mac App Store until September 10. Hype Reflect is free on the App Store; a free 14-day trial of Hype for Mac is available here.
