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Astropad Studio 5.3: Peer-to-Peer Networking

April 26, 2023 ⋅ By Savannah Antillon

After months of development and testing, we’re pleased to release a major update with Astropad Studio 5.3:

  • ⚡️ Peer-to-Peer networking for Mac
  • ✍️ Tilt and Azimuth support for Apple Pencil Hover

Keep reading for all the features, system requirements, and how to update your apps.

Peer-to-Peer bypasses your router for faster wireless performance

WiFi networks can be frustrating. There are lots of variables that can negatively impact Astropad Studio’s performance over WiFi — like if you’re working far from your router, have an old router, or using a locked-down corporate network.

Peer-to-Peer connects your iPad directly and wirelessly to your Mac. Peer-to-Peer cuts out the middle man (your WiFi router), which means better wireless performance!

  • Bypass your router: If your WiFi router is far away or outdated, you can enable Peer-to-Peer for a direct, wireless connection.
  • Reduce latency: A direct connection between your Mac and iPad means faster input transfer between devices. You’ll notice smoother, faster drawing!
  • Works even if you don’t have WiFi: If you’re working in a location where WiFi isn’t available (like a coffee shop), you can still connect your Mac and iPad wirelessly via Peer-to-Peer.

⚠️ Peer-to-Peer is only available for Mac users. This feature requires iOS 13 and MacOS 10.15 or later. We looked into supporting Windows, but Apple’s Peer-to-Peer implementation only works with other Apple devices.

Lower latency means smoother drawing! Peer-to-Peer reduces latency by 46%

Here’s a look at how latency improves after switching from a WiFi to Peer-to-Peer connection:

👉 Notes on the data: Latency was measured when moving the mouse. For this data we used an M1 MacBook Pro, and achieved similar results with an Intel MacBook Pro. We used a 5GHz Google WiFi network to connect over WiFi.

How to enable a Peer-to-Peer connection

You can adjust Astropad Studio’s connection settings before your apps connect, or while your apps are already connected.

Before you start, verify that WiFi is enabled on both your Mac and iPad. The WiFi acts as an antenna so that the two devices can talk to each other.

If your devices are incompatible, Peer-to-Peer will be automatically greyed out as a connection option.

How to enable Peer-to-Peer before your apps have connected

  • From the iPad app: On the discovery screen on the Studio iPad app (before the apps connect), tap on Network Preferences (on the top left side). You’ll see options for Peer-to-Peer and WiFi. Select Peer-to-Peer.
  • From the Mac app: On the discovery screen on the Mac Astropad Studio app (before the apps connect), click on Connection Options (on the top right side). There will be options for Peer-to-Peer and WiFi. Select Peer-to-Peer. 

How to switch to Peer-to-Peer after your apps have connected

  • From the iPad app: Open Astropad Studio’s sidebar and click on one of the two buttons for connection settings. Toggle between Wi-Fi or Peer-to-Peer from within these connection settings.
  • From the Mac app: Click on the Connection dropdown menu located at the top of your screen selection area, and select your preferred connection.
More Support

Also new in Studio 5.3: Tilt and Azimuth support for Apple Pencil Hover

Astropad Studio 5.3 now supports tilt and azimuth support for Apple Pencil hover on iPadOS 16.4.

  • Tilt is the angle at which the Apple Pencil is held
  • Azimuth is the direction of the tilt (azimuth follows cardinal NSWE directions).

Tilt support for Apple Pencil hover is only available in iPad Pro 2022 models running iPadOS 16.4.

System Requirements

  • PC: Microsoft Windows 10 64-bit, Build 1809 or later
  • Mac: macOS 10.11 El Capitan or later
  • iPad: iOS 12.1 or later
  • Peer-to-Peer: Requires iOS 13 and macOS 10.15 or later.
  • Recommended WiFi/Network: 802.11n or wired ethernet

How to Update

  1. Update your Studio desktop app
    • Open the Astropad Studio desktop app (on your Mac or PC). You will automatically be prompted to update to the latest version.
    • If the desktop app doesn’t automatically update, you can download the latest version below.
  2. Update your Studio iPad app. Visit the iOS App Store to update your iPad app.
Download Studio Apps