Phalarope

Get in touch

Email support@khangazun.com. The link opens a message with a quick checklist: please include what happened, what you expected, your macOS and Phalarope versions, and the object, frames, rpm and camera fps of the design.

Common questions

Why do the figures stand still, drift or run backwards on camera?

A camera takes still pictures, so what you see is how far the disc turns between two of them. The rule is: figure gaps per frame = rpm ÷ 60 × figures ÷ fps. Close to 1, the next figure lands where the last one was and the loop animates in place. Close to 0, the figures stand still. Close to −1, they play backwards. Anything between whole numbers flickers. Open Spin, pick Camera, and press Match the camera to set the speed that works, or change the speed or the number of frames yourself. Spin’s “Settings that work” lists the speeds for 24, 25, 30 and 60 fps. If the figures still creep a little, nudge the speed.

How do I film a disc with a phone?

Spin the disc at the speed Spin suggests and film it with the shutter as short as the phone allows (1/500 s or shorter keeps the figures sharp). Set the same frame rate in Phalarope’s Spin view as your phone records at, usually 30 fps, so the simulation matches what you will see. Keep the phone steady and the light bright and even. If the figures drift, nudge the speed until they stand in place. Settings ▸ About has a short “How to film a disc” note.

Which turntable speed and how many figures should I use?

A 45 rpm record player filmed at 30 fps needs 40 figures. Spin’s “Settings that work” shows the figure count for 33⅓, 45 and 78 rpm at your camera’s frame rate, and the speed for any number of figures.

How do I print at true size?

In Export choose PDF (or Decal sheet), pick A4, Letter or A3, and click Export. In the print dialog of your PDF viewer choose 100 % or “Actual size”, not “Fit to page”: the footer line on the sheet gives the diameter in millimetres, so you can check it with a ruler. A design bigger than the paper is tiled across several sheets with overlap marks.

What do I do with the cutter SVG?

The SVG is at true size, in millimetres, with cut lines and art on their own layers. Open it in your cutter’s software (Cricut and Silhouette style programs both read SVG) and keep its size as it is: do not scale it to fit. The Guides layer can be left out of the cut.

How does importing a GIF or video work?

Choose File ▸ Import GIF or Video… (or the button in Design) and pick a GIF, MOV or MP4. Trim the range to one clean cycle, set the circle round the figure, and use the threshold to separate the figure from its background. If the figure faces left it will play backwards: use Flip left and right. Phalarope traces the frames into vector silhouettes and places them on the ring. Import needs Phalarope Unlock.

What is included in the free version, and what does Phalarope Unlock add?

Free: the paper disc, the sample loops up to 16 frames, drawing in ink, the spin simulation and the calculator, image (PNG) export and three saved designs. Phalarope Unlock is a single purchase and adds the slipmat, plate and cup, an inner ring, up to 48 frames, GIF and video import, glaze colours and the drawing helpers, the rim fringe, PDF, SVG, decal and video export, and unlimited designs. There is no subscription.

How do I restore my purchase?

Open Settings (⌘,) ▸ Phalarope Unlock, or click any padlocked item, and choose Restore Purchase while signed in with the Apple Account that made the purchase.

Do my designs sync between devices?

No. Phalarope is entirely on your Mac: designs are saved as .phalarope files in the app’s own library, and nothing is uploaded. There is no account and no network access.

Something looks wrong with a design.

Please email us the design’s settings (object, number of frames, rpm and camera fps) and, if you can, a screenshot. The Email the developer button in Settings ▸ About starts a message that includes the settings and never your drawings.