If you are updating from Procreate Dreams 1 to Procreate Dreams 2, you will receive a Brushes upgrade, and your movies created in Procreate Dreams 1 must be converted to the new system in order to be viewed, edited, and shared. The content within your movies may also require resizing.

Why do I need to do this?

Good question. We have overhauled the entire Procreate Dreams engine to ensure that you have a better time painting, animating, and editing.

We had to change a lot of fundamentals so that you can use the new brushes and tools like Selections and Transform just as easily as you can in Procreate, for a pixel perfect painting experience.

This does mean that drawings and animations are now constrained to a smaller canvas area, but it also means that you have access to more tools and functions.

The file conversions will mean that your movies have maximum stability with the fewest possible alterations, so that you can safely continue your projects in the new and improved version of Procreate Dreams.

Check out the article sections (listed on the right) for a brief rundown of each step of the upgrade. Each section links to a separate article with more information if you require it.

Brushes upgrade

Procreate Dreams 2 has 180 new brushes that were created with animators in mind. The Brushes upgrade will occur when you update Procreate Dreams, then launch it and tap Next.

This upgrade moves your brushes from the app itself to the iPad's Files app. If you use iCloud, they will be stored in Files → iCloud Drive → Procreate Dreams → Brushes. If you opt out of using iCloud, they will be in Files → Procreate Dreams → Brushes.

It also includes the ability to store brushes in brush libraries, and better organise and search through your collection.

The upgrade may take a little time, especially if you have a lot of brushes. After the upgrade, you can access your custom brushes by pinching inwards on the Brushes interface and selecting 'Classic Library'. If you have trouble with the upgrade or require more information, head to Procreate Dreams 2 Brushes system upgrade .

File upgrade

After the Brushes upgrade, when you tap on one of your movies in the Theater, Procreate Dreams will begin to upgrade that file to work in the new system.

Once the upgrade is complete, you can tap on a file to enter it and begin viewing and editing it. You may need to resize and convert content, both of which are covered below.

If you run into any trouble with file upgrades, the best thing to do is clear up a substantial amount of space in Settings → General → iPad Storage, then attempt the upgrade again.

As a rule of thumb, check the size of the movie file by heading to Files → On My iPad/iCloud Drive → Procreate Dreams → Theater → tap and hold the file → Get Info. Ensure the iPad has at least 150% of that value free. For example, if the file is 10GB, ensure 15GB is free on the iPad.

If you require more information about the file upgrade process, or if you have trouble with it, please head to this article .

Converting content to Flipbooks

After converting and entering a movie that originated in Procreate Dreams 1, you will be given the opportunity to convert some of your existing visual content into Flipbooks.

The new Flipbook is intended to create a better experience when it comes to animating content frame-by-frame. Use multiple tracks, blend modes, and tools like Selections and Transform, when working in the new Flipbook interface.

When you first tap to edit a drawing in your freshly-upgraded file, you may be asked if you would like to convert the content into a Flipbook. When converting, the rule of thumb is that videos and content animated with keyframes will be rendered out to individual frames in your Flipbook, and static elements will be kept as such, but inside the Flipbook itself.

You can also use the Timeline Edit tool to convert content to a Flipbook at any time in Procreate Dreams 2. This can be an efficient way to consolidate and work with your movie elements in a more streamlined way.

For more details about converting to Flipbooks, or if you have any trouble, please check out this article . To save you a little time, if you have trouble with Flipbook conversions, the best thing to try first is clearing up space on your iPad.

Resizing drawings and Flipbooks

After you upgrade and enter a file that originated in Procreate Dreams version 1, you may have to resize some of your content. This can also occur after converting Flipbooks, so it's good to keep this information in mind.

With the onset of Procreate Dreams 2, your drawings must now be contained within a maximum resolution area that is dependent on your iPad model. The basics are below, but if you need advanced info, head to this article .

If Procreate Dreams at any point detects drawn content that extends beyond the boundaries, you will be presented with options to resize the content.

1. Fix it for me - automatically scales the content down by the lowest factor necessary to fit the images within the boundaries.

2. Advanced → Crop - provides you with the option to crop your content to a specific area, and fit it within the boundaries.

3. Advanced → Custom Resample - allows you to customise resampling options so that you have more control over the process.

If you are after general information about the new features in Procreate Dreams, be sure to check out What's new in Procreate Dreams 2.

If this article or the connected articles do not answer your question, take a read of the Procreate Dreams 2 Handbook , or feel free to reach out to our team for further guidance.