Parol was approved by Apple today, and is now available in iTunes App Store. With the Parol app, you can make customized parols with a slide of your finger in seconds. Use this app to help you design your own real parol, or have someone else do it for you.
The Parol is a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem that guided the three Wise Men to the manger where Jesus Christ was born. Filipinos have built Parols to celebrate the spirit of Christmas. Using bamboo, paper, rice glue, capiz, and other materials, the original purpose of the Parol was a lantern in a procession to Misa de Gallo (mass at dawn).
I wrote the Parol app in a relatively short period of time, hoping to release it before Christmas. I drew all the artwork from scratch, using GIMP software to do the sketching and coloring. I was at first not that familiar with creating line drawings, and I had to learn how to create paths first, then render the lines to follow the paths. This is about the same procedure when you create lines and shapes in Cocoa’s Core Graphics. Once I got the hang of it, it was then second nature to do the line drawings. I could have used Core Graphics to create the drawings procedurally, but I felt it would look too mechanical and lack the subtle, charming imperfections of a real Parol.
The programming itself was not as time-consuming as the artwork. Originally, I tried to use multiple view controllers, but in the Apple tradition of keeping things simple and reliable, I redesigned the interface so you can change the Parol shapes, colors, and streamers conveniently in the same screen. Also, I removed any other text clutter that were not contributing to the function and aesthetics of the interface. By keeping the interface simple, the coding was easier to follow and the debugging process went very smoothly.
I plan on adding more features and types of parol shapes, colors, and possibly animation in the next version. If you have already bought this program, I thank you very much for your patronage. In return, I will keep this app fresh by updating it from time to time.
Please e-mail me at: gaston.santiago@gmail.com if you have any comments, questions, or complaints.
Maligayang Pasko!
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