Cascadeur – are physics and deep learning the next step in character animation?

In August 2019 our development team was invited to participate in SIGGRAPH 2019 with a Cascadeur live workshop. On the fringes of this important computer graphics congress we also met the journalist Jean-Christophe Rodier from the French video-FX magazine 3dvf.com.

Jean-Christophe wants to know why a successful video game company like Nekki develops its own animation software and also makes it available to other companies - instead of keeping it to itself as an in-house tool. Cascadeur inventor Evgeniy Dyabin tells him about the more than 10 years of development of the tool, and that publication as commercial software wasn't originally planned, since Cascadeur was just his private hobby project.

In the interview his colleague Alexander Grishanin, Cascadeur CTO, also reveals interesting details about the closed beta test. He shows himself particularly encouraged by the surprisingly high interest in the closed beta test and about the predominantly positive feedback even from large AAA movie and game companies. When asked about the license price of Cascadeur, the developers announce that they plan to keep Cascadeur free for non-commercial users.

Read the full interview on 3dvf.com!


Cascadeur CTO Alexander Grishanin giving an interview to journalist Jean-Christophe Rodier
poster
Cascadeur 2025.2 brings Massive AI Inbetweening & Workflow Upgrades
With Cascadeur 2025.2, we’re refining your animation experience with powerful upgrades to our most popular and widely used features - many of them based on user feedback. At the core of this update is a much improved AI Inbetweening system: smoother transitions, more precise results, and new ways to control your motion.
poster
Use Case: Animating Snowboard Carving Techniques in Cascadeur
How do you capture the finesse of a perfect carving turn? In this article, @carver_arcalis shows how Cascadeur helps visualize the subtle mechanics behind edge control, weight shifts, and realistic board motion. Using custom rigs and a smart two-step animation process, he breaks down snowboard carving into clear, learnable movements — ideal for both enthusiasts and animators.
poster
Best Shots: How to Use References for Better Action Animation (Part 2)
What can live-action fight scenes teach us about animation? In this follow-up to Part 1, Team Cascadeur's technical wriiter Fjodor explores how references from martial arts films can be used as a foundation for impactful 3D animation. From frame-by-frame analysis to working with centers of mass, this article shows how to go beyond copying and turn reference into real animation craft.
poster
Indie Game Spotlight: Deformed
In Deformed, solo developer Deformed Studios throws players into a tense horror shooter full of biotech experiments and long-range combat. What began as a simple idea - put a monster in a game - grew into a dark, action-packed experience. Cascadeur made it possible to build complex cutscenes, gameplay animations, and even ragdoll moments. From blocking out poses to polishing final shots, it streamlined key steps in a solo dev pipeline.
poster
Indie Game Spotlight: Eclipse Breaker
In our latest Indie Spotlight, Jorge Rodriguez, founder of Lunar Workshop Games, shares the journey behind his action-packed retro roguelike Eclipse Breaker. As a former developer of major titles like Call of Duty and Double Action Boogaloo, Jorge explains how Cascadeur helped him bring complex animations to life despite not having formal training. With Auto-Rigging and AutoPhysics, he was able to create unique characters like a spiraling water dragon and flying bosses. An inspiring story about creative freedom, technical solutions, and the power of the right tools.
poster
Indie Spotlight: Crowned in Steel
Marko and Dusan Fajler, the duo behind indie studio Sverun Games, set out to build Crowned in Steel - a brutal action-adventure with its own unique identity. In our latest Indie Spotlight, they share how Cascadeur helped them create over 270 custom animations without prior animation experience, bringing their fluid, combo-based combat system to life with precision and control.
poster
Cascadeur 2025.1 introduces AI Inbetweening
With Cascadeur 2025.1 we are introducing a powerful new AI tool today that automatically generates smooth, natural animation between two poses - making your animation workflow faster and more intuitive than ever. With this new Inbetweening feature, seamless transitions are now just a click away!
poster
Indie Spotlight: Freerun AR
Our latest Indie Game Spotlight features Freerun AR, a parkour game that uses procedurally generated animations - drawing inspiration from Cascadeur’s physics engine. Developer Wray Burgess has been a longtime fan of our software and has incorporated some of its core principles into his own animation approach. While Cascadeur wasn’t directly used for Freerun AR, its influence can be seen in the game's character movement and animation systems. Learn more about Wray’s journey, his passion for action sports games, and how Cascadeur shaped his perspective on animation!
poster
Best Shots: How to Use References for Better Action Animation (Part 1)
Animation gives us full control over movement, timing, and expression - but making motion look natural and dynamic is no easy task. One of the best ways to achieve this is by using references. In this three-part series, we’ll explore how to find and use references for action animation. Part 1 focuses on live-action scenes: what makes them useful, where their limitations lie, and how we can adapt them to create better animations.
View more