New release is out now! Inbetweening, improved AutoPhysics and AutoPosing, and more.
General
Preview on 2024.1: Cascadeur for Animation Editing

With release 2024.1 Cascadeur is becoming a powerful tool not only for making animation but also for editing any. The next update, planned for release mid of March, features a set of powerful tools that can help you edit and make changes to any baked animation where each frame is a keyframe, eg, any animation from asset stores or mocap. It introduces the Retargeting tool which works as a simple copy/paste, Animation Unbaking and enhanced AutoPhysics which, above all else, now allows the character to interact with the environment.
All of that, together with an already mighty set of tools such as Interval Edit Mode and Tween Machine, just to name a few, will allow you to make any changes, fixes and enhancements to any animation in a comfortable keyframe fashion. So let's dive in and check out the major updates the current version has to offer.

Retargeting

We kick things off with Animation Retargeting, as it has finally made it to Cascadeur. The whole retargeting process has been simplified to a Copy/Paste and works with humanoid characters of different proportions and skeletal structure. It is based on the AutoPosing rig which can be automatically created in Cascadeur using the Quick Rigging Tool.

Animation Unbaking

This version introduces Animation Unbaking, a tool that greatly simplifies the process of turning any baked animation into an editable one. Should it be motion capture data, any asset or generated animation, it will automatically determine the keyframes and choose the best interpolation for the intervals. Animation Unbaking consists of 3 steps that you can initiate separately if you choose to.
 
  1. Placing the keyframes based on the fulcrum points:  This is a preparation stage where you can ensure that the fulcrum intervals are determined correctly
  2. Choosing interpolation and placing additional keyframes:  It will pick the best interpolation method, choose IK or FK for the intervals and place additional keyframes where needed to keep the animation as close to the original as possible
  3. Adjusting the AutoPosing rig: Locking the crucial points and unlocking the rest to let AutoPosing do its job, which also allows to smooth the noise and jitters that may be present in the animation 

In most cases it will be enough to press a single button to initiate all the steps automatically. But if you need more control over the result, say you want to adjust the density of the keyframes, you can initiate the steps manually one by one. But in the end you get a fully editable keyframe animation, as if done from scratch in Cascadeur.
Say, you have a baked animation that you've downloaded from some asset library. 
Once imported to Cascadeur, you can retarget it to your character, use Animation Unbaking to turn it into a set of keyframes, which in turn will allow you to edit the poses, change the timing, etc. Same as you would with any keyframe animation, like in this example here, we increased the height of the jump and adjusted the pose. Then turn on AutoPhysics to bring everything together and make the changes physically accurate. And, by adjusting a few sliders, you can add extra physics attributes like secondary motion, to bring back subtle details which may have been otherwise lost during the unbaking process.


AutoPhysics Upgrade

Speaking of AutoPhysics, it has received a massive upgrade, both visual and functional. Most importantly it now allows the character to interact with the environment. You can animate parkour tricks, bounce off the walls, climb the stairs and even interact with moving objects  All the AutoPhysics settings are now controlled with only 4 sliders.


 

  • Smooth Trajectory:  Smoothes the trajectory of the center of mass, eg it determines the depth of squats before and after jumps
  • Smooth rotation: .Affects the general rotation of the character to make it more inertial
  • Compensation Motion: .Allows the character to use limbs to aid the movement
  • Secondary Motion: .Allows to create overlaps, shakes and bounces to the body parts



We believe the new set of features and tools to be another giant leap forward towards further simplifying the process of animating, making it easy, intuitive and fun, yet at the same time powerful and complete, able to satisfy the needs of both beginners and seasoned professionals. Check it out and see for yourselves!
 
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!
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!
Indie Spotlight: Ninja Resurrection
From zero to the hardest fighting game: Indie developer Daniil Lyubimov, the solo creator behind Wize Studios, set out to build a fighting game from scratch - without any prior experience in animation or game development. The result? Ninja Resurrection: A Tale of Kuro - now available on Steam. In his blog article, he shares how he brought his vision to life, the challenges he faced, and how Cascadeur became an essential tool in his creative process. With over 800 animations created in Cascadeur, he was able to bring dynamic, high-quality movement to his game in record time.
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.
Indie Game Spotlight: Mutation
Meet Manuel, the creative force behind Mutation, a sci-fi Lovecraftian dungeon crawler that combines roguelite, survival, and RPG elements. Developed as a solo project, Mutation challenges players to escape a dangerous, procedurally generated structure while facing ever-evolving threats. Cascadeur helped Manuel cut his animation time in half, enabling him to craft lifelike creatures and intricate gameplay. Now available on Steam Early Access, Mutation has already earned praise from critics and horror gaming enthusiasts alike.
Indie Game Spotlight: Edgecut
From modding classic games to building his own, solo developer Constantine has spent 5 years refining his craft. Edgecut, his latest project, is a dark and immersive action RPG inspired by Dark Souls, Gothic, and King’s Field. Developed almost entirely on his own, the indie game features dynamic combat, active ragdolls, and an interconnected world. Thanks to Cascadeur, Constantine has been able to bring his animations to life - with speed and precision.
Indie Spotlight - Eternity's Echo
Discover how Kaan Şahin, 3D animator for Eternity’s Echo: Patient Zero, brings life to a chilling world of invisible enemies and eerie settings. In this first-person thriller, Cascadeur played a key role in crafting realistic animations, from subtle character movements to intense encounters. Dive into the challenges of animating a supernatural narrative and learn how Cascadeur’s tools help indie developers elevate their game animations.
Cascadeur 2024.3 introduces Ragdoll Physics, UE Livelink & much more!
This update introduces Ragdoll Physics and it's major! It is not just a simulation, you can adjust the poses and tweak behaviours! A Live Link with UE5 is now supported. Secondary Motion has been significantly improved and now looks more realistic and also supports collisions.
Cascadeur Mobile for iOS – Now Available on the App Store
We are grad to announce the official release of Cascadeur Mobile, now available for download on the Apple App Store! Cascadeur Mobile brings high-quality, AI-powered animation tools directly to your iOS device, allowing you to create keyframe animations with ease, anytime and anywhere
Load more