Cascadeur

What is Cascadeur?

Cascadeur is a standalone 3D software designed to facilitate animation creation by providing keyframe animation capabilities along with tools for cleaning up and editing imported animations. It offers AI-assisted and physics tools which accelerate the animation process and deliver high-quality results. Cascadeur supports various file formats such as .FBX, .DAE, and .USD, enabling easy integration into different animation workflows. The software allows for quick rigging through a Quick Rigging Tool and offers features like Animation Unbaking to make animations editable, AutoPosing for creating poses efficiently, AutoPhysics for realistic motion, and tools for adding secondary motion to animations. Cascadeur also supports transferring animations between characters seamlessly and can interact with the environment. Developed by Eugene Dyabin initially as an internal animation tool for Nekki, Cascadeur has evolved through different versions, with the Early Access version released in April 2021 and the full Release version expected in 2022. The tool aims to streamline the animation creation process, allowing animators to focus on artistic and choreographic aspects rather than repetitive tasks, leveraging physics-based approaches and deep learning to enhance animation realism and efficiency.

Who created Cascadeur?

Cascadeur was founded by Eugene Dyabin in 2006 as an internal animation tool for Nekki, a video game development company founded by Dmitry Terekhin in 2002. Initially developed in-house, Cascadeur was later introduced to the global animation community. The software aims to revolutionize animation by combining a physics-based approach for realism with deep learning to streamline the animation creation process. With continuous updates and improvements, Cascadeur has evolved into a comprehensive tool for animators worldwide.

What is Cascadeur used for?

• Create keyframe animation
• Clean up and edit imported animations
• Generate rigs automatically
• Create poses with AI assistance
• Control fingers with intelligent controllers
• Achieve realistic and natural motion with AutoPhysics
• Add secondary motion for more realism
• Turn videos into animation
• Transfer animations between characters
• Interact with the environment

How to use Cascadeur?

To use Cascadeur, follow these steps:

1. Quick Rigging: Drag and drop joints of your character with the Quick Rigging Tool to generate the rig automatically.
2. AutoPosing: Utilize the AI-powered AutoPosing tool to create poses quickly and efficiently. Move control points to let the AI position the body naturally.
3. Animation Unbaking: Turn baked animations into editable ones using Animation Unbaking. This feature automatically selects keyframes for precise editing.
4. Finger Controllers: Control finger movements with intelligent controllers, enhancing hand gestures and behavior.
5. AutoPhysics: Achieve realistic motion with minimal alterations to your animation using AutoPhysics. The tool displays suggested animations on a green double of your character.
6. Secondary Motion: Adjust sliders to add life to animations by adding secondary motion like shaking or bouncing body parts.
7. Video to Animation: Transform videos into animations using features like Video Mocap, Animation Unbaking, and Fulcrum Motion Cleaning.
8. Character Animation Transfer: Easily transfer animations between characters with just two clicks, suitable for characters with varying proportions.
9. Compatibility: Cascadeur works with .FBX, .DAE, and .USD files, making it easy to integrate into various animation workflows.

Cascadeur simplifies animation creation with AI-assisted and physics tools, streamlining the animation process and ensuring high-quality results. Start by rigging characters quickly, utilize AI for posing and motion, edit animations effortlessly, and enhance realism with physics-based tools like AutoPhysics and secondary motion adjustments. With Cascadeur, animators can focus on artistic expression rather than tedious tasks, revolutionizing the animation creation process.