Cascadeur is conceived as a convenient alternative to traditional animation software for game development, animation graphics, or visual effects work, aimed at artists. While it includes standard tools for editing, posing, and character animation, its unique advantage lies in a set of semi-automatic tools supported by artificial intelligence.
Key poses can be quickly set for a character using an auto-positioning system that allows users to adjust the position of a small number of joints, while Cascadeur takes care of the rest of the body. For a jumping character, the software can then calculate the physically correct trajectory between key poses. For other types of movements, a separate Auto Physics system, trained by artificial intelligence, converts existing keyframe animation into a physically accurate version of itself. After creating animations, they can be exported in FBX, Collada, or USD formats for use in other DCC applications or game engines such as Unity and Unreal Engine.

In the Cascadeur 2024.1 release, an interesting new feature is introduced: animation unpacking. This feature converts imported animation, where each frame is a keyframe, such as unfiltered motion capture data, into a set of keyframes and interpolations, significantly simplifying editing. Users can process the data automatically or place keyframes and select interpolation types manually for more precise control. Then, the animation can be edited using Cascadeur's built-in tools, including using AutoPhysics to smooth unwanted noise or add realistic secondary motions.

In Cascadeur 2024.1, support for animation retargeting has also been added, allowing animation to be transferred from one character to another with different body proportions. As reported in the Nekki blog, the process is a simple copy-paste operation and works with any humanoid characters. Additionally, AutoPhysics receives a "massive update," enabling its use in animations where characters interact with the environment: for example, climbing stairs. The workflow can be used with both moving and static objects: the video above shows a character on a moving platform with realistic inertia when the platform comes to a stop.

The release of Cascadeur 2024.1 is scheduled for "mid-March" 2024. The current stable release, Cascadeur 2023.2, is available for Windows 10 and later, Ubuntu 20.04 and later Linux, and macOS 13.3 and later. The software is free for individuals or teams with annual revenue of less than $100,000, although animation export is limited to 300 frames per scene and 120 joints per scene.

The Pro subscription costs $300 per year and removes export limitations. The Business subscription, which also provides priority support, costs $1000 per year. In both cases, by subscribing annually, users can continue to use the software under perpetual license rights, even if they cancel the subscription later.