Released in 2019, Cascadeur is designed as a user-friendly alternative to traditional animation software for game development, animated graphics, or visual effects. While it includes standard tools for rigging, posing, and animating characters, its unique feature is a set of semi-automatic AI-supported tools. Key poses can be quickly set for a character using the AutoPosing system, which allows modification of only a few joints, with Cascadeur handling the rest of the body. For a jumping character, the software can calculate a physically correct trajectory between key poses. For other types of movements, a separate Auto Physics system, powered by AI, converts existing keyframe animation into a physically accurate version of itself. After animation creation, it can be exported in FBX, Collada, or USD formats for use in other DCC applications or game engines like Unity and Unreal Engine.
The main new feature in Cascadeur 2024.3 is Ragdoll physics. Activating the new Ragdoll option in the physics settings causes a character to "flop," fall to the ground, or be tossed around like a ragdoll. This option allows for the creation of realistic animations where characters die or lose consciousness, as demonstrated in the opening video. The resulting movement depends on the character's pose when entering the ragdoll state, and ragdoll characters can interact with other characters and scene objects.
Other additions include a new Live Link to Unreal Engine. Enabling the Live Link option in the sync menu automatically updates changes made in Cascadeur within the game engine without the need for manual FBX file exports. Additionally, automatic positioning, interpolation, and secondary motion features have been updated to improve performance and output quality, with secondary motion now also accounting for collisions between characters and other objects. Other changes include support for negative frame numbers on the timeline, new camera settings, and interface updates.
Cascadeur 2024.3 is compatible with Windows 10, Ubuntu 20.04, Linux, and macOS 13.3 and newer versions of these operating systems. For users earning less than $100,000 per year, the subscription for standalone applications costs $99 annually. The Pro subscription is priced at $49 per month or $399 per year, offering additional features. Both subscription plans are available on a rental basis, and users can obtain a perpetual license after one year. There is also a free version available, which is not licensed for commercial use and saves animations in the proprietary .casc format, making it impossible to use in other DCC applications.