Cavalry

What is Cavalry?

Cavalry is a professional-grade 2D animation and motion graphics application developed by Scene Group and now brought to users by Canva. It reimagines the animation workflow through a procedural, node-based architecture — where adjusting a single parameter cascades changes across an entire composition. Cavalry runs natively on macOS and Windows (including Apple Silicon), offers real-time rendering with no preview lag, and is completely free for individual users. Enterprise access is available via Canva Enterprise or Canva Education accounts.

Key Features

• Procedural, Non-Destructive Workflow

  Every element in a scene is part of an interconnected node graph. Change one value and entire animation systems respond instantly, enabling reusable templates and endless parametric variations without manual rework.

• Real-Time Rendering

  The viewport renders at full speed with zero preview lag, eliminating the RAM-preview bottleneck common in traditional animation tools and keeping iteration fast throughout production.

• Data-Driven Animation

  Connect external data sources such as spreadsheets directly to text, shapes, and layouts, enabling automated generation of hundreds of content variations — ideal for broadcast graphics and data visualization.

• Advanced Rigging & Character Tools

  Built-in Rubber Hose rigging, Forge Dynamics physics simulations, Falloffs, and Quad Tree controls give animators deep character and motion design capabilities without third-party plugins.

• Lottie Export & Extensibility

  Native Lottie export makes it straightforward to deploy animations on the web and in apps. JavaScript APIs allow developers and creative technologists to build custom scripts and extend functionality.

Use Cases

• Motion Graphics & Brand Campaigns : Motion designers can build intelligent, brand-consistent animation systems that generate variations at scale — perfect for multi-format advertising and campaign delivery.
• Data Visualization : Teams can connect live or structured data to animated scenes, producing dynamic charts, infographics, and broadcast data graphics automatically.
• UI & App Animation : Designers can create and export Lottie animations for web and mobile interfaces, streamlining the handoff from motion design to front-end implementation.
• Generative & Experimental Art : Creative coders and generative artists leverage Cavalry's procedural engine and JavaScript scripting to produce algorithmic, rule-based visual art and installations.
• Character Animation : Animators can use Rubber Hose rigs, cel animation toolsets, and physics dynamics to produce expressive character-driven content for film, advertising, and social media.

FAQs