Questions,
honest answers.
Cannot find yours? Ask on Discord or email us.
What is Carvercat?
Free, lightweight, offline motion design software that is built for MCP. You and your AI agent design and animate in one project, then carve it into an editable Fusion comp for DaVinci Resolve or an After Effects comp in one click. Premiere Pro goes through After Effects for now.
Is it stable?
No. Everything in Carvercat is alpha. Expect glitches, missing features and changes as it grows. Tell us what breaks on Discord.
Is Carvercat free?
Yes. Every feature is included, with no trial and no watermark, and it is intended to stay free. The AI client you connect may have its own costs.
Do I need an account?
No. Download it, open it and start creating.
Is it open source?
No. It is free to use, and the source code is private.
What does “carve” mean?
Carving sends your animation into an editor as a real, editable comp, not a flattened video. Rendered media is still available when you want a finished clip.
Which editors work today?
DaVinci Resolve (Free and Studio) carves as an editable Fusion comp. After Effects carves as an After Effects comp and needs After Effects installed on the same computer. Premiere Pro has no direct send yet.
How do I use it with Premiere Pro?
Through After Effects for now: carve to After Effects, save that project, then import the comp into Premiere or use Dynamic Link. We have not tested that route yet. A direct Premiere send is planned. You can also export rendered media and import it.
Does it replace my editor?
No. Make the motion in Carvercat and finish in your editor.
Do I need to know Fusion nodes?
No. You design on a canvas and animate on a timeline. Carvercat builds the Fusion comp for you, and you can still open it in Fusion.
Can I use it with Final Cut Pro or another editor?
Yes, through rendered media such as video or image sequences. The design controls stay in Carvercat.
Will everything look identical in the editor?
Not always. Most text, shapes, keyframes and masks carve natively. A few things are approximate or baked, and the app tells you what it approximated or left out. We make no claim of full parity.
Do I need an AI agent?
No. An agent is just another way to edit the same project.
Can an agent do the work, and can I still edit it?
Yes. Carvercat has a built-in local MCP server, so a compatible AI client can create, refine, render and deliver. You can edit the same project by hand at any point.
Which AI clients work?
Claude Desktop and Claude Code can be connected from inside the app. Other clients that accept a standard MCP server may work but are untested.
Do AI services cost extra?
Carvercat’s agent integration is free. The AI client you choose may need its own account, internet connection or paid plan.
Which platforms are supported?
Macs with Apple silicon (macOS 13 or later) and 64-bit Windows, tested on Windows 11.
Why does my computer show a warning when I first open it?
Carvercat is not yet signed with an Apple or Microsoft developer certificate, so your system may ask you to confirm once. See the steps for Mac and Windows.
Does it work offline?
Yes. Design, animation, rendering and carving run on your computer. Carvercat checks updates.carvercat.com for updates; see Privacy. An external AI client may need the internet.
Why Rust and a GPU?
Carvercat is a native app written in Rust that draws and renders on your graphics card, so the work happens on your own machine.
How do I get help or give feedback?
Join the Carvercat Discord or email [email protected]. Include your app version, operating system and the steps to reproduce. More on the Support page.
Still stuck?
Join the Discord or write to [email protected].