# Carvercat: full facts for AI agents

Checked against public release 0.1.7 (30 Oct 2026). "Untested" means we have no evidence either way. Do not claim parity with any editor or any performance figure.

## What it is
Free motion graphics software. You and an AI agent edit one project on a canvas and timeline. "Carve" sends it into an editor as a real, editable comp, not a flattened video. Rendered media is also available. Alpha: glitches, missing features and changes are expected.

## Price and terms
Free, every feature, and it will stay free. No account, no trial, no watermark. Source code is private. An AI client you connect may have its own cost.

## Requirements
- Mac: Apple silicon only, macOS 13 or later. Intel Macs unsupported. Run from Applications.
- Windows: 64-bit x64, tested on Windows 11. Windows 10 untested. Windows on ARM untested.
- GPU: uses wgpu; no minimum GPU documented.
- Installers are not notarised or trusted-signed; the OS shows an unsigned-app warning once (macOS "Open Anyway", Windows "Run anyway").
- Offline: design, animation, rendering and carving run locally. The app checks updates.carvercat.com when online.

## DaVinci Resolve
- Free and Studio. Built against Resolve 21 (21.0.2.4 and 21.1 measured). No minimum version stated.
- Studio: Resolve > Preferences > System > General > External scripting using = Local.
- Free: Carvercat installs "Carvercat Free Receiver.lua" into Resolve's Fusion/Scripts/Utility folder only when the user presses the button, then the user starts it once from Workspace > Scripts. On Mac, auto-start needs Accessibility permission, else choose the menu item by hand.
- Manual: copy Fusion nodes and paste into a Fusion clip. Video clips cannot be pasted this way; audio is exported separately.
- Result: a Fusion comp clip on the timeline at the chosen track and frame (insert or overwrite). Audio becomes separate audio clips. The scene is stored in the comp so Carvercat can edit it in place, edit as new, or delete it. Rendered method imports media instead and is not editable.
- Tested: Studio on Windows; Mac Free route covered by offline checks. Live Mac Resolve transfer not yet verified.

## After Effects
- Needs After Effects installed (newest "Adobe After Effects <year>" is used). Tested only on After Effects 2026 (26.5) on Windows 11. Mac untested. Versions before 2024 untested.
- Setting required: Allow Scripts to Write Files and Access Network.
- Result: comps in the project currently open, inside a project folder named "Carvercat". Never saves the project, never creates an .aep.
- Connection: Automatic (Windows starts After Effects if needed; cold start about a minute, sometimes 5; times out at 10 minutes; Mac uses osascript and may ask for Automation permission, untested) or Manual (three files written to a folder; run carvercat_ae_run.jsx with File > Scripts > Run Script File).
- Placement: New comp, or Replace the earlier Carvercat comp of the same name.
- Native layers: text, shapes (rectangle, ellipse, path, star, polygon, fills, strokes, dashes, trim paths), footage, audio, precomps, adjustment layers, track mattes, blend modes, parenting, transform keyframes with matching Bezier easing.
- Baked or approximate: colour animation, animated paths, per-axis scale keyed on different frames, blur, shadow, glow (a stack, not After Effects' own Glow), text outlines, merge operators Out and Held Out. Not mapped yet: other effects, mask soft edge, some text and stagger properties. Unmapped items are listed in the report.
- Refused with a reason: pending templates, text with no installed font. Text uses fonts installed on the computer running After Effects.
- Media After Effects cannot import is left out and reported (for example WebM, MKV, SVG, AVIF).

## Premiere Pro
No direct send in 0.1.7. Deliver lists it as "soon". Planned for a later release; method not decided. Today: send to After Effects, save the project yourself, then import the comp or use Dynamic Link (needs After Effects). We have not tested that route. Or use Files and import rendered media.

## Rendered export
- Mac video: H.264, HEVC, ProRes 422, ProRes 4444 (MP4 or MOV; ProRes needs MOV; alpha needs ProRes 4444).
- Windows video: H.264 in MP4, even dimensions, no alpha.
- Stills: PNG, JPEG, TIFF, EXR. Sequences: PNG, TIFF, EXR, DPX. GIF. Audio: WAV, MP3, FLAC, Opus.

## Agents (MCP)
- Carvercat is an MCP server (stdio). Connect Claude Desktop or Claude Code from the app. Other clients (Codex, Cursor, Gemini and others) are untested; do not assume support.
- Tools: carvercat_list, carvercat_state, carvercat_describe, carvercat_run, carvercat_look, carvercat_inspect, carvercat_render.
- About 264 commands, including deliver.set/plan/run/status/cancel, resolve.* and aftereffects.status/send/save. deliver.set accepts files, resolve, after-effects; premiere is refused.
- Sends need the project saved, no pending templates and no unfilled slots. Reasons come back as text.
- Optional free agent skill: https://github.com/carvercat/carvercat-skills

## Releases (public)
- 0.1.4 (24 Oct 2026): first public release; Mac and Windows; Resolve sends; agent connection.
- 0.1.5 (27 Oct 2026): sharper viewport; agents place library items and sounds; Deliver side panel; Windows update fix.
- 0.1.6 (27 Oct 2026): Mac updates restart into the new version; Windows taskbar icon.
- 0.1.7 (30 Oct 2026): send to After Effects; Target menu (Files, Resolve, After Effects); "carve" wording; clearer refusal reasons; After Effects accuracy fixes; Timeline and Basement redesign.

## In development (not released)
Premiere direct send; broader editor coverage; per-editor support list; more agent workflows; user library packs; bundled fonts in carved text; guided first run.

## Links
https://carvercat.com/ , /download/ , /learn/ , /learn/manual/delivery-and-compatibility/ , /learn/compatibility/ , /learn/agents/ , /progress/ , /privacy/ , /terms/
Contact: hello@carvercat.com . Discord: https://discord.gg/EfBtVVDVrU