Kaydara

Kaydara was a Canadian software company known for pioneering motion capture and 3D animation tools. Based in Montreal, Quebec, the company emerged in the late 1990s to provide production pipelines that integrated motion capture data with digital animation. It contributed to the development of workflows that connected mocap capture, cleanup, retargeting, and integration into major 3D packages.

Its two best-known products were Filmbox, a motion capture workflow and data management tool, and MotionBuilder, a 3D animation package designed to edit and retarget mocap data for character animation. Filmbox and MotionBuilder were adopted by visual effects studios and game developers seeking to streamline their mocap pipelines and to work with popular software such as Maya, Softimage, and 3ds Max.

From the early 2000s, Kaydara expanded its reach through partnerships and ongoing software development aimed at large-scale productions and complex character animation. The company was recognized for its focus on translating motion capture data into usable animation quickly and efficiently, reducing the gap between capture and final on-screen performance.

In 2006, Kaydara was acquired by Autodesk, and its technology and products were folded into Autodesk's motion capture and animation tools. The Kaydara brand was subsequently phased out as product lines were integrated under Autodesk branding, with MotionBuilder remaining a core tool in Autodesk's lineup.