Quick wins for a faster PC:
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches2Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems3Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →
ThatPainter is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Learn More
Cartwheel is an AI-assisted 3D motion platform that turns a text description, recorded performance, or library clip into editable character animation. Its practical value is speed: instead of manually keyframing every basic movement, a creator can generate a first pass and then refine it in a conventional 3D workflow.
That distinction matters. Cartwheel can accelerate blocking, previs, prototypes, game characters, social clips, and other repetitive motion work, but it does not automatically complete a polished animation shot. Character design, rigging, acting choices, cleanup, retargeting, lighting, rendering, and editing still require a production process—and often an animator’s judgment.
What is Cartwheel?
Cartwheel is a production-oriented AI platform for creating, generating, editing, and reusing 3D character motion. Its product surface includes Cartwheel Canvas and API-based workflows, with tools for video-based performance capture, text-to-motion generation, motion editing, mascot and character workflows, pose-based rendering, a motion library, and motion retargeting.
The original idea was straightforward: elementary character animation takes a great deal of repetitive work. A creator may know that a character needs to walk, wave, jump, turn, or sit, but producing those movements manually still involves posing, timing, spacing, cleanup, and revisions. Cartwheel attempts to provide a usable motion starting point quickly, leaving the creator to make the important artistic decisions.
#1 Best Overall
- Wacom Intuos Small Graphics Drawing Tablet: Enjoy industry leading tablet performance in superior control and precision with Wacom's EMR, battery free technology that feels like pen on paper
- Works With All Software: Wacom Intuos tablet can be used in any software program to explore new facets of digital creativity; draw, paint, edit photos/videos, create designs, and mark up documents
- What the Professionals Use: Wacom's industry leading pen technology and pen to paper feeling makes it the preferred drawing tablet of professional graphic designers
- Software and Training Included: Only Wacom gives you software with every purchase. Register your Intuos tablet and gain access to some of the best creative software and Wacom's online training
- Wacom is the Global Leader in Drawing Tablet and Displays: For over 40 years in pen display and tablet market, you can trust that Wacom to help you bring your vision, ideas and creativity to life
At its 2024 launch, Cartwheel was presented as a private-beta text-to-animation product focused on editable 3D assets rather than uneditable video pixels. The company described a system that generated motion in a discrete latent space conditioned on text embeddings and said its training data was ethically sourced and internally labeled. Those statements explain the product’s original technical direction, but they should not be treated as current performance benchmarks or a guarantee of production quality.
In practical terms, Cartwheel is better understood as a motion-generation and motion-capture accelerator than as an all-in-one animation replacement.
Three ways to create motion in Cartwheel
1. Video to motion
Video to Motion is the most direct way to transfer a human performance into a 3D character. You upload or record a reference video, let Cartwheel process it, and download the resulting motion in a selected format.
Free tools Windows power users keep installed
One-click scans. No signup required.
This workflow can be useful when the desired movement is easier to perform than to describe. A creator can act out a gesture, walk cycle, reaction, dance, or rough scene and use the result as a starting point. It is also relevant to artists who want to block a shot quickly before refining the timing and poses by hand.
The quality of the reference remains important. Clear, readable movement and suitable framing give the system better information to interpret. Cartwheel’s documented workflow does not require a dedicated motion-capture suit; an ordinary recorded reference can be the input. Specialized recording hardware may improve a creator’s general reference-capture setup, but it is not presented as a prerequisite for using the service.
2. Text to motion
Text to Motion lets you describe an action in natural language—for example, a character walking cautiously, turning toward a sound, or raising a hand in greeting. Cartwheel then generates a motion clip from the description.
The documentation labels this workflow as beta, so it is sensible to treat text prompts as a fast ideation and blocking tool rather than a guarantee of exact choreography. Short, concrete descriptions are usually more useful than trying to specify an entire cinematic performance in one sentence. The creator should expect to review the result for timing, contact points, balance, foot sliding, body mechanics, and whether the character actually communicates the intended emotion.
This is where Cartwheel’s original thesis is strongest: it can help move a project from a blank screen to a rough animated idea without requiring every elementary movement to be built manually.
Rank #2
- Word-first 16K Pressure Levels: The upgraded stylus features 16,384 levels of pressure sensitivity and supports up to 60 degrees of tilt, delivering smoother lines and shading for a natural drawing experience. With no battery or charging needed, it operates like a real pen, making it easy for beginners to create effortlessly. This functionality helps novice artists develop their skills and explore their creativity without the intimidation of complex tools
- Designed for Beginners: This drawing pad desinged with 8 customizable shortcuts for both right and left-hand users, express keys create a highly ergonomic and convenient work platform
- Perfectly Adapted for Android: The XPPen Deco 01 V3 art tablet supports connections with Android devices running version 10.0 and above. It is recommended to download the XPPen Tools Android application, which adapts to your smartphone's screen aspect ratio, ensuring accurate mapping. It also supports mapping on Android screens with different aspect ratios in portrait mode
- Large Drawing Space, Bigger Bold Inspiration: This expansive drawing pad has10 x 6.25-inch helps you break through the limit between shortcut keys and drawing area
- Easy Connectivity for Beginners: The Deco 01 V3 offers USB-C to USB-C connectivity, plus adapters for USB C. This ensures easy connection to various devices, allowing beginner artists to set up quickly and focus on their creativity without compatibility concerns. Whether using a laptop, tablet, or desktop, the Deco 01 V3 provides a seamless experience, making it an ideal choice for those just starting their digital art journey
3. Motion Library
The Motion Library provides existing motion that can be selected, combined, or sequenced in the editor. A library-based workflow is useful when the goal is not to invent a highly specific performance but to assemble a practical sequence from reusable actions.
For example, a creator might combine a walk, stop, turn, gesture, and idle pose for a prototype character. This can be faster than generating every clip independently and may provide a more repeatable starting point for background characters, NPCs, presentations, or social content.
What happens after Cartwheel generates the animation?
Generation is only one stage of a 3D animation pipeline. A useful Cartwheel workflow looks like this:
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
- Define the shot or movement. Decide whether the goal is a rough block, a reusable game animation, a performance reference, or a finished-looking short clip.
- Choose an input. Use a reference video, a text prompt, or a motion-library clip.
- Generate and inspect. Check the body mechanics, timing, contacts, balance, and consistency of the performance.
- Edit the motion. Adjust poses, timing, transitions, and unwanted movement in Cartwheel or a downstream 3D application.
- Retarget where necessary. Apply the motion to the intended character, especially when the generated clip and final character use different rigs or proportions.
- Complete the shot. Add or refine character assets, camera work, facial performance, lighting, materials, rendering, sound, and editorial timing.
Cartwheel can reduce the cost of the first motion pass, but it does not remove the need for this surrounding work. A generated walk cycle is not the same thing as a finished scene with an art-directed character, camera, environment, lighting, and final edit.
Exports and software integration
Cartwheel’s documented download formats include FBX, GLB, MA, MB, BVH, and MP4.
| Format | Typical role |
|---|---|
| FBX | Interchange with 3D applications and game or virtual-production pipelines. Cartwheel lists target configurations for Maya, Blender, and Unreal. |
| GLB | Compact 3D delivery, particularly useful for web-based 3D applications. |
| MA and MB | Native Maya scene formats containing Maya project data. |
| BVH | A widely used motion-capture format for skeletal motion. |
| MP4 | A video export for sharing or reviewing the current scene; it is not an editable 3D motion file. |
A particularly useful option is the ability to exclude the character mesh when downloading 3D motion. That allows the motion data to be retargeted to another character rather than locking the creator into the generated mesh. This separation is important for game development, virtual production, animation, and any pipeline where character assets are managed independently from movement data.
Creators working in Blender can bring in a Cartwheel-targeted FBX, inspect the rig and animation, correct unwanted movement, retime the action, and render or export from there. Maya, Unreal, and other tools may fit better depending on the project’s rigging, game-engine, or virtual-production requirements. Cartwheel’s export compatibility makes it a useful front end to a 3D pipeline—not a replacement for that pipeline.
The Tool Desk
Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Outbyte Driver Updater FREEScan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →If you are learning the cleanup and retargeting stage, a Blender animation book can be a practical companion. It is not required to use Cartwheel, but understanding keyframes, graph editing, rig controls, constraints, and animation timing makes generated motion much easier to evaluate and improve.
Rank #3
- Customize Your Workflow: The 6 customizable press keys on Huion H640P drawing tablet for pc let you assign your most-used commands—like undo, zoom, brush switch, or save—so you can keep your hands on the tablet and your mind on the art. Whether you're a digital painter switching brushes, or a comic artist zooming in and out, these keys keep your workflow smooth and uninterrupted. Plus, the Huion driver lets you save different shortcut profiles for different apps, so you never have to reconfigure when switching software.
- Professional Pen Performance: Huion H640P drawing pad for computer comes with the battery-free PW100 stylus that's always ready when inspiration strikes. With 8192 levels of pressure sensitivity, every light sketch, or bold stroke responds naturally to your hand—just like a real pen. The 5080 LPI resolution and 233 PPS report rate deliver lag-free, precise strokes, so you can draw confidently without second-guessing your cursor. The pen side buttons help you switch between pen and eraser instantly.
- Compact and Portable: Huion H640P computer graphics tablet features a compact, ultra-portable design at just 0.3 inches thin and 0.61 lbs light, so it slides easily into your backpack—perfect for sketching in coffee shops, taking notes in class, or editing on the go between home and studio. The 6x4 inch active area offers enough room for natural pen movements while fitting comfortably on crowded desks, or lecture hall seats.
- Stable Compatibility: Huion H640P graphic drawing tablet works seamlessly with Mac, Windows, Linux PCs, and Android smartphones/tablets (OS version 6.0 or later). Left-handed friendly, and you just need to flip the tablet and adjust the settings in the driver. Please note: H640P does NOT support iPhone/iPad.
- Move Beyond the Mouse: Huion Inspiroy H640P is a pen tablet that replaces your mouse for more natural, precise control. Freehand draw, take notes, or even play OSU—everything you do with a mouse, you can do better with a pen. The precise tip makes it ideal for detailed photo editing, graphic design, or signing PDF. Meanwhile, the ergonomic pen grip helps you avoid the strain that comes from hours of using a mouse.
How Cartwheel’s credit system works
Cartwheel’s current pricing structure uses monthly credits across individual, team, and platform/API-oriented plans. Credit usage depends on the duration and complexity of the workflow, so the amount required is not identical for every feature.
The pricing documentation currently gives these examples:
- Most motion workflows: one credit per second of animation.
- Video-based capture: charged per person per second.
- Facial capture: per second for two faces.
- Motion edits: 0.5 credits per second.
- Mascot generation: nine credits per second of input video.
- Character generation: 60 credits per character.
Monthly credits restart each month. The pricing page also states that additional credits can be purchased in 500-credit units at $0.05 per credit, while purchased credits roll over. A seven-day free trial is advertised. Plan allotments and displayed prices are subject to change, so readers should check Cartwheel’s live pricing page before committing to a plan or estimating the cost of a project.
For budgeting, calculate the length of every generated or edited clip—not just the final duration of the finished video. Several short experiments can consume more credits than one carefully planned generation, particularly when testing multiple prompts or reference performances.
Where Cartwheel is most useful
Previsualization and blocking
Cartwheel is well suited to early-stage work. A director or artist can test movement, staging, and rough timing before investing in detailed keyframe animation. This helps answer practical questions: Does the action read? Is the character facing the right direction? Does the camera need more space? Is the beat too slow?
Games and NPC animation
Game teams often need large numbers of understandable, repeatable movements. Generated or library-based motion can help prototype NPC behavior, populate early builds, and create a starting set of locomotion or interaction clips. Final integration still requires attention to rig compatibility, blending, gameplay triggers, looping, root motion, and performance.
Ads, social content, and presentations
Short-form content benefits from fast iteration. Cartwheel can help creators produce an animated concept, mascot movement, explainer sequence, or social clip without building every action from a blank timeline. MP4 output is useful when the immediate goal is review or sharing rather than downstream 3D editing.
Avatars, AR/VR, and virtual production
Cartwheel’s stated applications include digital avatars, AR/VR, film and television, and virtual production. These uses place different demands on the result. An avatar demo may need a readable gesture, while a film shot may require precise acting, continuity, contact, and camera-aware staging. The same generated clip should not be assumed to have equal readiness in both contexts.
Rank #4
- 4 Pack for More Fun: Apply the newest flexible liquid crystal technology, brighter and clearer than most LCD writing tablet. Take pressure-sensitive technology, you can draw lines of different thicknesses through different pressure levels. Package includes 4 pack lcd writing tablet (Blue, Light blue, Green and Pink), free children's imagination and creativity.
- 8.5 Inch Colorful Lcd writing Tablet: TQU kids LCD doodle board is a creative education and learning toy, perfect support for drawing, writing, spelling, math, remark, and notes which can let your kids freely release their natural instincts. With erase button on the front and lock switch. You can draw and erase easily by pressing the button on the front of the board. The pen fits snug on top of tablet and it will not come loose.
- Easy to use and Durable: The LCD writing tablet for kids is easy to use, just use the stylus to write, draw, scribble, doodle anything you want. Press the erase button to clear the screen in one second. Or press the lock key to save the screen contents. Our magic reusable drawing tablet is built in a button battery.
- Safe & Portable Toddler Travel Toys: Great for quiet, take-along entertainment. It’s an easy way to color on the go without lugging a bunch of stuff in the car or to a restaurant or church.
- Perfect Gift Idea: The multi-functional LCD writing tablet is a great gift choice for kids. It can be an educational toy for preschoolers. A perfect parent-pick gift for 3 4 5 6 7 8 year old girls and boys on back to school, homeschool, birthday, Easter, Children's Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas and any occasion.
Rapid prototypes and background action
Prototype teams and independent creators can use Cartwheel to explore ideas before building a complete animation library. It can also be valuable for secondary characters or background movement where the animation does not carry the entire emotional weight of the shot.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What Cartwheel does not solve automatically
It does not replace character design. Cartwheel may provide motion or character-related workflows, but the project still needs a coherent visual design, model, materials, and art direction.
It does not guarantee clean animation. Generated motion may need correction for foot sliding, unstable balance, awkward transitions, incorrect contacts, excessive jitter, or poses that do not suit the character’s proportions.
Recommended Free Tools
It does not make acting decisions for you. A technically plausible movement may still be dramatically wrong. Timing, emphasis, anticipation, rhythm, and silhouette remain artistic decisions.
It does not eliminate rigging and retargeting issues. Different characters have different skeletons, proportions, constraints, and control systems. Exporting motion is not the same as making it production-ready on every rig.
It does not finish the image. Camera composition, environments, lighting, rendering, sound, compositing, and editing remain separate tasks.
These limitations are not a contradiction of Cartwheel’s purpose. They define its best role: reducing repetitive motion-production work so creators can spend more time on refinement and creative direction.
A practical quality-control checklist
Before treating a Cartwheel clip as usable, review it at several levels:
Best Value
- PLEASE NOTE：XPPen Artist13.3 Pro drawing tablet Need to connect with computer,you need to use it with your computer or laptop, the 3 in 1 cable is included
- Drawing Tablet with Screen: Tilt Function- XPPen Artist 13.3 Pro supports up to 60 degrees of tilt function, so now you don't need to adjust the brush direction in the software again and again. Simply tilt to add shading to your creation and enjoy smoother and more natural transitions between lines and strokes
- Graphics Tablets: High Color Gamut- The 13.3 inch fully-laminated FHD Display pairs a superb color accuracy of 88% NTSC (Adobe RGB≧91%，sRGB≧123%) with a 178-degree viewing angle and delivers rich colors, vivid images, and dazzling details in a wider view. Your creative world is now as powerful as it is colorful
- Drawing Pad: One is enough- The sleek Red Dial on the display is expertly designed with creators in mind, its strategic placement allows for natural drawing postures. With just one wheel, you can effortlessly zoom in and out, adjust brush sizes, and flip the canvas—all tailored to suit the habits of everyday artists. The 8 customizable shortcut keys allow you to personalize your setup, streamlining your workflow and enhancing creative efficiency
- Universal Compatibility & Software Support：supports Windows 7 (or later), Mac OS X 10.10 (or later), Chrome OS 88 (or later), and Linux systems. Fully compatible with major creative software including Photoshop, Illustrator, SAI, and Blender 3D. Register your device to access additional programs like ArtRage 5 and openCanvas for expanded creative possibilities.
- Intent: Does the movement communicate the requested action?
- Timing: Are the pauses, accelerations, and transitions appropriate?
- Contacts: Do feet, hands, and props meet the intended surfaces?
- Balance: Does the character’s weight shift plausibly?
- Continuity: Does the character begin and end in positions that fit adjacent shots?
- Retargeting: Does the motion survive transfer to the final character and rig?
- Looping: If the clip repeats, is the first-to-last transition clean?
- Performance: Does the movement support the character and story rather than merely appearing active?
For a polished project, use the generated result as a draft. Keep the parts that work, replace or keyframe the parts that do not, and avoid allowing the convenience of generation to dictate the final performance.
Is Cartwheel a replacement for 3D animators?
No. Cartwheel can automate or accelerate parts of motion creation, especially basic or repetitive actions, but animation quality depends on choices that extend beyond generating movement. Animators still provide cleanup, timing, posing, acting, continuity, retargeting, and polish.
The strongest use of the platform is collaborative: let AI supply a quick motion hypothesis, then let the artist decide what the character should actually do and how it should feel. That can make the blank-screen problem less intimidating without pretending that a generated clip is the finished creative work.
Bottom line
Cartwheel is most valuable when you need to reach a usable 3D motion draft quickly. Text prompts, video references, and a reusable motion library give creators several ways to begin, while FBX, GLB, Maya, BVH, and MP4 exports connect the result to wider production workflows.
Use it for blocking, previs, prototypes, NPCs, background action, short social content, avatars, and other work where a fast first pass has real value. For a final cinematic animation, plan on exporting, inspecting, retargeting, editing, and polishing the motion in the rest of your pipeline.
What’s actually slowing this PC down?
Pick the symptom - the matching free tool is one click away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cartwheel free?
Cartwheel advertises a seven-day free trial, but its ongoing access uses plans and monthly credits. Plan prices and credit allotments can change, so check the current pricing page before signing up.
Can Cartwheel export to Blender?
Yes. Cartwheel’s documented FBX workflow includes Blender as an initial target. You can also download formats including GLB, MA, MB, BVH, and MP4.
Does Cartwheel create a finished animation?
Usually not by itself. It generates or captures motion, but creators may still need to clean the animation, retarget it, adjust timing and acting, and complete the camera, lighting, rendering, sound, and edit.
Do I need a motion-capture suit to use Cartwheel?
No dedicated suit is identified as a requirement in the documented video-to-motion workflow. Cartwheel accepts an uploaded or recorded reference video, although the quality and clarity of that reference still matter.
Quick wins for a faster PC:
Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →What is the difference between MP4 and FBX output?
MP4 is a rendered video export for viewing or sharing. FBX is an editable 3D interchange format that can carry character or motion data into applications such as Blender, Maya, and Unreal.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
