Autodesk acquires core tech of AI motion-capture firm Radical
Autodesk has acquired the core technology of AI-based motion capture firm RADiCAL.
Radical is now shutting down its current web portal, which provides access to its AI mocap services Radical Core and Radical Live, and collaborative online 3D editor Radical Canvas.
Users have until 6 July 2026 to download their data.
AI tech extracts animation from video for use in DCC apps and game engines
Founded in 2017, Radical (strictly speaking, it’s styled ‘RADiCAL’) was the first of a new wave of AI-trained motion-capture platforms.
Its original offline service, Radical Core, extracts the motion of an actor from single-camera video footage and exports the animation in FBX format for use in DCC apps or game engines.
Newer cloud-based service Radical Live can stream animation to Blender, Maya, Unity or Unreal Engine 5.
Acquisition follows an initial investment in 2022
Autodesk first invested in Radical in 2022, acquiring an undisclosed stake in the business.
At the time, Autodesk described its investment as its “latest move … toward democratizing end-to-end production in the cloud”, saying that it aimed to extend Radical’s user base.
The companies also aimed to integrate Radical’s AI tools into Autodesk’s content creation software, starting with Maya.
Existing web portal closing on 6 July 2026
Autodesk has now fully acquired Radical’s core technology and IP, including Motion, which powers Radical Core and Live, and Canvas, which powers its collaborative online 3D editor.
Radical will close down its web portal, which provides access to the services, on 6 July.
It’s possible to use the services until then, either by opening a new free account or monthly subscription, but annual subscribers will have the unused part of the plan refunded to them.
User data will not be transferred to Autodesk
User data is not being transferred, so existing users have until 6 July 2026 to download their files: for Radical Core, processed FBX files and – potentially – the original source videos.
Radical Live and Canvas scenes have never been available for download.
Interestingly, the online FAQs on the acquisition state that Radical “retains ownership of all user accounts and data generated by customers” but that the user data “will not be shared with or sold to Autodesk” or “any other third party”.
We’ve contacted Radical to see if we can get any more details, and will update if we hear back.
Read Radical’s announcement that Autodesk has acquired its core technology
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