Open source · MIT License

Design once.
Connect data.
Render at scale.

A visual timeline editor for animated, interactive content. Bind to a database and batch-render hundreds of HTML5 pages or videos from one template.

Download View on GitHub
macOS, Windows, Linux 6.3 MB Tauri v2 + Rust

See it in action

This is a CitCat project running live in your browser. Click the buttons.

Scene 1 of 5 — Welcome

Built with CitCat, exported as HTML5. Animations, buttons, navigation — all running on Canvas.

1

Design on a visual timeline

Place objects, animate with keyframes and effects, add interactivity with clicks and buttons. No code.

2

Connect your database

Link to SQLite, CSV, or PostgreSQL. Bind object properties to columns. Preview each row live.

3

Export hundreds of pages

One click: batch-render an HTML5 page or MP4 video per database row. 200 products, 200 outputs.

Animation

Animate without writing a line of code

A keyframe tells CitCat where an object should be at a moment in time. Set two, and it fills in the motion. Apply built-in effects for instant polish.

  • Keyframe animation with four easing curves
  • 20+ built-in effects — fade, slide, scale, spin, bounce, typewriter
  • Motion paths — draw a bezier curve, the object follows it
  • Object filters — blur, shadow, brightness, saturation, sepia
  • Custom effects — drop a JSON file into the plugins folder
0s1s2s3s4s5s
Title
Image
Button
Interactivity

Make it respond to the viewer

Wire up buttons, navigation, and timed actions with a visual event editor. No JavaScript, no scripting — just pick a trigger and an action.

  • Click, hover, timer, and scene-end triggers
  • Go to scene, toggle visibility, change properties
  • Wait points — pause the timeline for a button press or timer
  • Buttons with built-in navigation, invisible hotspots
Click "Next" → Go to Scene 2
After 3 seconds → Show "Special Offer"
Wait point → Pause until click or 5s timeout
The killer feature

Data-powered content at scale

Connect to your product database. Bind text, images, colours, and visibility to columns. Step through rows in the editor. Then export — one page per row.

  • SQLite, CSV, and PostgreSQL connectors
  • Bind any property — content, fill colour, image path, visibility
  • Conditional visibility: "show only when tier = premium"
  • Live preview: step through rows and see the canvas update
  • Batch export: 200 products → 200 HTML5 pages or MP4 videos
ProductDescriptionPrice
Industrial Washer X1Heavy-duty, 120kg capacity€24,500
Tunnel Finisher T3Automated steam finishing€38,900
Flatwork Folder F24-lane cross-fold system€15,200
Sorting Rail SR-88-station garment sorter€42,100
🔗 content ← product_name  🔗 style.fill ← tier_color

Three ways to use CitCat

Desktop App

The full visual editor. Canvas, timeline, properties, effects, export — everything in a native macOS window.

Command Line

Script and automate. Create projects, add objects, batch-export from a database — all from the terminal.

citcat-cli batch product.citcat ./out \
  --db products.sqlite \
  --name-column slug

MCP Server

18 tools for AI agents. Create animated projects, bind data, and export — no GUI needed. Your agents drive CitCat directly.

Tauri v2 Rust 6.3 MB HTML5 Canvas Vanilla JS Cross-platform .citcat = JSON MIT License

Get CitCat

Free and open source. Pick your platform — or grab the source and build it yourself.

macOS (Apple Silicon) macOS (Intel) Windows (.msi) Linux (.AppImage) Linux (.deb)

macOS will say CitCat is damaged. It isn't.

These builds carry no paid Apple signature, and macOS reports that as damage rather than as an unknown developer. Right-click → Open does not get past it. Run this once after moving CitCat to Applications: 

xattr -dr com.apple.quarantine /Applications/CitCat.app

That clears the download flag macOS attaches to the file. It is the same step many unsigned open-source Mac apps need.

Windows may warn about an unknown publisher — choose More info → Run anyway. Linux needs no extra step.

All downloads come from GitHub Releases. Read the manual.

Built for fun.
Shared for free.

CitCat is open source under the MIT license. Use it, fork it, extend it. Contributions welcome.

View on GitHub