Hippo is a personal CRM built for Apple platforms. Keep notes, events, and to-dos for the friends, family, and colleagues you care about — all stored on your device. No account. No cloud server. No Contacts permission required.
Hippo is a personal CRM for iPhone, iPad, and Mac. A personal CRM helps you keep track of the people in your life the way a sales CRM helps a salesperson track leads — but focused on the relationships that actually matter to you. Friends, family, mentors, colleagues, the people you want to stay close to.
Unlike most personal CRMs, Hippo stores everything on your device. There’s no account to sign up for, no server holding your contacts, and access to your iOS Contacts list is never required (it’s optional, and granted contacts still stay on-device). Optional sync runs through your own private iCloud Drive — never through Hippo.
Hippo is built for people who want to be more attentive without trading their privacy for the privilege.
Make notes, keep track of events and store to-dos for all your contacts.
So next time you meet, a quick glance at the person's profile in Hippo is all you need to remember the details.
Being attentive doesn’t have to be a challenge anymore.
Hippo is your personal reminder.
Use notes to quickly jot down things you learned about your contacts. Like names of kids, new jobs, a promotion, holiday plans, or gift ideas.
Create events for face to face meetings or important life events.
Get reminded when the event is happening so you can ask about it.
Remember the questions you want to ask the next time you meet.
Hippo is the personal CRM that doesn’t want your data.
Monica is a powerful open-source personal CRM, but it’s web-based and requires either a paid hosted plan or self-hosting your own server. Monica’s recent v5 update has shifted the product toward life journaling and modular vaults. If you want a focused personal CRM that runs natively on iPhone, iPad, and Mac with no setup, Hippo is the closer fit.
Dex is a strong choice if your relationships are heavily LinkedIn-driven and you want cross-platform sync via a Dex account. Hippo runs natively on Apple platforms (iPhone, iPad, and Mac) and is built around on-device privacy — your contact data never leaves your device unless you choose to sync via iCloud.
Clay enriches your contacts with public data from across the web. Hippo intentionally doesn’t do this. If you want enrichment, Clay is the right tool. If you want your data to stay local and untouched, Hippo is.
Hippo offers a one-time lifetime purchase option (uncommon in the category) and is the only one that works without ever requesting your iOS Contacts list.
Hi 👋, I’m Roel
I have been struggling with my memory all the time, at work and at home. I used to forget children’s names, someone's job, birthdays, anniversaries and other important life events. At work I couldn’t remember when or how a decision was made.
This made me insecure and unhappy. That is why I built Hippo.
With the Hippo app, I can remember all the important things about the persons I care for. A quick note usually does the job. It is simple and effective … and has changed my life! Hippo has helped me to become a better friend, partner and colleague.
Hippo is free to try for 1 month. After the trial, it’s $14.99 per year or $29.99 as a one-time lifetime purchase.
To view the pricing in your currency, see Hippo in the App Store.
Free to try for one month.
Introduction
MMD Excellent Shadow is a popular 3D model and animation software used for creating stunning visual effects, animations, and music videos. MMD stands for MikuMikuDance, which was initially developed for creating dance animations featuring Vocaloids, such as Hatsune Miku.
Key Features
The "Excellent Shadow" version of MMD is an upgraded iteration of the software, boasting several notable features:
Analysis
MMD Excellent Shadow has gained popularity among 3D animation enthusiasts and professionals alike due to its:
Common Use Cases
Conclusion
MMD Excellent Shadow is a powerful and accessible 3D animation software that has garnered a significant following among enthusiasts and professionals. Its advanced features, combined with a user-friendly interface and community support, make it an excellent choice for creating stunning 3D animations and visual effects.
Recommendations
Rating
Based on its features, usability, and community support, I would rate MMD Excellent Shadow as follows: mmd excellent shadow
Overall Rating: 8.5/10
Excellent Shadow (often referred to as ExcellentShadow2) is a popular MikuMikuDance (MMD) effect designed to significantly improve the quality and realism of shadows cast by models and objects. Key Features and Benefits
High-Resolution Rendering: It replaces the default jagged or "fuzzy" shadows in MMD with smoother, more refined edges.
Shadow Smoothing: The effect's .x file allows users to adjust smoothing by changing the accessory size (typically to 100 or -100 for optimal results).
Natural Surface Play: It is particularly effective for studying how light and shadow interact with a model's complex textures, making it a staple for high-quality rendering.
Sub-set Compatibility: It can be applied selectively to different parts of a model using MikuMikuEffect (MME) mapping to ensure realistic shading across various materials. How to Use It
Load the Accessory: Load the ExcellentShadow.x file into the Accessory Manipulation panel.
Apply to Models: Open the Effect Mapping window in MME and assign the full_ES.fx shader to your model.
Adjust Distance: If shadows appear detached or strange, adjust the "shadow distance" in MMD’s native shadow panel; lower distances generally produce crisper results for close-up shots.
For a step-by-step walkthrough on setting up ExcellentShadow2 and other visual enhancements, check out this tutorial:
Excellent Shadow (often referred to as ExcellentShadow2) is a popular MikuMikuEffect (MME) created by Sovoro designed to smooth out the "jagged" or "blocky" default self-shadows on MMD models. Quick Setup Guide To get the best results, follow these standard steps: Load the Effect: Open the MME panel (top right of MMD). Introduction MMD Excellent Shadow is a popular 3D
In the Main tab, select your model and apply the .fx file included in the Excellent Shadow folder (usually ExcellentShadow.fx). Load the Controller:
Go to the Accessory Manipulation Panel (AMP) and load the ExcellentShadow.x file. Adjust the Quality:
Set the Size of the accessory to either 100 or -100. This value often controls the smoothing intensity; many users find these extremes provide the cleanest look. Fine-Tuning:
Shadow Distance: If shadows look disconnected or "floaty," adjust the shadow distance in the MMD View > Shadow Setting menu. Lowering the distance typically makes shadows crisper but covers less area.
Light Angle: Reposition your Light Manipulation source. Excellent Shadow works best when the light angle is adjusted to create "anime-esque" shading rather than direct overhead light. Pro Tips for "Excellent" Shadows
Title: Stunning Shadow Effects in MMD!
Content:
Hey MMD community!
Are you tired of dull, flat shadows in your MMD scenes? Look no further! I'd like to share some tips and tricks for creating stunning, realistic shadow effects that will elevate your MMD game.
Tips:
Example Scene:
I'd love to see your favorite MMD models and scenes come to life with these shadow effects! Share your own creations in the comments below and let's inspire each other to create more stunning MMD content.
Resources:
Get creative and show off your MMD skills!
How's that? I can modify if needed!
Here’s a good feature implementation for “MMD Excellent Shadow” — suitable for a graphics tool, rendering engine, or MMD (MikuMikuDance) enhancement plugin:
Chasing the MMD Excellent Shadow is not just about technical sliders; it is about respect for visual clarity. A shadow tells the viewer where the character exists in space. A broken shadow breaks immersion; a perfect shadow enhances emotion.
By increasing your map resolution to 1024+, mastering the Bias slider to kill acne, and integrating MME effects like o_SelfShadow, you will transform your MMD output. The next time you upload a video, viewers won't say "Nice MMD video." They will ask, "How did you get those shadows so clean?"
And you will answer: "Welcome to the excellent shadow club."
Call to Action: Download your favorite stage, apply the settings above, and share your "Before vs. After" shadow screenshots in the comments below. Which setting made the biggest difference for you?
This feature enhances shadow rendering in MMD-based scenes by producing soft, high-resolution, and artifact-free shadows that react dynamically to lighting, distance, and surface materials.
Adaptive High-Quality Shadows with MMD Excellent Shadow Improved Rendering Engine : The software utilizes an
Cast Shadow for floor textures if they already have painted shadows.10 to 20 works for most stage scenes.Navigate to: View > Lighting > Shadow Settings.