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  • Cinema 4D By Vikas Nagolkar

  •                                                                            Cinema 4D

     

    Hello guys, its been such a long time .

    I have come up some excitingtutorials, and this time straight three tutorials have been arranged for you.

    Couple of tutorials are from Cinema 4D and one from 3DS Max.

    I'll be focusing 3ds max as my Prime Digital FX  Tool Kit and Cinema 4D as Motion Graphics Tool Kit.

    Also last month in August Maxon people has officially launched Maxon Cinema 4D Suite R-14.

    Before sharing some of the cool features set of Cinema 4D R-14, let us seethe little history of Cinema 4D.

    History of Cinema 4D:-

    MAXON Computer is a leading developer of 3D software for the creative industries, best known for Its flagship 3D modeling, painting, rendering, and animation software, CINEMA 4D. Today, thousands of users across the world rely on CINEMA 4D to create cutting-edge 3D motion graphics, architectural and product visualizations, video game graphics, illustrations, and much more. MAXON's client list includes ABC, Blizzard Entertainment, BMW, BSkyB, CNN, Fox, ITV Creative, MPC, NBC, NFL Network, Rhythm & Hues, Siemens VDO, Sony Pictures Imageworks, The Walt Disney Company, Turner Broadcasting, Vitra, and many more.

    Formed in 1986 by current CEOs HaraldEgel, Harald Schneider and UweBaertels, MAXON's headquarters is located in Germany. MAXON operates subsidiaries in the U.S. and U.K., and competence centers in Japan, France and Singapore. In addition, MAXON products are sold and supported by over 150 distributors and resellers in over 80 countries worldwide. In early 2000, Nemetschek AG (www.nemetschek.com), Europe's leading vendor of software for architecture and construction, acquired a 70% share of MAXON. 30% of shares remain in the ownership of the company's founders. Becoming part of the Nemetschek group has enabled MAXON to dramatically increase its sales to the architecture and visualization markets.

    First released commercially in 1993 on the Amiga platform, CINEMA 4D debuted on Mac OS and Windows OS in 1996. In 2000, BodyPaint 3D followed, an innovative 3D painting application available as an integrated part of CINEMA 4D or as a standalone product for use with other 3D applications. Now in its 13th release some 17 years later, CINEMA 4D has always been known for powerful features, rock-solid stability, ease-of-use and fast workflow. Close relationships to hardware manufacturers like Intel and Apple guarantee optimized products that follow the pulse of technology closely. There has been a major feature-packed release of CINEMA 4D almost every year since its creation. Despite this rapid development speed, stability remains excellent for the product. MAXON's experienced programming team is still headed by CINEMA 4D's original programmers, who ensure that all new features stay true to their aims from day one of power, speed, stability and ease-of-use.

    OK so let me tell you what are the features available in Cinema 4D R-14.

    Features of Cinema 4D R-14:-

    Modeling, Workflow, Interface & Picture Viewer:-

    1. Sculpting as a new and completely integrated modeling method with sophisticated brushes, symmetry options, hundreds of presets, masking, layers, incl. levels and object baking.
    2. Powerful Camera Calibrator (Camera Matching) tool to reconstruct camera position, rotation and focal length based on images.
    3. New, totally reworked premium Snap functionality.
    4. Realistic camera motion (filmed by hand or SteadiCam simulation) can be easily created using the Motion Camera tag.
    5. With the Camera Morph tag you can animate steplessly between various camera positions, animations and all camera parameters.
    6. New powerful Guide objects and tools with integrated snapping functionality for Architecture, construction and technical modeling.
    7. Additional Workplane modes and new remarkable Workplane functions.
    8. Enhanced OpenGL viewport now with real-time soft shadows.
    9. New To Do function.
    10. New To Do tag.
    11. Task / To Do Manager.
    12. Focal length can be adjusted interactively with one click for each camera.
    13. The new Commander tool can be used to easily to call up any command.
    14. Gradient curves in the Picture Viewer filter.
    15. Gradient curves as a post effect.
    16. Raycast Selection (polygons, points, Objects, etc.) with RMB.
    17. Orthogonal views can be rotated around the orthographic axis.
    18. Viewport Object Highlighting: If needed, selected objects or objects to be selected are now highlighted with an outlin.
    19. The length of the animation path (spline) displayed in the Viewport is now in relation to the length of the preview range and fades accordingly.
    20. Visibility of individual HUD element options can be switched.
    21. Project preferences can also be saved and loaded as presets.
    22. Seamlessly switch from one camera to the next in the Viewport.
    23. Null object icons can be assigned custom colors.
    24. Various guidelines can be displayed in the camera settings (golden spiral, golden ratio, cross-hair, etc.)
    25. Light source icons can assume the light’s color.
    26. Improved export of Cloner object animations.
    27. Right-click option menu for primary tools.
    28. New work mode for moving and rotating work planes directly.
    29. Right-click on axis moves elements in the direction of the camera.
    30. Display of sound wave shapes in the Timeline’s FCurve view.
    31. New Timeline marker options.
    32. Scroll wheel in the Timeline.
    33. Tracks for selected objects can be folded or unfolded in the Time line.
    34. The Bump channel’s effect on the reflection can be disabled.
    35. New Displacement mode: RGB (XYZ Tangent).
    36. New Brick shader parameter.
    37. Vertex Normal coordinates displayed in Structure Manager.
    38. Images can be scaled when saved using the Picture Viewer.
    39. Automatic selection of image size for optimized playback of animations in the Picture Viewer RAM, so every animation can be played in real-time.
    40. New transparency option for the sun.
    41. New MoSpline setting.
    42. New Multi-Shader parameter (for improved mosaic images).
    43. Interactive, uniform modification of brush size and pressure for all brush tools.
    44. New brush size behavior.
    45. Displacement Baking.
    46. Enhanced MoGraph Multi Shader.
    47. Enhanced Brick shader.
    48. Enhanced Fresnel 2D preview.
    49. Specular Color + Specular channel unified.
    50. Gradient GUI: One-click even knot distribution.
    51. Enhanced Watermark.
    52. Displacement Baking.
    53. Picture Viewer enhancements (create stereoscopic images by loading two different pictures).
    54. Highlighting of GUI elements.
    55. Bubble help enhancements.
    56. Add Point ID to pop-up dialog.
    57. Better preview quality for Specular Highlight in Material Editor.
    58. Rain Sampler shader: Texture map for rain intensity.
    59. Color light icon.
    60. Picture Viewer: Auto-sync AB.
    61. Create stereo images from AB-Compare
    62. Picture Viewer: Save All loop.
    63. Watermark: Add placeholder for HDR threshold.
    64. Watermark: Placeholders for camera settings.
    65. Watermark: Create some sub-menus in placeholder pop-up menu Watermark: CINEMA 4D version placeholder.
    66. Gray out / disable focus dynamics when Focus Control is deactivated.
    67. Add additional morph tracks to Camera Morph tag, Multi-Shader improvement: Blend used shader with clone color.
    68. Sketch &Toon OMP support for CreateLines.
    69. Command for switching layout from right to left.
    70. Arabic localization and interface.

     

    Rendering:-

    1. New, improved GI sampling..
    2. New GI sampling method, Radiosity Maps.
    3. Radiosity Maps for significant acceleration of Q rendering and caching.
    4. New GI sampler: Universal.
    5. Caustics rendering speedup.
    6. Normal textures can now also be baked using high-res objects.
    7. Improved integration of objects in Projects illuminated using GI.
    8. The Physical Sky is much improved and is now even more realistic.
    9. Complete new high-class 3D Wood shader.
    10. New Weathering shader.
    11. Brick shader: Add a groove to the gaps.
    12. The new Normalizer shader can calculate HQ Normal maps using Bump maps.
    13. New Subsurface Scattering mode: Direct.
    14. New Subsurface Scattering mode: Single.
    15. Global control of Subsurface Scattering subdivision.
    16. Enhanced SSS Shader (Direct Mode / Single Scattering).
    17. Global option for disabling Subsurface Scattering for rendering.
    18. Combining sky and sun for physically correct rendering.

     

    Dynamics:-

    1. Aerodynamic functions for Rigid and Soft Bodies.
    2. Plastic deformation for most Soft Body Springs.
    3. Aerodynamic mode for particle modifiers Wind, Friction, Rotation, Gravity and Attractor.
    4. Torsion springs and linear springs can be modified or broken elastically.
    5. Fixed Connector type can be broken at certain Force or Torque values.
    6. Breaking detection.
    7. Breaking limits for constraints.
    8. Collision can be included or excluded for Dynamics baking.
    9. All Dynamics caches can now be baked directly from the Dynamics Body tag.
    10. Global air density for aerodynamic Dynamics effects.

     

    Exchange:-

    1. Positions Pass for 3D-compatible compositing applications.
    2. Position Pass: Added Support for different spaces.
    3. Position Pass: Added scaling parameter.
    4. Position Pass: Added RGB flip options.
    5. Position Pass: Change strings.
    6. Position Pass: Added invert option for Z axis.
    7. Multi-Pass files, including the entire Project file, can now be ouput for The Foundry Nuke.
    8. Native CINEMA 4D files can be saved directly from After Effects.
    9. Native CINEMA 4D files can be exported from After Effects.
    10. CINEMA 4D files can be opened directly in Photoshop.
    11. Support for 3D export format Alembic.
    12. FBX now also supports splines.
    13. Command for saving a Project directly for Melange.
    14. Camera options for After Effects export.
    15. Light source options After Effects export.
    16. Rename AFX plugin files.
    17. Photoshop: default camera.

     XPresso:-

    1. Completely new (GUI) XPresso design.
    2. New Node connection: Curved.
    3. Antialiasing of XPresso Nodes.
    4. Performance View for XPresso Nodes.
    5. Parameters controlled by XPresso are marked in the Attribute Manager.
    6. Determine in XPresso whether or not dynamics has been triggered in a specific object / tag.
    7. XPresso ports can be created via drag & drop.
    8. New XPresso Node: Track Operator.
    9. Dynamics can now be triggered using XPresso.
    10. New Dynamics XPresso Node: Dynamics Connector State.
    11. New Dynamic Spring State mode in XPresso.
    12. 'Trigger By XPresso’for Dynamics Body.
    13. Enhanced Attribute Manager.
    14. Bubble help for parameters controlled by XPresso.
    15. New ports for the Dynamic Body State Node.
    16. Drag DescID to ObjectNode.

     Character and XRefs:-

    1. The XRef object can function as a Generator.
    2. Reference Container Active Object List..
    3. The timing of animated referenced objects (XRefs) can be influenced in the master Project
    4. Freely placeableXRef object pivot in master Project.
    5. Several new XRef Manager commands.
    6. Various new XRef options.
    7. In addition to other improvements, multiple bone inserts for the Character Component tag.
    8. Joint weights can now be applied via Save or Load command.
    9. New Clamp option, Fix Axis.
    10. New, additional priority for Pose Morph tag.
    11. Materials can be assigned to character components.
    12. Layers can be assigned to character components.
    13. Freeze coordinates in the Character Component tag.
    14. Character Component tag Handles can be colored individually.
    15. Character enhancements (Flexible Builder).
    16. Elements on layers can be exempted from an XRef master Project when it is loaded.
    17. Numerous additional settings for loading characters as well as new template files.
    18. Tag to set default state in XRef.
    19. XRef Point Modify.
    20. Offset for keyframes in XRefs.
    21. XRef Manager Include check boxes.
    22. XRef Modify options: Points, Mode.
    23. Auto proxy switch on render.
    24. XRef layer shows icon.
    25. XRef Manager menus as commands.
    26. Xref: Flush and Object parameter.
    27. Project settings for XRef import.
    28. Next/Previous Key also jumps to Child objects’ keys.
    29. Merge Poses.
    30. Pose Morph Symmetry function.
    31. Insect Builder - Add Antenna, Add Mandibles.
    32. CMotion - Change order in Action List.
    33. Builder object naming.
    34. Builder layers optional.
    35. Export Weights to a file.
    36. Character object: Control which components to which a mesh gets bound.
    37. Character Builder update dialog.
    38. Character Builder bone insert controllers.
    39. Character Object / Component tag Handle color now uses object color.
    40. P2P Manager / Library.
    41. Copy muscle shapes between states.
    42. CA / additions to mocapmixamo builder template.

    But first of all, Cinema 4D software has been not known too good over here in India as we all know and for what reason the backgroung goes.

    All the Hollywood titles listed belowhas been designed in Cinema 4D.

    Now cinema 4D has main 4 major components.

    • Maxon Cinema 4D Studio
    • Maxon Cinema 4D Broadcast
    • Maxon Cinema 4D Visualize
    • Maxon Cinema 4D Prime
    • MaxonBodypaint 3D.

     C4D_File_Render_Snap.jpg

    So lets get started without wasting much more time.

    1) No matter which coponents application you have . Cinema 4D's (Prime,Visualize,Studio and Broadcast) all files can be easily interchange and merged.

    2)So i have made three files (Chrome_Start, Chrome_WIP,Chrome_Finished and Chrome_Assets). Chrome_Assets will be like a zipped like assets which contains all your textures,scripts,logreports,HDRI's, and many more which you may have applied externally.

    3)So once when you launch Cinema 4, you'll be in 50-50 known-unknown position.Coz you know how o deal with Maya and 3DS Max but this time scenario is different. You'll be dealing with some different aspect of 3D World,where your system action would be shaky and outburst.

    OK time for you to know the titles and opening sequence where Cinema 4D has been used.

    1. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Inception v1
    2. Hollywood Movie Titles Series: Tron CG Part
    3. Hollywood Movie Titles Series: Harry Potter
    4. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Prince of Persia
    5. Hollywood Movie Titles Series: Gamer
    6. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Inception v2
    7. Hollywood Movie Title Series – 300
    8. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Skyline
    9. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Jonah Hex
    10. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Legend Of The Guardians
    11. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Transformers – Day 1
    12. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Transformers – Day 2
    13. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Back To The Future Part 1
    14. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Back To The Future Part 2
    15. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Harry Potter V2
    16. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Expendables
    17. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Pirates of the Caribbean
    18. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Captain America
    19. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Cars 2 Modeling Part
    20. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Cars 2 Styling Part
    21. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Thor
    22. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Avengers
    23. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Dark Knight Rises
    24. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Three Musketeers
    25. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Green Hornet
    26. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Sherlock Holmes
    27. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Mission Impossible 4
    28. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Conan
    29. Hollywood Movie Title Series – The Hunger Games
    30. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Fright Night
    31. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Super 8
    32. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Ghost Rider 2
    33. Hollywood Movie Title Series – Priest

    And many more can hit his list in near future. Not only fromHollywood point of view , but also you can create an opening sequence for your projects too.

    4) Now to start with our project "Chrome_Shader_Blurred" , will simply add text. Now it totally depends you to either create text from any software and bring it open or import geometry in (.obj and .fbx format) easily. The most important system that i liked in Cinema 4D is the Compositing Project File. You can render off yourentire sequence from Cinema 4D and save it as (AE File, Shake Project,Moion,Combustion Project).

    5) Each viewport contains viewport menus on left hand side just like Maya and on each viewport contains motion controls on right side of it.

    6) If you know how to handle 3D softwares and if you are a quick learner, i don’t think there would be any issue getting known to different 3D software. But if you are new to 3D software, i'll strongly recommend you to gent hold your hands over  “Software's HELP MENU”.

    7) Now go to 2D Shapes and hit "TEXT" .once you hit it you'll get text written in all; of your viewport.Many options have been hidden in Cinema 4D. So in order to access them, you have different kind of approach. Snap_1.jpg

    8) Now double-click your text in "Object manager" and rename it just like you rename any layer in "Photoshop" as "Cinema". Similarly also make changes in your font and size you want. Snap_2.jpg

    Snap_3.jpg

    9) It looks flat as i there is no depth in it. So in order to extrude them like we extrude in 3DS Max, we too get extrude option here in Cinema 4D . As seen in the snapshot(Snap_5.jpeg) Extrusion NURBS will be added in your object manager. OK So again we get nothing. Cinema 4D is unlike 3DS Max , a few steps are required to complete the procedure. So just drag your text under Extrusion NURBS and voila, see for yourself.spline text has  been given an external property of fake 3D. Now you can convert this text into mesh. If you wish to just press "C" from your keyboard. Now if you wish to make much more extrusion of your text Cinema, below you'll get "Attribute_Manager" where all your selected entities parameters will be highlighted and can be easily modified.

     Snap_4.jpg

     Snap_5.jpg

    10) OK, so moving forward, in the attribute manager you'll get 5 sub-attributes(Basic, Coord, Object, Caps, Phong). Go in the Object attributes section and try to increase your movement from default value to 250 cm.

     Snap_6.jpg

    PS:- In order to make your text go from 2D shape into 3D shape, all you have to do is select your text and keeping selected hold-drag it under Extrusion NURBS system and leave it. Here all we are trying to do is making our text a child and Extrusion NURBS it’s parent.

     Snap_7.jpg

    11) SO once you have done till here, henceforth we are going to copy/paste our text and place accordingly. Keeping your prime text "Cinema" selected just (CTRL+C and CTRL+V) . There is an alternative here to. All we have done is created text spline and amended extrude option over it.What if i wanted direct 3D text??? Well we do have such an option in Cinema 4D. All you have to do is go in the MoGraph menu --->MoText. You'll see that a direct 3D text will appear in your viewport. You can go in the Object Manager as well as in the Attribute Manager and make changes as per your needs.

     Snap_8.jpg

    PS:- Always have a habbit of grouping your entities right from each aspects point of view. Group all your  models under modeling group,lights and light group and rest with their respected systems.

    12) Time to make some shaders here. So Below your viewport and timeline you'll see some horizontal space available,which has been designed for adding,loading and creating various type of shaders,Textures in the scene.

     Snap_9.jpg

    13) OK so double-click to open it.You can create any kind of shader or download it whichever are freely available or you can also make use of presets available from various sources.

     Snap_10.jpg

    14) Once Material Editor is opened, you'll see that next to each name there is a chekc box which you have to enabe in order to make it active. Amend these following changes.

                    [14.01]:- Color:- [RGB=56,48,43]

                    [14.02]:- Texture:-Fresnels (Now in the shader properties of fresnel add Physical IOR by clicking on checkbox and add beer from   its presets) .

    [14.03]:- Checkbox on for reflection channel and add Fresnel map again.But do not check on the Physical IOR for it. We are going to cange the gradient inside fresnel. See the screenshot for better visualization. Finally just go to Specular checkbox and give this following changes.

                    [14.03.001]:- Width[55%] , Height[42%] and FallOff[-19%].

     Snap_11.jpg

    PS:- A little breakdown deep inside of Material Editor

     Snap_12.jpg

     Snap_13.jpg

    15) Apply this shader to all of the text.Just select the text and drag your Shaderovr it. Now you see, in the Object Manager next to your text, three shader have been placed.

    16) Render your scene at once (Shift+R) or click on the render button as shown in the screenshot. Looks shabby right.OK so we need to add few lights.

     Snap_14.jpg

    17) Time to save your scene as "Chrome_WIP" .

    PS:- Looks pretty shabby RIGHT. OK.

    18) DONE. Time to move for lighting. OK We are going to make use of preset available. We are not going to make use of lights that Maxon guys has provided to us.

    19) Inside Greyscale_LitKit, select "OverHead_Softbox" and amend the changes shown in the screenshot.

     Snap_15.jpg

    20) OK so from here we start our render and light testing. The placements that i have amended for this scene may differ from you. Different positionsof light placements may differ your results from me.

     Snap_16.jpg

    PS:- An expanded version of this so created lightbox has been given in next screenshot.

     Snap_17.jpg

    21) The most important is you can add camera and render your scene.

    22) Below is my final setup for this scene. And save this scene as "Chrome_Finished".

    PS:- Please look at the sdcreenshot very clearly, I have added another couple of lights shown in yellow and red color arrows. You are welcome to play with tbis kind of lights. Cinema 4D does not gets hanged or crashed if your file becomes unstable. But there are rare chances that may if Cinema 4D crashes you and you haven’t enabled alternative drive of saving your file as a back upfile . Cinema 4D has got nothing like recovery files like we are having inside 3DS Max.

     Snap_18.jpg

     Snap_19.jpg

     23) You can use my file for study and enhancing any shader and testing for your projects.

    24) Lets render our scene.

    25) Here is the final render without Motion Blur.

    26) Finally see the screenshot below for the final visual.

     Snap_21.jpg

    Note 01:- You can also add Motion Blur , but yes that will take much longer time for Cinema 4D camera and lights to calculate the entire scene. And if your GI is on, absolutely then you though wanted your scene to get render using Motion blur., I’ll would suggest you should put your fike for Net rendering and go to sleep. Also make sure the type of file that you’re downloading and or making, system units are taken into account. Plus there is chance that once file opened may get your C4D crashed and not work. To be honest Cinema 4D is GPU based application, it means that you can carry out your work forward even if you’r entire scene is getting rendered.

    Note 02:- Specially for 3DS Max users, there is no such option call as “Show Last Rendering” inside Cinema 4D.