Cinema 4D R14 Cookbook, 2nd Edition

Elevate your art to the fourth dimension with Cinema 4D R14

Overview

• Master all the important aspects of Cinema 4D
• Learn how real-world knowledge of cameras and lighting translates onto a 3D canvas
• Learn advanced features like Mograph, Xpresso, Dynamics, Sculpting, and Particles
• Become an advanced Cinema 4D user with concise and effective recipes

In Detail

Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, animation, and rendering application developed by MAXON. It is becoming the most popular 3D design program in the world and learning it now will only help you become a better and more valuable designer in the 3D design industry. It is capable of procedural and polygonal sub modeling, animating, lighting, texturing, rendering, and common features found in 3D modeling applications.

This book provides all the Cinema 4D knowledge you need to become well-versed with the software in the form of short recipes, which get straight to the point about what you need to know to start designing great 3D projects.

Cinema 4D R14 Cookbook will guide you towards becoming an adept 3D designer, giving you all the tools to succeed in the field of 3D graphics. The book is set up to gradually introduce more sophisticated topics the deeper you go, and by the end of it you’ll have a great working knowledge of the program. Early on you’ll learn the basics of the program, and then jump right into how to start creating your own 3D objects to use in your designs.

Along the way you’ll learn how to set up lights, cameras, and materials to turn your work into something that feels more like art and design. Towards the end of the book you will be introduced to powerful tools like Xpresso, Mograph, Particles, Sculpting, and Dynamics to take your work to the next level. You’ll be impressed by how easy it is to design top quality work once you lay the foundation for the entire program through this book. By the end of this book, you’ll have opened new creative doors and given yourself the opportunity to be a more successful and versatile designer.

What you will learn from this book

• Get started using Maxon’s powerful 3D design application
• Learn useful tools and methods for creating your own 3D objects
• Use deformers to manipulate and adjust your designs
• Create camera setups that capture your design in every dimension and mimic real world camera movement
• Learn how to track 3D elements into real world imagery
• Properly light your scene using real-world techniques
• Texture your objects to give them unique properties and qualities
• Render your work efficiently and with the best results
• Develop complex animations using Mograph
• Create sophisticated and smarter projects using Xpresso
• Take your work to the next level using Cinema 4D Dynamic system
• Learn how to create sophisticated particle systems

Approach

This book is written in a Cookbook style with short recipes designed to effectively teach tools in the minimum amount of time. Each recipe hits on a topic that can be combined or incorporated with other recipes to give you the building blocks you need to start making great designs with Cinema 4D. Rather than demonstrating how to make a few specific and extensive projects, the recipes create a solid base of knowledge to help the reader understand the tools available to foster their own creativity.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: The Fundamentals
Chapter 2: Super Modeling
Chapter 3: The Deformers
Chapter 4: Cameras are Rolling
Chapter 5: Let there be Lights
Chapter 6: A Material World
Chapter 7: Rendering Strategy
Chapter 8: The Awesome Power of MoGraph
Chapter 9: XPresso Shots
Chapter 10: Configuring Dynamics
Chapter 11: Thinking about Particles