questions from checking out C4D

[cakewalkr7]

I just finished the trial of 3ds max and although I liked it, I did find some things difficult. I saw some demo videos of C4D on the Maxon site and I like the fact that it has MoGraph which could tie in well with some of the AE work I do. So, in playing with the demo, there were a couple of things I wondered about and hoped some of you C4D users could answer for me.

 

1. In max, I can import an autocad file with polysplines. What is the normal way of working with autocad files in C4D?

2. One thing I liked in max that I can't find in C4D is the rotate and pan tools. I did accidentally find that if I hold down the alt key and drag the mouse, it does the perspective style rotation. But I didn't know if there were hot keys to get to a tool to do those kinds of things.

3. Is the advanced render module what you use for your renders for archviz or is there something else more common for C4D?

 

That's about all I come up with at this point, but I'm sure as I play with the demo some more, I'll have more questions. Thanks!

[AJLynn]

I find that Cinema can work with Autocad files, but it's not as good at that as Max is. You need to save your Autocad file as an Autocad 12 DXF, and it will work well with plines but they should not be closed (Cinema likes to import those as polygons, but it's a simple matter to select a bunch of plines in the object navigator and check the closed box). They translate to Cinema splines, and if you close them you can do things like make walls from your wall outlines in plan just by dropping a spline object into a loft object - that approach, based on the heirarchy in the object navigator, is one of the things I love about Cinema.

 

The rotate and pan in Cinema are the same as in Maya - hold Alt and drag with the left, middle (press down on the mouse wheel) and right mouse buttons. It's fast once you get used to it.

 

Advanced Render is quite good, but the GI isn't the fastest. You can use FinalRender 2, which got off to a rough start but the latest release is pretty good. It has very fast GI and an advanced material system. The Sketch&Toon renderer is also very useful and can be combined with Advanced Render to do some great illustration.

[cakewalkr7]

Thanks for the info!

[Frosty]

About the only thing I want to add to AJ's post is that middle clicking in a view port (with no other key) maximizes the view port. Repeating this inside a maiximized viewport returns to a 4 port view.

 

The object manager is, I feel, Cinema's most defining feature. Learning to use it smoothes workflow greatly.

[Ernest Burden III]

The rotate and pan in Cinema are the same as in Maya - hold Alt and drag with the left, middle (press down on the mouse wheel) and right mouse buttons. It's fast once you get used to it.

 

I use the method of holding down the 1 2 and 3 keys along with a mouse drag (different results for left or right button):

1+mouse=pan

2+mouse=zoom/dolly camera

1+mouse=camera rotate (several definable methods)

 

There are also three little, useless icons at the upper-right of each viewport to do these things.

 

The AR module is ultra-stable, and fast for scanline rendering, but too slow and artifact-prone for architectural GI. I use it often for that, and am often frustrated. FinalRender-Stage2 is an alternative, and vRay is coming soon to C4D. Also there are three works-in-progress engines you can add--Maxwell, FryRender and the free Indigo, all lightpath-tracing, ultra-realistic lighting simulators.

[Frosty]

There are also three little, useless icons at the upper-right of each viewport to do these things.

 

Unfortunately, until v7 this was the only method of navigating. Cinema really has moved a long way since I've been using it.

[STRAT]

 

The AR module is ultra-stable, and fast for scanline rendering, but too slow and artifact-prone for architectural GI.

 

 

i understand the troubles you been having but i think that statement is a tad too missleading for a new user. i use the GI options for all my daily archi rendering with great effect. yup, it's well over due a re-write as we all know, but i wouldn't dissmiss it for archi rendering by far.

[Ernest Burden III]

i wouldn't dissmiss it for archi rendering by far.

 

I'm not dismissing it, I use it for almost everything. But I stand by my statement--AR for archi-GI is too slow and prone to artifacts. For non-GI its much faster than FR2, but for GI, and especially GI animation AR is a handicap.

[iraj2829]

i am an architect assistant working in a company in Birmingham. i need some help :

1-i am working with sketchup , and just started c4d for a month , could u please guide me how i can import sketchup file to c4d ?(the way that i have done is :export from sketchup to 3ds fime and the import into c4d, but unfortunately cinema does not reconaise it very well, is there any other way?)

[AJLynn]

Cinema is very good at importing 3DS files. Most of the time when people have a problem with Sketchup-to-3DS it's because of the Sketchup file. It should be a good modeling job, not excessively high polygon, with no flipped faces. (View it in Monochrome and if you see a blue face, reverse it. I have reverse face as a keyboard shortcut, I use it so much.) As a corollary, all objects should be modelled as solid - e.g., model both te inside and outside faces of a wall. Except for window glass, often you can do that as a single face, depends on the renderer. Export the 3DS file in whatever way will be convenient for you to use - several files exported by selection, objects by heirarchy, or a single object. Usually I use 2-sided by material.

 

Throughout modeling in Sketchup, good modeling practices help - making sure linked things are links correctly, doing dimensioned lines by typing the distance, using the OSnap/OTrack-like features, etc.

[iraj2829]

thanks AJLYNN ,i will remember what u told me.

i have another questions:

 

1-i want to get use to c4d for architectural visualization but i need to have strategy for modeling fron the plan,

is there any tutorial,books,dvd, ... that can help me?

 

2-what are differences between c4d and bundle?

[AJLynn]

Second question is easiest - the basic Cinema4D does not come with any addons, the bundles come with modules (see module list for each bundle). You should decide which modules you will want and then figure out whether a bundle is a good deal for you. (I like Advanced Render and Sketch&Toon and never got much use out of any of the others.)

 

As for the first question, there are a lot of different strategies people use. I've done modeling in Sketchup and importing to Cinema, and modeling in Cinema based on a plan imported from Autocad (use R12 DXF, preferebly drawn in plines that are not closed, then close them in Cinema and extrude, and proceed from there). If there are repetitive parts you can model one in Sketchup then use instances in Cinema to do the repeating (which will give you a small, very efficient file).

 

3dfluff.com has some good DVDs.

[iraj2829]

Thank you very much AJLYNN

[Frosty]

Check the sticky in this forum for a list of online tutorials as well. If you find anymore please advise us and I'll add them to the list.

[4DM]

Geoff, I have programmed the various buttons and scrollwheel on my 5-button mouse to pan, dolly and rotate in the C4D viewport, without needing to hold down any extra keys, except for zoom which I don't use as much as dolly.

 

This saves a few microseconds of time, and extra left arm muscle usage!

 

I tend to import dwg plans, and model a lot of rectilinear content, in VW then export into C4D as dxf, so that workflow might not interest you.

 

But the big news for anyone rendering in C4D is the (hopefully) imminent release of VRay for C4D, on PC and Mac. Check the C4D Forum (Lighting and Rendering sub-forum) at cgsociety.com for latest news.

 

Cheers,

 

D.