Source: maxon.net
If I was an old-timey town crier, this is how I would announce the latest build of Cinema 4D, Maxon’s flagship 3D modeling software:
“Hear ye, hear ye, all 3D animators whose ears be within the shot of my voice! Your humble servant beseeches you to take note of Cinema 4D, the most excellent softenware given unto the people by Lord and Lady Maxon of Friedrichsdorf. ‘Tis capable of producing wonders that dazzle the eye and befuddle the brain. Verily, mine own eyes have witnessed it.”
Since I’m not a town crier (and also don’t work for Maxon), the latest version of Cinema 4D was announced by press release. What a missed opportunity. But that doesn’t change the fact that it’s a cutting edge piece of software – one that’s been used to create visual effects for Pacific Rim, Iron Man 3 and Halo 4, among other titles – so aspiring 3D animators should get acquainted with it.
Light mapping in Cinema 4D (Source: digitalartsonline.co.uk)
Luckily for the unacquainted (and allow me to introduce you… Mr. Cinema 4D meet Unacquainted Blog Reader, Unacquainted Blog Reader meet Mr. Cinema 4D), the program has a fairly quick learning curve.
The first time I used Cinema 4D was after taking on a project that required 3D – and spending the weekend before production learning as much as I could about the software. Surprisingly, I was able to mock out designs and concepts within a few days – and by the end of the following week, was working on rounds of animation towards a final delivery the following week.
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That’s the beauty of Cinema 4D — you don’t need to know everything about it to get interesting results quickly, and in some instances, there aren’t that many steps from original concept to final output.
It’s rare to find an advanced design program that you can use without extensive training and/or hours of frustration, so that alone sets Cinema 4D apart. Maxon’s also reduced the frustration factor by focusing on improving the program’s output. That means faster rendering, more detailed modeling, and cool shortcuts like the architectural grass tool.
Architectural grass tool (Source: maxon.net)
And for newbie 3D animators, there’s a thriving online community of Cinema 4D users that can answer questions and provide tutorials to help you learn the basics of the software. Even if you have a favorite modeling software, it’s worth investigating whether Cinema 4D might be another tool to add to your arsenal. With this kind of simplicity and power in one package, you’ve got nothing to lose.
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