Cinema4d - worth learning for VFX?

unit187

Hi, I am looking for some opinions from people experienced with C4D.

I am avid Maya user for many years, mostly modelling/animation/rigging. I've worked a bit with Maya particles and simulations (fluids, cloth, nparticles, etc.). It was always annoying how when it comes to particles or deforming mesh in cool ways, you always have to write some expressions and scripts..

I know Cinema4D is advertized as a software easy to learn that allows you to create decent visual effects without diving deep into coding stuff. I wonder if learning C4D can be in fact useful for me as I am mainly interested in design and VFX/motion graphics somewhat similar to what you have in Tron (look at the effect of "healing", when the actor is interacting with the sphere):
[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y8nXRQQ0bjA"]Repairing Quorra - YouTube[/ame]
(I know some of this was generated by code, but I am talking about the rest).

Thanks!

Shrike

I use C4D for about 6 years now and I love it, but it has downsides aswell

C4D is standard for motion graphics and always used in conjuction with after effects, but maxon coupled with adobe and you have the deepest integretion in AE you can imagine, you literally have a lite version of C4D in it which is a big advantage.

Its nice looking, easy to use and you can customize everything (but if you want to model you have to make your own toolbar at best)

You have a lot of effectors that do crazy things in a easy way and you got this expresso script language to do more complex stuff. Deforming meshes is a breeze and every setting can be keyframed for literally everything.


There are also more complex effectors and mographs, like music visualizers and such things

A strange thing is the shader system, you have no node based system in C4D, there is a master shader and you can input other shaders in the slots which is a little strange, but it makes for very fast and easy advanced stuff with no shader knowledge. Rendering is also very easy and convenient, and you now can sculpt in the package on mudbox level aswell.

Biggest downside on cinema 4D is the UV tools. Theyre good if you want a fast automatic UV where it does not really matter, but its missing a lot of functions.
Also its missing smoothing groups/splits, you can do those in C4D but not export them.

Also you will still need the big third party plugins, like fume FX etc.

Maxon is bringing a lot of new things in every year cycle update, and their focus is motion graphics, so you can expect them to bring more in the future.

Kraftwerk

Cant talk about the VFX stuff but C4D is overall a real joy to use and i don't know any other tool that is so feature rich where everything included actually works, for example in Maya i find the sculpting and 3D painting part absolutely atrocious, its slow buggy and absolutely useless. In C4D is Bodypaint which used to be the best in that segment, and the new sculpting also works quite well of course its not ZBrush but its really usable. On the modelling side i cant complain either some of the best and most straightforward tools i know and UV mapping also solid.

So not sure if it works for you what you want to do, but overall a good 3D tool which i find super useful and where i am wondered why its not more used.

Kraftwerk

Shrike wrote: »

Also its missing smoothing groups/splits, you can do those in C4D but not export them.

Odd the times i needed it it worked absolutely fine with Collada and FBX into the Unreal Engine and *cough* Second Life.