October 23, 2024 : Some Fun With C4D and Fields
A recent project allowed me to dive a little more into C4D – and stretch out my skillset with Fields. I had some collateral from a contractor for a new campaign, and the movements weren’t very dynamic (they lacked the bounce I love in certain motions). When I got the AE source files, I realized they used plug-ins that we didn’t have (ugh).
As a result, I needed to recreate the scenes with the movement I wanted. I could have done this in After Effects – although it would have been a bit tedious due to the repeating elements. I decided to go into C4D and was happy with the end results:
And here’s a second sequence, with the same theme:
The scene’s general setup was rather simple. I took two arrows and put them into a Cloner Object. I then added a Plain Effector and animated some Fields to get the movement (either a Spherical or Linear, depending on the file). It took a little time to get things going how I wanted, and the rest was simply tweaking things to lock it in.
There was one curveball where the Standard Renderer was acting funky. The fix was switching to the Physical Renderer. This was another reminder of how I could stand to get more knowledge around the rendering capabilities of C4D as I don’t know much about the differences between the various renderers.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:50 pm
Tags: After Effects , Cinema 4DComment
April 25, 2024 : Back In C4D (And Now Redshift)
I’ve been able to squeeze in some C4D sequences into a project at work, which is great since I’m due (not to mention it’s one of my personal goals). The shots I’ve worked on so far haven’t been too ambitious, but they are still pushing me to expand my skillset within the software:
One of my biggest weaknesses in not just Cinema 4D, but any 3D package, is lighting/rendering. For a few of these shots, I decided to go with Redshift as the renderer – something that was added to C4D a few years ago – just to see how it works.
Since the shots are getting added to a 2D look within After Effects, I’ve kept things very basic; but it has been interesting to see what Redshift has to offer.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:18 pm
Tags: After Effects , Cinema 4D , GoalsComment
March 14, 2022 : Happy Pi Day!
Well if it isn’t that glorious time of year… where we get to celebrate the incredible mathematical symbol that is Pi. Plus, we also get to enjoy Illinois back in the Big Dance (I haven’t watched a game of theirs this year, but that’s on me). Rather than show a pic, I figured I would re-post a video I made a few years back in Cinema 4D – since I’ve been meaning to get more into C4D:
Unlike Pi, it’s not perfect; but I still like it! While you enjoy the day, feel free to reflect on where we’d be without this constant. If that doesn’t make you appreciate life, then I don’t know what will. Happy Pi Day!
posted by Pi Visuals at 8:57 am
Tags: Cinema 4D , PiComment
February 19, 2022 : Some General C4D Practice
Unsurprisingly, I haven’t been able to spend as much time in C4D as I’d like the last few months. Fortunately, a few weeks ago, I challenged myself to due a little work in it. I was asked to do a quick Visualization Test for a company’s logo, and I saw it as an opportunity to stretch some of those C4D muscles:
There are several things I would have improved, but overall I enjoyed the exercise of extruded splines, general animation, and twist deformers. At the very least, it reminded me of how much fun C4D can be – not to mention how powerful. Here’s hoping I get more time to dive into the software.
posted by Pi Visuals at 12:44 am
Tags: Cinema 4DComment
January 15, 2021 : Adding C4D To The Arsenal
I still haven’t installed Lightwave 2020, but it’s on the To Do list. Also on said list is getting more familiar with Cinema 4D. I’ve used the program on and off over the last few years, but I wouldn’t call myself a regular (or proficient). That said, the software is great for motion graphics and complements After Effects really well.
As such, I am trying to make a more concerted effort to use it. I have identified a few professional projects where I can inject some C4D work in the pipeline. It’s not intended to create anything Earth-shattering. Instead, I want to give the final video some added flair. The goal isn’t to become a master but to get more fluent.
posted by Pi Visuals at 11:19 pm
Tags: Cinema 4DComment
June 1, 2018 : Long Overdue Reel Update
Many people I know (myself included) often say they need to update their reel. This has been on my To-Do list for quite some time, which is why I’m happy to share the link below:
As with my previous reel, I wanted to do something different with the music. This time around, I used Jazz Chord Progressions and mixed them with non-instrumental synth sounds. It took some time getting it to a place with which I was happy, but I like the end result.
posted by Pi Visuals at 8:41 pm
Tags: After Effects , Cinema 4D , Client Work , LightwaveComment
March 14, 2018 : Happy Pi Day!
You know what day it is? Of course you do – it’s the nerdiest day of them all, and this year it has been made extra nerdy special with an animation:
After you re-watch (and share) the video several times, be sure to reflect on the awesomeness that is Pi. Although, if you come to this site, I guess you already do that. Then again, if you regularly visit this site, you are probably fictional. Either way, Happy Pi Day!
posted by Pi Visuals at 1:14 pm
Tags: After Effects , Cinema 4D , PiComment