Recap On Cinema 4D

In this process and production session we looked at a basic overview of the software Cinema 4D to recap on its functions and features. We looked at the basic tools used to create and edit models and tools to animate those models.

The X, Z and Y Axis in a 3D Interface

Because Cinema 4D uses 3D and it is viewed on a 2D computer screen the software uses an axis so the camera can rotate around a 3D plain and the user can accurately place the object within the world. The green arrow represents the Y axis which allows the object to move up and down, the red arrow represents the X axis which moves the object left and right and finally the blue arrow represents the Z axis which moves the object back and forth.


Move Tool

After clicking on this symbol the user can drag and move the object/model on screen along the X, Z or Y axis.


Scale Tool

The scale tool allows the user to extrude the shape or object on either of the 3 axises. Clicking on the green arrow and dragging up will make the object longer going up and dragging down on the green arrow will make the object shorter.


Rotation Tool

The rotation tool allows the user to rotate the object around any of the 3 axises. The object will stay in the position it is at and depending on which axis is chosen the object can rotate in different directions.


Adding a Object

This tool simply adds objects to the scene, at the moment the cube object is selected but if the tool is clicked and held it will display other objects that can be added to the scene.


The Pen Tool

The pen tool draws 2D lines and allows the drawing of 2D objects which then can be converted into a 3D object. If the tool is clicked and held it will display some 2D shapes that can be chosen as a preset.


The Floor Tool

The floor tool adds useful objects to the scene, at the moment the tool is set to floor but if it is clicked and held it brings up other useful objects. The floor tool is used for putting a surface underneath an object which will either be used to set a scene or/and be used to interact with the object as a collision effect. The other tools include backgrounds and foregrounds which allow to put in walls or simply have a coloured background behind the object and sky and environmental skies which allow to put in a coloured ceiling or even a realistic sky effect.


The Camera Tool

The camera tool inserts cameras within the scene which is what the final video will see after the render. There are different cameras with different jobs, the ordinary camera will show the scene wherever it is a put, the target camera will follow a object it is assigned to and the motion capture which will move on a created path.


The Light Tool

The light tool simply adds light to a scene. If the scene is rendered without any light source the video will be completely black and nothing will be seen. There is a basic light which will project a light as bright as a light bulb, there is a target light which is a light source that will follow an object, there is a sun light which is a light source that is much brighter than any of the other lights and there is is a spot light which projects a circle of light.


Animating Using the Timeline

The numbers on the timeline are the number of frames during the time of the video. The green square shows which frame is displayed on the window above the timeline. To animate an object it first needs to be selected and then the attributes that are going to be changed need to be locked in by clicking the button next to each attribute. For example if the size of the object is changed a place on the timeline will be selected and then the attribute for the size of the object will clicked to be locked which will create a little blue box on the timeline to show this. Then another point on the timeline preferably a frame higher than the previous frame will be selected where the change in size will happen, the attribute that was locked in the other frame will now have to be changed either a higher number to increase the size or a lower number to decrease the size, then the button next to the attribute number will need to be clicked again to lock the attribute number in the frame. Now when the timeline is played, when the little green box hits the first frame where the attribute was locked in, the object will begin to change size until it reaches the second frame where the attribute number was changed there the object will reach the final size. 

What Did I Learn?

I already knew each tool and had a basic understanding of Cinema 4D but it was a helpful and refreshing reminder of the software. The session is was really useful to me because I want to start using Cinema 4D more.