Cineversity

Hi All,

  I’m a total NOOB, never having worked in or with any 3D software program, ever.  However, I am familiar with Flash (now CC Animate), Illustrator, and Photoshop; I can draw anything I want right on the stage/screen.

I realize that 3D software has its own way of doing things so before I go nuts trying to figure it out on my own I thought it best to ask, at 61 time is more precious and to some degree even more limited.

So my question is this:
Can I do the same in Cinema 4D?  Can I use my mouse or stylus pen and simply draw as I would, using a brush or pencil, in Flash, Illustrator, Photoshop, etc?

Peace,
Jose Antonio

Hi Jose Antonio,

As input devices, a mouse and a tablet can be used.

This is a general question; let me try to list all places where one can draw.

Like in Illustrator:
https://help.maxon.net/us/index.html#TOOLSPLINEPEN-MDATA_MAINGROUP
https://help.maxon.net/us/index.html#TOOLSPLINESKETCH-MDATA_MAINGROUP
As well as with any Spline tool, with options in the Main Menu> Spline.

Not that these Paths (Splines) have no color assigned to them, that can be done in
Sketch and Toons, or just with a Hair material.

If you are fast in Illustrator, perhaps check out the CV Tools>CV-Art-Smart.
However, if you want to learn Cinema 4D, try to focus on what you can do inside the app while learning. Otherwise, you might end up using Cinema 4D only as an authoring app. It is better to know both the authoring and the creation options.

There is a Doodle option given, but it is more to sketch or make notes.
Main Menu> Tools> Doodles.

If you like to paint on objects, the application that resembles Photoshop is very close, but targeting 3D predominately is BodyPaint3D, an integral part of Cinema 4D.
When you go to the right upper corner of the interface: Layout> BodyPaint 3D.

It has layers and many things in common with Photoshop, but as Illustrator, Flash, or Photoshop, each has a different target. Like you would compare Ps with Fl. There are significant differences. To know them and when to use what is a question of understanding the applications in detail and evaluate if the advantage is worth the time to go from one to the next application. With around three decades of using all these apps, I would have no usable general reply to this: It depends on the project.

Working like in Flash, that is more like all the splines animated. Whereby the splines might be best used in Generators (Main Menu> Create> Generators), like Extrude, or Loft, etc.
Generators are the object with the dominating green in it. Animating splines means to change the point values over time, which is done with the aid of the timeline, something that will look familiar to Flash. However, try to explore it as it is, and not searching for the equivalent. To duplicate another application with Cinema4D’s toolset is using only a portion of its power.

If you have a question, please share the Ai, Fl, or Ps file in a new thread, and I will share what I know of how to duplicate it.

If the question was meant, is creating a 3D object as simple as creating 2D in Illustrator, Flash, or Photoshop? Yes and no! If you like to make a cube, that is a click only; if you want to create Pixar movie like film sets, then, of course, it is not. With anything between.

Project files must be zipped.

Please note that for security purposes, I click only on cloud services from DropBox, Google, Amazon, Apple, Adobe, and Wetransfer. Videos with Vimeo and YouTube are fine. I ignore shortened URLs.
However, if you have a file that is too large or needs to be “not in public”, I can set up an upload link.

I’m happy to look into any questions you have regarding Cinema 4D.

Cheers

Dr. Sassi,

Thank you for your quick reply.

I guess what your saying is, learn the ways of the new program vs. trying to make it work like I’m used to.

I will endeavor to do just that and if you hear screams like the pulling out of hair -the little I have left, think kindly of me.

Thank you again and for the helpful links.

Peace,
Jose Antonio

Thanks a lot, Jose Antonio, for taking the time to reply.

Cinema 4D has many tools indeed, and getting used to all of them is a journey.
Since I really don’t know what you want to do with it, any tip from my side might work or not.

Take splines, for example. If you are used to Illustrator and have the same passion as I have to create elegant paths, you will love it.
My target in Illustrator is always to have the least amount of points per path. So each point has a lot of power to change the shape.

Each point is just one unit of information, and that is then used to interpolate the path. This information can then be used in Extrude, Sweep, Lathe, and Loft, for example. With just these few tools/functions, you can already do a lot. And it starts while using your knowledge already.

If you would go now from Illustrator to Cinema 4D, even with the plug-in, you still have that extra step. (Yes, Illustrator as an encapsulated postscript processor has many more path specific tools, so it comes in handy more often than not.)

Let me know if something isn’t working or you have a question; I’m typically only a few clicks away.

Again, the more I know what you like to do, the better I can point you to some tutorial series, perhaps.

Cheers.

Dr. Sassi,

Thank You, Sir, I truly appreciate your input.

Peace,
Jose Antonio

You’re very welcome, Jose Antonio, You’re very welcome.

I hope you can create what you want in the way you see it in your vision already; While our vision is always ahead of our skills.

As you undoubtedly know, the story plays in the audience’s head and heart, between the frames, in the cut.

Enjoy your exploration of a new tool.