[chips]

I've been using AE for a few years now.
Time to learn a 3d package...after a lot of flipflopping between maya & C4d & general procrastination I've started with cinema 4d.

enjoying it so far. Firing up maya when I had a spare hour or 2 at work seemed too daunting...c4d is a bit more designer friendly for those who don't know it.

training from CMIVFX <thorough but dull
Lynda <good

any other c4d users on here?

[Rik]

spent a year playing with 3d - found c4d easier to pick up. the way the objects are sorted in a 'layers' pallet helped me find my way around.

i'm way out of date though... use V7

Dusteh and that cornish pasty are both c4d users

[chips]

went to a design conference for motion graphics last month ("pause" in NY)
and realised that a lot of motion designers are using 3d...thought I better get my arse in gear. people like Gmunk doing some really cool stuff..
there's only so far you can take after effects. gets a little boring after a while.

any C4D links/resources/good forums welcomed.
cheers

[Rik]

i found the geeks on cgtalk rather helpful.

CGTalk

c4d sub forum... CGTalk - Maxon Cinema 4D

[urbanbindi]

I've been using C4D for the last 2 years. Done some standard stuff but more recently I've done some animation within C4D and used AE too add some effects to the footage.

[fetusface]

been dipping my toes in for only a year so far but also feeling the same way. need to up my game with everyone doing 3D now. let me know if you find any cool resources, the mograph forum community is great but they guard alot of their secrets.

[Dusteh]

I love 3D work over any other type of design. Trying to do it full time but can't find enough of it at the moment.

Stick with C4D, amazing software; makes Adobe look shite in comparison when it comes to support, bug fixing and feature updates. I have yet to find a forum that caters for traditional designers using 3D - currently they seem to be different communities with no real cross-chat.

[urbanbindi]

Here's a sample of 3D work I've done using C4D..

[Samione]

I got a question for you urban, what's your work flow for text in 3d? I work with 3Dmax, I find working with type quite difficult though. I usually end up having to model the type by hand because if I import paths, it never smooths properly. Converting splines to polygons always creates Ngons. It's a fucking nightmare to try and get a micro-bevel. How does C4D deal with it?

[urbanbindi]

C4D has the same issues as 3DMAX. When you extrude certain fonts, you get broken points that just fuck up when you try and bevel, sometimes you get huge bloody triangles popping out everywhere..

So all I do is create the text in illustrator, and convert it to outlines and save as a legacy format (AI 8).

I then open this up in C4D and simply extrude and add caps, bevelling etc..

It's much easier this way, and you hardly ever get any broken paths or points.

[Samione]

Yeah I use a similar method to that although I have to switch bevel for mesh smooth as max doesn't have a bevel modifier, and the mesh smooth is almost always shit so I end up fucking box modelling the type. Not fun.

Will have to ask over at cgtalk if there's a decent way converting splines to poly with quad output and not tri's or ngons, I should be lucky though.

[urbanbindi]

I've been on cgtalk and they're not very helpful.

From my personal experience C4D is perfect for 3D text rendering. Download the trial and give it a go.

[Samione]

Sounds like I might have to.

[Boilerroom]

any of you use googles 3d software sketchup?

[urbanbindi]

Originally Posted by Boilerroom

any of you use googles 3d software sketchup?

Tried it a few times, it's best used for CAD work I think. My brother is studying architecture and uses it now and then..

[Synook]

Google sketchup is fast, but when you need accuracy it can get irritating... also, no advanced features such as physics or particle effects.

[hawken]

Everything I do these days is c4d, before it max. I find c4d is a lot more designer friendly. But not without it's flaws. For example isometric view won't render to vector (flash or illustrator) even though people (including me) have been moaning at them for years to fix it. Collada export in c4d r11 is totally screwed compared to maya or max. Try it all for yourself and you'll soon see.

[Samione]

You can render to vector? That sounds mint, what's it called? Need to find something like that in max.

[2Dfruit]

I'm on a trial of max at the minute. Might give c4d a go if it's more designer friendly.

[urbanbindi]

Its very designer friendly, it has a great GUI unlike Maya and 3DS.