Figure A- Appendix I f you are new to CINEMA 4D, this reference section covers what you need to know to get started with the application. See the built-in Help system on the top menu for in-depth explanations of tools, settings, and processes. Use the search box to bring up keywords, or click on the roll-down triangles in the left panel to choose manual topics. Basics of the C4D Interface Fire up your engines! Start CINEMA 4D by clicking the C4D icon in the dock or the original application icon. You can also drag a C4D file onto either icon. Although double-clicking a C4D file will usually open the application, there are times when that’s not the best way. Quit with File>Quit or Cmd + Q, saving at that point if you need to. However, the best saving habit is to save immediately upon starting a project and update with a quick Cmd + S every time you stop to think. An important twist on saving is when you have any texture that you have imported (apart from the shaders inside CINEMA 4D; for example, a photographic image map you imported). It is necessary to use Save Project if you want the tex- tures to stay with the project so that it will render properly. (Save Project creates a nice folder for you and tucks everything inside a subfolder named Tex.) In the default layout, there is a main menu across the top, a palette of tool icons across the top and one down the left side of the main window, and another ◆ Tip: You can access Help directly from the interface by parking the mouse on an icon or word and pressing Cmd + F1 (Mac) or Ctrl + F1 (PC).
Transcript
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Figure A-�
Appendix
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I f you are new to CINEMA 4D, this reference section covers what you need to know to get started with the application. See the built-in Help system on the top menu for in-depth explanations of tools, settings, and processes. Use
the search box to bring up keywords, or click on the roll-down triangles in the left panel to choose manual topics.
Basics of the C4D Interface
Fire up your engines! Start CINEMA 4D by clicking the C4D icon in the dock or the original application icon. You can also drag a C4D file onto either icon. Although double-clicking a C4D file will usually open the application, there are times when that’s not the best way. Quit with File>Quit or Cmd + Q, saving at that point if you need to. However, the best saving habit is to save immediately upon starting a project and update with a quick Cmd + S every time you stop to think. An important twist on saving is when you have any texture that you have imported (apart from the shaders inside CINEMA 4D; for example, a photographic image map you imported). It is necessary to use Save Project if you want the tex-tures to stay with the project so that it will render properly. (Save Project creates a nice folder for you and tucks everything inside a subfolder named Tex.)
In the default layout, there is a main menu across the top, a palette of tool icons across the top and one down the left side of the main window, and another
◆Tip:You can access Help directly from the interface by parking the mouse on an icon or word and pressing Cmd + F1 (Mac) or Ctrl + F1 (PC).
� CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
smaller menu at the top of each view panel (Figure A-5), sometimes called the Editor window (the one where you see the objects).
A new view panel can be added any time by choosing Window>New View Panel from the top menu. Each view window has a unique menu, so it can have separate settings for angle of view and display style. Go to View>Panels on at the top of each view for a variety of predesigned panel layouts. If you want to view your scene from a different angle, or from perspective, top, side, and front simultaneously, use these key shortcuts to switch from view to view. (Or choose them from the View menu in each view.)
• F1View 1 Perspective
• F2View 2 Top
• F3View 3 Right Side
• F4View 4 Front
• F5All Views
◆Tip:Want quick access to menus right at your fingertips? Press the V key and click the mouse any-where on the screen. Then drag over to the desired command.
To change the way objects are drawn in a view, choose Display from that view’s menu. Gouraud shading roughly previews the general effect textures and lighting, but Lines displays are much faster and may be all you need when modeling. When working with complex motion in animation, Box display may be necessary. Wireframe and Isoparm displays let you see into or through the object, making it easier to select buried points. When modeling, it can be help-
Figure A-� All Views.
Appendix �
ful to make a new view window and set one window to Gouraud display (so you can clearly see the surface), but change the display of the other window to Wireframe or Isoparm (so you can easily see and select points on the mesh or working splines). You can also assign a specific display style to just one object in a scene by assigning a Display tag (right click on the object, choose CINEMA 4D Tags>Display Tag, click Use Shading Mode, and configure the Shading Mode and Style from the pull-down menus).
The World Grid and 3D World Geography
In C4D, Y is up and is the vertical axis or height of the 3D world. X is the hori-zontal axis or width, and Z goes away from you into space, representing the depth of the space. It will also help to memorize the colors of the axes in CINEMA 4D.
Figure A-� Left to Right: Top: Gouraud, Lines>Wireframe, Bottom: Lines>Isoparms, Hidden Line>Wireframe.
Figure A-4 Display Tag.
Figure A-5 View Menu, View Window, and Manager Windows.
The Manager windows are specialized work areas that house the controls for the major processes in CINEMA 4D. Most Manager windows have a menu specific to the work of that window. Be aware that for a shortcut (such as Cmd + A) to work in a Manager window, it must be the active one. It’s a good habit to click on an empty area of a window to activate it before working.
4 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
You may get turned around at times and not be able to see the labels, and the colors may be your only signpost.
Successfully navigating the 3D world requires familiarity with the geography of the 3D space. The world grid is a default construction plane, a subdivided grid that helps you get your bearings and imparts a sense of where you are placing objects. The green, red, and blue arrows in the world grid represent the world axes. The position of any object axis or even any single point in the world can be defined by its coordinates, or numeric values on each world axis.
The origin of the world is where the X, Y, and Z axes coincide, the location with coordinates of 0, 0, 0. The diagram in Figure A-6 shows the direction of positive and negative values for each axis. Some say it feels strange that nega-tive Z (–Z) comes to the front and positive Z (+Z) goes to the back, but that’s how it is!
In the modeling process, it may help to imagine the invisible planes defined by any two axes. For instance, the world’s default construction plane lies on the XZ plane. (See Figure A-7.)
There are several ways that you can manipulate the camera through which you are viewing the 3D space. One way is to use these hotkeys to navigate the view.
• 1+mousedrag:Moves the camera from side to side or top to bottom
• 2+mousedrag:Moves the camera in and out
• 2+Commandkey+mousedrag:Zooms the camera (changes focal length)
• 3+mousedrag:Rotates the camera, or tumbles the view
To get back to where you started choose Edit>Frame Default from the menu over the view.
When using the 3 key to rotate the camera, it’s important to note that the camera rotates around the 0, 0, 0 point in space. However, if an object is selected, the camera will rotate around that object. If a group of objects is selected, the camera will rotate around the axis of the group. The Command and 3 key ma-neuvers the view in a Dutch tilt.
The icons at the top right corner of the view correspond to the 1, 2, 3, and F5 keys. Click and drag on the first three symbols to see how they work.
Figure A-6 The World Grid and World Axes.
Figure A-7 XY, ZY, and XZ Planes.
◆Tip:You can use the numbers on either the regular keyboard or the numeric keyboard.
Figure A-8 Viewport Navigation Icons.
Appendix 5
It’s easy to end up in a distorted perspective without knowing how you got there and how to get out! When Cmd + 2 is used to zoom the camera, it doesn’t move the camera up and back, but rather changes the focal length of the camera lens. Just as a telephoto or wide-angle fisheye lens on a real camera exaggerates and bizarrely twists the scene, a virtual lens change will distort camera’s perspective.
To maintain normal perspective, move the camera in and out by using the 2 key and dragging the mouse. For artistic purposes, you may want the distorted effects of a wide angle or telephoto lens like in Figure A-6. Use Cmd + 2 and drag the mouse (or, on a two-button mouse, right click with the 2 key and drag the mouse) to zoom the lens for flattened or stretched perspective. If you end up with unwanted perspective distortion, just press Cmd + 2 and drag the mouse to return to normal perspective.
The Lost and Found Department
When first learning CINEMA 4D, you will occasionally lose things. Some typical situations are listed below, with tips on how to get out of them.
• If Manager windows or views disappear, or your layout is suddenly in general havoc, choose Window>Layout>Reset Layout to restore the default layout.
• It can be easy to get the 3D world twisted around into a weird and un-wanted perspective. To start over at the default perspective view, choose Edit>Frame Default from the menu of that view.
• Occasionally objects are completely lost in space. If you see the objects’ names in the Object Manager, they are probably still in there somewhere. Rather than hunt around in space manually, choose Edit>Frame Scene from the menu over the view. Alternately, if you are looking at the origin of the world, the object could be sent there by “zeroing out” the object (enter 0 in the P.X, P.Y, and P.Z input boxes in the Coordinates Manager or the Attributes Manager>Coordinate tab).
Figure A-9 Distorted Perspective.
6 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
The number of “undo levels” can be set in Edit>Preferences>Document>Undo Depth. In C4D, Cmd + Z steps back as many levels as you have set, and the Redo Command, Cmd + Y, steps forward.
Working with Objects
Each object created in C4D is “born” in the center of the 3D world where the X, Y, and Z axes coincide at coordinates 0, 0, and 0. Each object has its own set of axes, so if the object is tilted, those axes are no longer oriented in space as when they were born and no longer match the world axes in orientation. The object’s axis is independent of the world axes, and you can decide which set of axes to use. Click the Object Axis icon to switch to the World axes.
To select an object for editing or transforming, you can click on the object itself in the Editor window. A better habit is to click on the name of the object in the Object Manager. All the Transform tools (Move, Scale, and Rotate) can be used to select objects or their inner elements in the Editor window. For more complex selections, the selection tools in the top menu can be used.
Figure A-�0 (Left) Object Coordinates; (Right) World Coordinates System Icon.
Figure A-�� Selection Tools.
The Object Manager
Welcome to Inventory Central! CINEMA 4D’s Object Manager is the bin where all objects in your 3D world are listed by name. More importantly, objects are listed in a meaningful diagram called a hierarchy that visually communicates the relationship of one object to another. It will be clear to you when objects are in Groups or Parent/Child relationships.
In the Object Manager, object names are critically important for recognition, selection, and organization. Taking the time to rename generic elements like splines and primitives is a necessary habit that will pay big dividends later when you attempt to manage large projects. “Pool Ball 8,” “Mars,” and “Eyeball” will provide more information than “Sphere,” “Sphere,” and “Sphere.”
Figure A-�� Hierarchy in the Object Manager.
Appendix 7
Take a look at the dots and checks in the column to the right of the object names. When clicked twice to a red state, the top dot turns off the visibility of an object in the Editor window. The bottom dot does the same thing for visi-bility in final rendering. The visibility will be that of the object’s parent if the dots are gray. A green dot means that the object will be visible even if its parent is invisible. The check marks activate and deactivate deformers and generators. (Deformers and generators are tools you will use later to modify the shape and state of objects or primitives.) You can click on one visibility tag or activation check mark and drag to pass on the state to others of its kind in the hierarchy.
Tags (including the tags for textures) have their own icons in the third col-umn to the right of the object name. You can also drag and drop these from one object to another in the Object Manager. To access a contextual menu of tags in the Object Manager, Command-click (or right click) on the object and choose the tag you want from the CINEMA 4D Tags sidecar menu.
The Attributes Manager
The Attributes Manager is where you will find all the editable characteristics about an object currently selected in the Object Manager. You will go here to enter or modify all information about an object. You can even set animation key frames in the Attributes Manager by Control (or Shift) clicking on the small circles to the left of value names. Sometimes the information in the “AM” can change when you don’t want it to (if you accidentally click on the name of another object). Click the lock symbol at the top of the Attributes Manager to lock the current information.
The Model and Object Tool
First, let’s talk about the Model tool in relation to the Points, Edges, Polygons, Axis, and Texture tools. Use the Model tool when you want the action of the Move, Scale, or Rotate tools to apply to the Object as a whole. However, if you want to get under the hood to edit elements that make up the object, switch to the Points, Edges, Polygons, Axis, or Texture tool to use the Move, Scale, or
Figure A-�� The Attributes Manager.
8 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
Rotate tools on those respective elements. You’ll have to make the object editable (just press the C key!) before being able to access them.
Now for some discussion on using the Model tool versus the Object tool. Both of these will allow the moving, scaling, and rotation of whole objects. When you are making models, use the Model tool. When animating, though, the Ob-ject tool should be used to avoid problems. The Object tool transforms an object’s axes, to which CINEMA 4D refers when animating.
Transform Tools
You will be reaching for these Transform tools often to perform the most basic changes on objects in your 3D world. With them you can move, scale, or rotate objects and limit those actions to happen on specific axes. Hotkeys for basic transform tools are as follows: Move is the 4 key (no modifiers), Scale is the 5 key, and Rotate is the 6 key. Hold down the hotkey and drag the mouse in the Editor window. (This is a temporary shortcut that works while the key is held down, so it does not change the tool in the palette.)
The action of a tool can be limited to one axis. With the Move and Scale tools, mouse on the color-coded X, Y, and Z axes (X is red, Y is green, and Z is blue) and the manipulation will be constrained to that axis (Figure A-17). For free manipulation, just drag your mouse in the gray area of the window. The Rotate tool has a set of color-coded bands that let you rotate the object intuitively and display the angle of rotation.
To constrain to Heading rotation only, mouse on the green band, and for Pitch, mouse on the red band. You can mouse on the Z band, but in a flat-on view, it becomes a little tricky to hit. Dragging the mouse outside the yellow circle will constrain to movement around the Z, and free rotation will occur if you mouse immediately outside the color bands. See Help>Rotate (Tools menu) for other shortcuts for the Rotation tool.
An alternate method for constraining movement is to use the X, Y, and Z symbols on the top palette. If one of these is locked (no circle around it), the object will not be able to move on that axis. If you want to move the object only along one axis, then the symbol for that axis should be unlocked. (It should have a circle around it!) Each object has its own system of axes placed by default in the center of the object when it is created.
These axes are used as an orientation point by the Move, Scale, and Rotate tools, and the coordinates of an object’s axis define the single point on the ob-ject referred to in matters of positioning and movement. You will often need to move the object’s axis either within or completely outside the object using the Object Axis tool. For example, a planet rotating around the sun would have its axis, the point of rotation, at the center of the sun.
Figure A-�4 Tools on Left Palette (Default). Figure A-�5 (Top) Model Tool; (Bot-tom) Object Tool.
Figure A-�6 (Left to Right) Move, Scale, and Rotate.
The Coordinates Manager is where numeric values for Position, Size, Scale, and Rotation may be input. In addition to entering typed values, you can quickly change the values by dragging on the small triangles by each input box (drag up-ward for larger increments and downward for smaller ones), or by single-clicking the triangles with the mouse to nudge tiny changes. If you have a wheel mouse you can spin the values. Press Return after inputting the value. Don’t confuse this separate manager with the Coordinates panel in the Attributes Manager, where you can Command-click or right click on the names of values and set key frames from the Contextual menu.
Figure A-�9 Constraining Transform Tools.
Figure A-�0 Object Axis.
Figure A-�� Make Editable, Model, and Ob-ject Axis Tools.
Figure A-�� The Coordinates Manager.
Rotation in the Coordinates Manager is entered in plus or minus values for H (or Heading), P (or Pitch), and B (or Bank). Heading rotates around the Y axis, Pitch around the X axis, and Bank around the Z axis. Visualizing those terms in
Figure A-�� The HPB System.
�0 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
relation to an airplane may help you get your bearings. When objects are tilted, HPB Rotation can yield some unexpected results. See Help>Rotate (Tools menu) for an explanation of tumbling behavior.
These are the basic working elements in CINEMA 4D:
• Pointsarealso called control points or vertices, defined by their position in the X, Y, Z space.
• Splinesare lines in space, points connected by lines that can be straight or curved. Splines are invisible in rendering.
• Splineprimitivesare splines of various shapes available in the palette.
• Edgesare single sides of a polygon, each connected by two points.
• Polygonsare closed planes formed by points connected by lines, usually connected in a mesh.
• Parametricprimitivesare mathematically defined basic 3D forms.
◆Tip:Choose Selection>Convert Selection to switch a selection of one type of element to another. For example, convert a selection of points to a selection of edges, or a selection of polygons into a selection of points.
• For a quick test render of the Editor window, just press Cmd + R.
• To continually render a preview (that will be on the fuzzy side), press Opt (Alt) + R.
• If you want to render and save a still picture, press Shift + R. After the rendering is complete, in the Pictures window choose File>Save Picture As>(format of your choice). Use the finder to title the file and navigate to where you want to save it. Click Save.
• If you want the picture to be bigger, choose Render>Render Settings and click on the Output tab. Drag down on the box next to Resolution and set the size to 640 x 480 NTSC or other desired size. Close the Render Settings window and press Shift + R again to render.
• If the edges have the jaggies, choose Render>Render Settings and click on the General tab. Drag down the box next to Antialiasing and choose Best.
Appendix ��
Rendering an Animation
• Choose Render>Render Settings, click on the General tab, and choose Filter>Animation. Select the Output tab. Drag down on the box next to Frame and choose all frames.
• Still in Render Settings, click on Save in the left-hand column. Click the Path button and use the finder to title the movie and navigate to where you want to save it. In the navigation window that pops up, click Save. Under Format, choose QuickTime movie. (You do not have to click the Save button at the bottom of the window. That refers to saving a compos-iting project file.) Close the Render Settings window.
• Press Shift + R on the keyboard to render the animation in the Picture Viewer. The animation will automatically be saved to the location you specified.
Previewing an Animation
From the top menu, select Render>Make Preview. In the input box, click your choices for the kind of preview you want. The progress box at the bottom left of the main window will show you the rendering progress, and then a QuickTime window will open. Click the Play button. Choose File>Save if you want to save the QuickTime preview movie.
Render Safe and Title Safe
Choose Edit>Configure from each Viewport menu to turn on Render Safe (the borders of your final rendering determined by the format choice in your render settings), Action Safe, or Title Safe (for TV output) guidelines.
Choosing a Scheme
You may prefer a sophisticated, dark gray work environment or something lighter. You may even opt to go back to the classic scheme if the R10 icons feel too for-eign. In Edit>Preferences>Common you can choose a scheme that feels right to you. And even that chosen scheme can be completely customized (see below). Any scheme customization can be created and saved, and there are giveaway schemes out on the web. Just place them in your C4D/Resources>Schemes folder and they will appear in your list of schemes in Preferences.
Customization
Saving Custom Layouts
You can place any elements of the C4D interface anywhere you wish, and then save your redesigned workspace as a custom layout (Window>Layout>Save Layout
◆Tip:Important! This is a definite gotcha! If you forget to set the Save/Format settings to QuickTime or set up navigation to a folder created for individual frames, many annoying TIFF files will be piled on your desktop by default. This can be a real ordeal to clean up, so make a mental note to check those Save>Format settings every time you render an animation. Better yet, create a Template.c4d file with Render Settings set to out-put a QuickTime movie. Place the template in the same folder with the current version of C4D and it will open every time you work with those settings.
Figure A-�5 Title Safe and Render Safe.
�� CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
As), and place the file inside the Library>Layout folder that resides in the current CINEMA 4D folder. It will then be ac-cessible in the Layout icon at the top of the left palette.
Managing the Manager Windows
If you want to float a window and be able to move it freely around the workspace, click the textured square in the upper left corner of any window and drag over to choose Undock. If you click the red close button on the window, it will disappear from the interface. To bring it back, choose the name of the window from the Window menu. To realign an undocked window with other tabs, mouse on the textured square and drag to the textured square of the window you want to reconnect with.
To make a Manager window share a space with another window and reside as a tab in the same tab bar, drag the window’s textured square and drop it on the textured square of the target window. Dragging a window’s textured square against the edge of another window will result in a new docking position. To change the height or width of a window, mouse on its border and drag with the double-sided cursor.
Restoring the Default Layout
To restore the layout to the original layout, choose Window>Layout>Reset Layout. Click on the top icon of the left-hand tools palette to choose a layout appropri-ate for the task at hand. CINEMA 4D has several already built in that are set up for specific tasks, like using MOCCA or BodyPaint 3D.
Right click on a palette to access a contextual menu for custom editing. Choose Edit Palettes and you will be able to drag and drop icons from one palette to another or delete palettes.
Creating your Own Hotkeys
Choose Window>Layout>Command Manager and you’ll see a complete list of all CINEMA 4D’s commands. Select the command for which you want to assign a key combination. Click in the Shortcut box and type the shortcut. Click Assign. (You’ll get a message if the key combination you requested is already in use.) As an example of how shortcuts can make your life easier, longtime Photoshop users might capitalize on their lifetime Cmd + D habit by assigning it to Deselect All. The new assigned shortcut will appear in the box to the left. The Command Manager can also be used to edit palettes. (See Help.)
Restoring Factory Settings
To restore CINEMA 4D to its original factory settings, throw away the CINEMA 4D.prf file in the current C4D Prefs folder. Don’t be afraid! The next time you use CINEMA 4D, a clean prefs file will be created automatically. You can explore the deeper meaning of the many preferences settings in the built-in Help. Preference
Figure A-�8 The Command Manager.
�4 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
settings will stay in place from file to file, until you change them or restore the original settings. One note: If you plan to use a Graphics Tablet (which is a must-have if you plan to use BodyPaint 3D), better head right into Preferences and check the Graphics Tablet check box, or you’ll see some strange cursor behavior.
Restoring Factory Schemes
It’s easy to get carried away with your ability to change colors in the Viewport and Interface, and with so many elements that can be changed, it can be hard to find your way back. Quit C4D and navigate to the Prefs folder, deleting the COL file for the scheme you edited. For example, if you played havoc with the dark scheme, delete “Dark.col.” Reopen C4D and the default scheme will have been restored.
Editing Project Settings
Project settings (Top Menu>Edit>Project Settings) apply only to the current scene. Here you can set a frame rate appropriate for your output; enter the first frame of the animation in the Minimum box and the last frame in the Maximum box.
Restoring Factory Schemes
If you are working on a Mac, buy a two-button wheel mouse if at all possible. The mighty mouse works great! Right clicking will bring up contextual menus and streamline your workflow greatly! If you stick with the regular Mac mouse, holding down the Command (Apple) key does the same thing as right button mousing. If your mouse has a wheel, use it to scroll sliders, enter values in nu-merical input boxes, and move in and out of the editor window.
Cross Platform and C4D
CINEMA 4D plays cross-platform very nicely. With just the usual differences listed below, there is little difference between the Mac and PC versions of CIN-EMA 4D.
MAC PC
Command Control
Opt Alt
Command-click Right click
Selection and Display Filters
The Selection filter allows you to determine which objects in the scene can (or cannot) be selected. This applies to the Editor window (and not the Object Manager, where all objects can always be selected). When scenes get very dense with objects, you can use this list to isolate the type of objects you’re working on. Just Control-click on one object in the Selection filter list and all others will
Figure A-�9 Selection Filter.
Appendix �5
be disabled, or uncheck the objects you don’t want to be selectable. You can also Shift-select objects and choose Create Selection Object from the Selection filter list, creating a Selection object in the Object Manager. Later, if you click Restore in the Attributes Manager, all these objects will select at once for easy multiple editing. If you choose the Select tool from the Selection filter list, you can check the kinds of objects you would like to select as a group. For example, if you check on Light, all lights in the scene would be selected in the Viewport and highlighted in the Object Manager.
Of course, you can Shift-select multiple objects (in either the Editor window or the Object Manager) and mass edit parameters, but there will be times when hav-ing a complex group of objects already saved will make things much easier.
The Display filter works the same way, but it determines which sets of objects will be visible in the Editor window. You’ll still see the axes of objects that have been made invisible. To return the objects to the view, just check the check box again.
Using the HUD
Heads Up Display, borrowed from the world of aviation, offers information and animation at close proximity in the Editor window. The HUD can be used with object parameters. It allows you to work with values on a layer that hovers over your models. Command-click (right click) on animatable parameters (Size.Y or P.Y, for example) and drag to Add to HUD. Control-click to move the panels anywhere you wish. Drag the mouse up and down over any value to change it real time, and Control-click the white circle to set key frames at different points in time. Of course, you can Shift-click as many values as you wish and add them all to the HUD in one move. To remove the HUD, Command-click or right click on the panel and drag down to Remove.
Figure A-�0 Display Filter.
Figure A-�� HUD.
�6 CINEMA 4D: The Artist’s Project Sourcebook, Second Edition
You can also use the HUD to display information helpful to the work process in the Viewport. To custom configure the HUD, choose Edit>Configure>HUD. Here’s an example. In the HUD tab, check on Total Polygons to get a live poly count, or check on Camera Distance to watch the object’s distance from the camera as you move either. Check out the other bits of information that can be placed at eye level in your Viewport. Notice that under Controls, you can reduce the opacity and change the color of the HUD panels.
Working with Image Templates
It’s easy to create working guides that will help the 3D con-struction process. By importing photographs taken from the critical angles (or sketches) into a material and placing the material on planes placed at the corresponding positions and angles in space, you construct a great guide for drawing splines or shaping polygonal meshes. The photo in Figure A-32A was taken from an angle that would be of little use in a template (a most unorthographic view). In Photoshop, the corner points of the Crop tool (with Perspective checked on) are aligned over the grille area. When the crop tool is activated, voila! Now the image in Figure A-32B is quite useful as a tracing guide.
Managing Your Scenes
Scene management has recently become an area of great improvement in C4D. With new tools for filtering, search-ing, bookmarking, and placing related elements into layers, you can now focus on the task at hand without being over-whelmed, even in the most complicated scenes.
Searching for Objects in the Object Manager
To search for an object by name in the Object Manager, click the Magnifier icon on the top right and type as many letters as necessary to bring the object out of hiding. Remember to check the cross button when you are through so that all of the objects will not continue to be filtered. You may want to select the object once it’s found, so that when you return to the crowd of objects it will stand out.
Using Layers in the Object Manager
Place ten primitives in the Editor window and position them so you can see them all. Select a single object, Shift-select neighboring objects, or Control-click scattered objects in the Object Manager. Command-click (right click) on any one of the selec-
Figure A-�� (A) Original Photo; (B) Photo-shop Crop with Perspective Checked.
Figure A-�� The Object Manager Search Box.
Appendix �7
tions and drag to Add to Layer in the contextual menu. Notice that all the selected objects (or the single object) have been assigned a rounded square to the right in a single color. Now choose a different primitive, and choose Add to New Layer. A dif-ferent color has been assigned. Every time you add an object to a new layer, a new color will be assigned. If you choose Add to Layer now, you will be give a choice of colors representing the different layers. Now press Shift + F4 to bring up the Layer Manager. (You could also choose it from the contextual menu.) The icons to the right of each layer allow you to toggle on and off certain states for the layer like isolation (S [for solo]), visibility (V), and inclusion in the render (R). See Help for the meanings of the remaining icons. Now open the Animation Layout. The layers are honored there also, and you can still use Shift + F4 to access the Layer Browser to isolate, lock, or otherwise control the states of those layers. It’s up to you how you populate your layers, but generally objects that need to be accessed at one time might be on the same layer. For example, if a scene had three characters, each one with its accessory objects might be on a separate layer. See the DVD for references and more instruction on using layers.
◆Tip:You can access a glossary of terms pertinent to CINEMA 4D at http://www.maxoncomputer.com.
Figure A-�4 Layers: Object Manager, Time-line, and Layer Browser.
