Cinema 4D Training
This training course is primarily for designers wanting to model render and animate (ie. walk through) their designs (rather than those wanting to walk with dinosaurs!). If you want only to use your own VectorWorks model then a 2 day course is appropriate.
Foundation and 3D modelling (1 day)
Understanding a programs layout and interface design is a helpful start to any program. This course sets out to give a good foundation in 3D modelling which has a different bias to that in VectorWorks or Form·Z
Skills Covered...
- Intro to interface
- Location of tool groups
- Using the objects palette
- Understanding the 3D space
- Navigating the 3D space
- Adjusting the interface and shortcuts
- Modelling in Cinema
- Use of Primitives
- Positioning, scaling and editing of primitives
- Creating spline paths
- Editing spline paths
- Modelling using the Nurbs Tools and spline paths:
- Extrude nurbs
- Lathe nurbs
- Loft nurbs
- Sweep nurbs
- Bezier nurbs
- Hypernurbs modelling
- Editing of 3D objects:
- Reshaping points and polygons
- Boolean operations
- Deformations eg bending, twisting tapering etc
- Optimising models - resolution and polygon crunching
- Importing from other programs - models, splines and reference pictures
- Demonstration of suitable auxiliary modellers eg Amapi and FormZ
Applying Materials
Lighting, Cameras & Stills Rendering (1 day)
Once the model is created the elements of this day's course are needed to complete a rendering. A good visual needs good materials, good lighting and composition to succeed. This day covers all these elements.
Skills Covered...
Creating new materials
- Setting up standard materials
- Colour, transparency, reflectivity etc.
- Using shaders
- Using the browser
- Using the internet
- Using Photoshop
Applying Materials
- Size, position and repeat
- Applying multiple materials
- Copying materials from other objects
- Using materials as gobos on lights
Lighting
- The different light types: point, spot, line and area
- Light attributes
- Aiming lights as cameras
- Tracking lights to objects
- Master lights using a plug-in
Cameras
- Camera attributes: focal length, depth of field etc
- Aiming cameras
- Saving different cameras
- Tracking cameras to objects
Rendering
- Setting up the rendering attributes
- Saving different attributes
- Preview renders
- Batch renders
Animation foundation (1 day)
This day is mainly to teach about walkthrough movies as well as object movies and panoramic movies (QTVR). However, it does show you the basics how to animate anything from lights (moving or changing brightness) to moving cars and opening doors (Character animation is not included however!)
Skills Covered...
- Setting up animation preferences
- Intro to keyframe animation
- Autokeyframing
- Keyframing from attributes
The Timeline
- Tracks, keys and sequences
- Copying keys and tracks
- Using animation tags
- and more...
