After Effects and Cinema 4D Lite

3D Motion Graphics and Visual Effects Using CINEWARE

Chris Jackson

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2014
• Print ISBN:
  9781138401419
• eBook ISBN:
  9781317678045
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Film & Video
• Index: Computer Science

One of the most exciting new features in After Effects is the integration of Cinema 4D using the CINEWARE plug-in and a free version of Cinema 4D Lite. Both provide a wide assortment of new 3D tools and options that are difficult or nearly impossible to achieve in After Effects alone. This book clearly demonstrates how the new 3D workflow bridges the two applications together to raise the design bar for motion graphics and broadcast design.

Hands-on exercises teach you essential production skills including:

• Modeling in CINEMA 4D Lite
• Importing 3D models in After Effects
• Tracking 3D motion in After Effects
• Compositing with CINEWARE
• Using MoGraph features in CINEMA 4D
• Rendering and optimization techniques

Additional online materials include project files and videos showcasing the techniques covered in the book. To access these materials, please see the 'eResources' tab.

CHAPTER 1 Getting Started in CINEMA 4D

DOI: 10.4324/9781315772325-1

Our journey begins with exploring the powerful workflow between After Effects and CINEMA 4D. This chapter introduces CINEMA 4D Lite and how to start integrating 3D models into your After Effects projects using the CINEWARE plug-in.

• 
  What is CINEMA 4D Lite and CINEWARE?
• 
  Creating a CINEMA 4D File
• 
  Modeling in CINEMA 4D Lite
• 
  Applying Materials in CINEMA 4D Lite
• 
  Moving Around in CINEMA 4D Lite
• 
  Adding Lights in CINEMA 4D Lite
• 
  Animating in CINEMA 4D Lite
• 
  Rendering in After Effects

What is CINEMA 4D Lite and CINEWARE?

MAXON CINEMA 4D is one of the leading 3D software packages used today to create stunning 3D motion graphics, product visualizations, video game assets, and much more. It provides an intuitive, user-friendly interface and set of tools for 3D modeling, texturing, lighting, animation, and rendering. After Effects CC now includes a Lite version of CINEMA 4D that can advance your skill sets in motion graphics and visual effects in a new dimension.

How can CINEMA 4D do this? After Effects provides limited 3D capabilities. In fact, After Effects has supported 2.5D in several versions. This acts as a hybrid between the 2D and 3D worlds. In After Effects you place a 2D object in 3D space by turning on its layer's 3D switch. Even though the layer can now be positioned and rotated in 3D space, it still remains a flat 2D object (Figure 1.1).

Figure 1.1 After Effects supports 2.5D where the objects (layers) remain flat.

In CINEMA 4D, you create a 3D scene using wireframe objects that can be viewed from any angle by a virtual camera. The basic 3D workflow consists of creating and arranging 3D objects; applying color and texture; lighting the scene; viewing the scene with cameras; setting keyframes for animation; and rendering an image or animation. The final rendered image can include all of the visual information found in the world including: perspective and depth, light and shadow, form and texture, and motion (Figure 1.2).

Even though CINEMA 4D Lite is a scaled-down version of CINEMA 4D, it still provides a surprisingly extensive set of tools, features, and functions to create 3D content for After Effects. CINEMA 4D Lite also provides animation capabilities and control using keyframes and F-curves. The application is a completely separate software package installed automatically with After Effects CC. The bundled software resides in the After Effects Plugins folder.

Figure 1.2 CINEMA 4D creates 3D scenes that can be viewed from any angle.

What is CINEWARE? CINEWARE is a plug-in and integral part of the entire After Effects and CINEMA 4D Lite workflow. The plug-in serves as a bridge, connecting the two software packages together. CINEWARE displays in the Effect Controls panel in After Effects and acts as a real-time interface between a composition in After Effects and the CINEMA 4D render engine (Figure 1.3). If you have the professional version of CINEMA 4D, you can use that directly as CINEWARE will open native CINEMA 4D files in After Effects CC.

Figure 1.3 CINEWARE bridges After Effects and CINEMA 4D together in real-time.

Creating a CINEMA 4D File

As a 2D artist/designer who wants to add a 3D skill set to your motion graphics repertoire you need a solid understanding of how to create 3D models and operate in 3D space. CINEMA 4D has a relatively quick learning curve and provides the tools necessary for you to create your own 3D content. So let's dive in and get an overview of how CINEMA 4D Lite and CINEWARE work.

In this chapter, you will build and animate 3D text using CINEMA 4D Lite. The animation will be composited in After Effects using the CINEWARE plug-in. The goal is to introduce the new workflow between After Effects and CINEMA 4D. Subsequent chapters will provide more in-depth exercises on 3D modeling, lighting, and animation that is universal across many 3D software packages.

• 
  Download (www.focalpress.com/9781138777934) theChapter_01.zipfile to your hard drive. It contains all the files needed to complete the exercises.

To see w...

Table of contents

• Cover Page
• Half-Title Page
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: Getting Started in CINEMA 4D
• Chapter 2: Modeling in CINEMA 4D
• Chapter 3: 3D Camera Tracking and Compositing with CINEWARE
• Chapter 4: Casting Shadows Using Layers with CINEWARE
• Chapter 5: Lighting Effects
• Chapter 6: Materials and Shaders in Motion
• Chapter 7: Working with Cameras in CINEMA 4D and CINEWARE
• Chapter 8: Multi-Pass Rendering with CINEWARE
• Chapter 9: Beyond CINEMA 4D Lite
• Index