Working with Animation, the Timeline, and Keyframes in Cinema 4D

Creating animation using Keyframes and the Timeline is one of the core skills when working in Cinema 4D, or any animation program for that matter. If you are coming from After Effects CC, the Cinema 4D system of animation can have some slight differences. Once you understand these differences on how the timeline and keyframes work, you'll be an animation pro in no time.

In this video, learn how to create Position, Scale, and Rotation keyframes in Cinema 4D Lite. Once we have that down, we'll talk about the full timeline, and how to manipulate timing uses eases and animation curves. We'll also talk about concepts like creating overshoot, and other animation principles. 

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Intro to 3D Lighting, Shadows, and HDR Sky Images in Cinema 4D

Creating a 3D logo in Cinema 4D Lite and then adding custom Materials is great and all, but what does it matter if there are no lights in your scene to light anything? 3D lighting can drastically impact how your scene appears, the same way that manipulating the lighting on a film set can completely change the look, tone, and mood of a scene. 

In this Cinema 4D Lite tutorial, learn about the basics of working with 3D lights and shadows. Next, learn how to work with the Sky image to create environment reflections that will appear throughout your scene. You'll be a professional 3D gaffer in no time!

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Intro to Cinema 4D Materials - Working with Reflections & Reflectance Materials

Creating custom materials in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite can be a very powerful way to drastically change how your 3D scenes appear. There have been some major updates to how materials and reflectance works starting in Cinema 4D R16, so whether you're completely new to materials, or familiar with Materials in Cinema 4D and want to know where the hell the Reflection tab went, you'll be up to speed in no time on how 3D materials work in Cinema 4D.

In this video, I'll cover how to make a quick reflective material using the legacy settings, and then get into how the new layered Reflectance system works starting in Cinema 4D Lite R16.

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to Create a 3D Extruded Logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite

Completely new to working in 3D using Cinema 4D, or looking to create a 3D animation using a logo? One of Cinema 4D's most powerful features is how quick and easy it can be to create a nice looking 3D logo from an existing logo. In this 5 part series, learn about getting started with Cinema 4D using Cinema 4D Lite, packaged for free with After Effects CC. In this first part we'll talk about bringing your logo from illustrator into Cinema 4D, creating the 3D geometry, and building out the 3D logo in a smart way.

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D Lite to get off the ground in 3D?
 

Learn how to Create a 3D extruded logo in Cinema 4D or Cinema 4D Lite.

Then learn how to Work with Materials and Reflectance textures in Cinema 4D.

Next learn about 3D Lighting and HDRI Sky images in Cinema 4D.

And then learn about Creating Animation, working with Keyframes, and the Cinema 4D Timeline.

Finally, learn some Fancy post-production effects like linking Optical Flares to Cinema 4D Animations.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to import 3D Characters and OBJ Sequences from Cinema 4D into Element 3D V2

So you can build out custom 3D characters in Adobe Fuse, then send them to Cinema 4D, but what if you want to bring animated characters into Element 3D? This can be done by exporting an OBJ sequence out of Cinema 4D, or your preferred 3D app, and bringing it into Element 3D. While you can now import Cinema 4D animations directly into Element 3D V2, this will only bring in Position, Scale, and Rotation animations, and not keyframes on rigged skeletons. Check out the video above to learn some fun tips on bringing 3D character animations into Element 3D V2.

Want to learn more about Element 3D?
 

Learn about the Top new Features of Element 3D V2!

New to Element 3D? Start with how to create a 3D Logo with Shadows & Reflections!

Learn about how to use Cinema 4D Animations in Element 3D V2 in this video! 

And my shortcut tips and tricks for Element 3D V2 in this video!

Want to Motion Track a 3D Object using Element 3D? Learn how in this video!

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Top 5 New Features in Adobe After Effects CC 2015 - December Updates

One thing that has changed since Adobe has switched to a subscription business model in Creative Cloud is that we no longer have to wait 2 years for app updates. This is the second update to After Effects CC this year, and the December 2015 updates to AE bring a bunch of new features, as well as some tweaks to previously updated features. Check out the video above to learn about my Top 5 Updates to After Effects CC 2015.

Want to check out more updates to After Effects CC 2015? Check out updates that came earlier in the year in this video.

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Getting Started in Adobe Fuse - Editing and Customizing Textures

After you've assembled a 3D character in Adobe Fuse, then worked on customizing the character, and added clothing to your character, the final step is to customize the textures on your character. By customizing the textures, you can adjust materials found on the clothing, as well as swap out the textures, change the colors, and more. If you want to completely customize an existing material, you can dig into the asset folder of Adobe Fuse and open up an image materials in Photoshop CC.

If you want to learn how to edit the textures in Photoshop after you've brought the 3D character into Photoshop from Fuse, watch this video!

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn what Adobe Fuse is, and how to bring Characters from Fuse into Photoshop CC

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing and customizing Textures in Fuse

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Getting Started in Adobe Fuse - Adding and Modifying Clothing

After you've assembled a 3D character in Adobe Fuse and worked on customizing the character, the next step is to add clothing. The clothing system in Adobe Fuse allows you to select different clothing options, which will automatically snap to your character, without having to deal with manually adjusting geometry. Got a character with huge hair and want to drop a helmet on? No problem, Adobe Fuse will automatically make the adjustments for you.

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn what Adobe Fuse is, and how to bring Characters from Fuse into Photoshop CC

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing Textures for Fuse Characters in Photoshop

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Getting Started in Adobe Fuse - How to Customize & Model a 3D Character

After you've assembled your 3D Character in Adobe Fuse, the next step is to customize your character. While customizing your character, you can use sliders to adjust tons of small features on your character, including facial features.

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn what Adobe Fuse is, and how to bring Characters from Fuse into Photoshop CC

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing Textures for Fuse Characters in Photoshop

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Getting Started in Adobe Fuse - How to Assemble a Character

The first step in getting started with Adobe Fuse is assembling a character. When assembling a character, you can select from a variety of body parts and options to mix and match 3D elements and build out a new character. You can also use sliders or pull, pinch, and twist elements in the live UI to further refine your 3D character.

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn what Adobe Fuse is, and how to bring Characters from Fuse into Photoshop CC

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing Textures for Fuse Characters in Photoshop

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to send 3D Characters from Adobe Fuse to Cinema 4D

When I first got a look at Adobe Fuse, one of my first big questions was - how do you get this into Cinema 4D or After Effects? After you've created a custom 3D character in Adobe Fuse, the other option besides adding it to your CC Library is to upload it to Mixamo.com. This process lets you add your newly minted 3D character to Mixamo's web app, where it'll auto-rig it, and let you add a variety of Motion Capture animations. Once you have a couple MoCap animations added to your character, you can download it in a variety of formats, such as .fbx or .dae. From there you can open it up in Cinema 4D, and take it from there!

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn what Adobe Fuse is, and how to bring Characters from Fuse into Photoshop CC

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing Textures for Fuse Characters in Photoshop

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to create custom 3D Characters in Adobe Fuse and bring them into Photoshop CC

I first saw Adobe Fuse at Adobe MAX back in the fall of last year, and I was really excited about the potential of what you can do, and what this app has the power to become. When Adobe first announced the purchase of Mixamo, known for 3D gaming character assets, I was curious as to how it would be added to the Adobe Mix. Now the Fuse, which was under development by Mixamo, you can design a 3D character using a smart UI and sliders, and then bring it into Photoshop CC, or export it to your preferred 3D app.

Remember that sweet character creator in NBA Live '95? (kids ask your parents) Now you can do that, and call it work! Learn how to get started with Adobe Fuse to build out a custom 3D character in the tutorial above, and then how to sync it to your Adobe Creative Cloud Library and bring it directly into Photoshop. Once in Photoshop CC, you can then choose from a large library of MoCap data to have the character animated.

Adobe Fuse is a new 3D character creator app, part of Adobe Creative Cloud. With it you can build out a custom 3D character using an intelligent UI, and then either bring your newly created character into Photoshop CC, or upload it to Mixamo's where you can add MoCap data and Download workable 3D files in a variety of formats.

Want to get a more in-depth look at Adobe Fuse? 

Learn how to bring Adobe Fuse Characters in Cinema 4D

Take a closer look at how to Assemble a Character

Learn how to Customize and Model a 3D Character in Fuse

See how you can add and Edit Clothing in Adobe Fuse

Learn about editing Textures for Fuse Characters in Photoshop

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Using Type Animators to Create Kinetic Typography Animations in After Effects CC

Animating a bunch of letters one letter at a time? No way! In After Effects CC, you can use type animators to animate properties like position, rotation, opacity, and more, and then animate only the offset to run the animation through a full word. This technique can also be applied to words, lines, or paragraphs,

Using type animators is a great way to create create kinetic typography animations quickly and easily. The great part about this workflow is that you can continue to add additional properties to the type animator, and you only have to worry about the one set of keyframes! Type animators can also be used in 3D space, where you can animate X,Y, and Z position or rotation, so the possibilities are endless! 

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

How to Create the MLB World Series Trophy in Cinema 4D with MoGraph Effectors

Let's face it - the Cubs are not going to win the World Series. I'm not saying the White Sox are going to do any better any time soon, just being real. Now that that is out of the way, I recently had a project where I needed to model the World Series trophy in Cinema 4D. Creating one 3D flag is simple enough, and I knew I could manually build out the ring of flags, but I wanted to see if I could come up with a smarter way to design it by using only one flag and repeating it using MoGraph Cloners. I was able to get the ring design for the World Series trophy by adjusting the cloner falloff. Learn how it is done in the video above!

Want to learn more about Cinema 4D R17? Be sure to check out these videos:
• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

5 More NEW Features for Cinema 4D R17

I usually try to stick to Top 5 lists for new software (I hear Millennials love Top 5 lists), but there were so many updates to Cinema 4D R17 that I wanted to put together a second video with 5 MORE awesome new features. his includes many 3D animation and motion graphics updates to Cinema 4D R17, the Take System and working with Takes in Cinema 4D, Motion Tracking updates with the 3D Camera Tracker Tool, the Lens Distortion Tool, 3D Book Generator, and more new features in C4D R17. 

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R17 - Using the New Lens Distortion Tools

When you're motion tracking and compositing 3D objects into footage, working with footage shot with a wide angle lens can be a bit tricky. Now with the new Lens Distortion tools in Cinema 4D R17, dealing with lens distortion is no problem! With these new tools, you can warp your 3D scene to account for the lens distortion present in your footage, add the lens distortion as a profile during rendering, and pull a lens profile from existing footage. This works great with the camera tracker updates in Cinema 4D R17. Learn how to use the new Lens Distortion Tools in the video above!

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R17 - Using the Motion Tracker for 3D Tracking & Compositing

The Motion Tracking tools were added to Cinema 4D in R16, and now in R17 they get some really great updates and enhancements. With the new enhancements, you can now motion track and composite 3d models into live action footage using the Cinema 4D R17 Camera Tracker along with the new Graph view, a new feature to C4D R17. This video includes an overview on the Camera Tracker in Cinema 4D as well as a step by step tutorial on how to motion track a scene and composite 3D objects into live action footage. This also covers the Lens Distortion Tool, another new feature of Cinema 4D R17.

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R17 - Working with the new Book Generator

Some of the funnest things that always comes with new releases of Cinema 4D are the editable, modular objects packed into the Content Browser. One of those new to Cinema 4D R17 is the Book Generator. With the new Book Generator in Cinema 4D R17, you can quickly and easily drop books onto shelves, change and randomize the types of books, position, textures, and even what bookends to use. If you are doing interior design or visualization, this will speed up your workflow a ton!

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Cinema 4D R17 - New Color Chooser and Color Picker Updates

The Color Chooser in Cinema 4D has long been a bit limited compared to other graphics apps. With the updates in Cinema 4D R17, the color chooser now has many of those options you might have been looking for, and MORE! Easily switch between RGB, Hue, Color Temperature, and more! Updates also include the ability to create color palettes from a photo, color mixing, and the ability to save color palettes in Cinema 4D R17.

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

Importing SketchUp Models into Cinema 4D R17

SketchUp is a popular 3D web app for creating quick 3D models (which apparently isn't owned by Google anymore). Sketchup is good for quick 3D without getting too far in the weeds with the nitty gritty of working in a full 3D environment. Once in a while, I'll get a SketchUp model for a project that someone started, and that I need to build on, or I'll find a 3D asset online to use that isn't in .c4d, but has a SketchUp option. Now in Cinema 4D R17, you can easily import SketchUp models with all of the geometry and texture goodness. Learn how to do it in the video above!

There are so many new features in Cinema 4D R17, I put together several more videos taking a deeper look at new features. Check out these additional topics for more coverage of Cinema 4D R17!

• Rebuilt Pen Tool for R17
• NEW Variation Shader
• Working with the New Takes System
• Updates to the MetaBall Object
• 3D Motion Tracking Updates for R17
• New Lens Distortion Tools
• Easier SketchUp Import
• Updated Color Chooser
• NEW Book Generator

Like this tutorial? Consider becoming a Patron at Patreon.com/SeanFrangella to get additional benefits such as project files and more! 

To get weekly Motion Graphics, VFX, and 3D animation tutorials be sure to subscribe to the show on YouTube!

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