Create 3D animations in Cinema 4D

Language: German

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D

How to move your 3D objects in Cinema 4D: Learn how to apply the time-honored principles of 2D animation to the 3D realm. Learn how to create your own 3D animation with the C4D tools. Modern motion design, explained in a practical way by Philipp Sniechota in a video tutorial lasting over three hours:

Get into 3D animation with Cinema 4D or expand your knowledge of it
Create your own 3D animations: what to look out for and how to proceed
Principles of animation and how to apply them to the 3D field
Various animation techniques in Cinema 4D
How to use the functions: MoGraph, Particle Animation, Dynamics, Deformer, Timeline

High-quality animation - what principles you need to observe and how to proceed in Cinema 4D - get an animation training!

Details

Usable with:
content: 3 h Video training
Licence: private and commercial Rights of use

Intro

free of charge

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 1 Intro

Welcome to the training course on 3D animation with Cinema 4D.

Principles of animation

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.1 Introduction to Animation Principles

Before we get started, let's look at a few examples of good 3D animation together. In the following tutorials, these examples will be taken up again and again and the animation principles will be explained using the films shown here, among other things.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.2 Timing & Spacing

Here we focus on what is probably the most important animation principle: timing and spacing. This is the basis for all further discussions and, in general, the art of consciously creating movement.

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.3 Squash & Stretch

In this part, we will focus on an animation principle that is probably closest to cartoons. "Squash and stretch" has always been one of the most basic rules at Disney, Pixar and co. Its application can bring a lot of life to shapes.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.4 Anticipation

Think about what happens before every movement. That's what it's all about: What is anticipation in animation and how do you do it?

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.5 Follow Through & Overlapping Action

"It's far from over ..." - It's not just Hollywood movies that say this, but also animation. What this means and how the principle of "Follow Through & Overlapping Action" can be applied is the subject of this tutorial.

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.6 Solid Drawing, Arcs & Staging

Whether art analysis or photography - it's always about image composition. In 3D animation, however, this is often neglected. In this chapter, we will create a mini opening credits and pay particular attention to three other principles that can make a very simple action exciting.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 2.7 Analyzing the introductory videos

In this chapter, we return to our videos from the first movie. This time, however, it is much more analytical and, above all, includes all the knowledge from the previous tutorials.

Internship in Cinema 4D

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.1 Timeline and Dope Sheet Editor

This is where it all begins. The Cinema 4D timeline is where every thoroughbred animator spends most of their time. For this reason, we are dedicating an entire tutorial to it in this training course.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.2 F-curves and keyframes

"Watch your curves" is the most popular slogan in our animation seminars. Because everything in digital animation revolves around these "curves". How to turn them into what you want them to be in Cinema 4D and what tips and tricks there are for doing so are the topics covered here.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.3 Animation with deformers

Deformers are a very popular tool in Cinema 4D, especially when it comes to secondary action. This film covers what you need to bear in mind when animating with them.

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.4 MoGraph: Generators

The most delicate temptation since the advent of motion graphics. No, we're not talking about Milka, but about MoGraph, the procedural animation system in Cinema 4D. In this part, we will first get to know the so-called generators.

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.5 MoGraph: Effectors

Now it's getting exciting: effectors make the MoGraph world really exciting and therefore deserve their own chapter. A small card game is used to discuss a few effectors as well as their fallofs.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.6 MoGraph and the Disney Rules

And what about the Disney Rules? Good question! When it comes to procedural animation, these are often neglected. In this tutorial, I'll tell you a bit about the possibilities of influencing your animation in the MoGraph system.

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.7 Dynamics

"All that glitters is not gold." With this truism, we begin the chapter that revolves around the "Dynamics" in C4D. A completely different type of animation that makes many things possible that would otherwise be unthinkable.

Creating 3D animations in Cinema 4D: 3.8 Particle animations

When it comes to animating 1,000 objects at once, you usually end up in the realm of the impossible. In this movie, you can find out what particle animation can look like with standard tools.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.9 Character animation

You could actually devote an entire training course or even more to this topic. However, we will summarize the workflow of a character animation in a film and take a basic look at the steps required from rigging to animation.

Creating 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 3.10 Baking and exporting

Ready? Then get it out! This final chapter is about further processing, whether inside or outside Cinema 4D. A few rendering points will also be discussed, which are particularly important for animations.

Outro

Create 3D animation in Cinema 4D: 4 Outro

Finally: a farewell.

Details of the content

Create your own animation with Cinema 4D
You have already explored three dimensions with the Cinema 4D tools , now you want to move your 3D objects? After this 3-hour tutorial, you will be able to create your own 3D animations.

Principles of animation applied to 3D objects

To ensure that the movements of your objects look realistic in the end, you need to follow a few basic rules. Your trainer Philipp Sniechota takes the principles of animation, originally compiled for 2D animation, and applies them to 3D animation.

Using example analyses, you will learn which principles are specifically important for you and how they work. These include "Timing & Spacing", "Squash & Stretch", "Anticipation", "Follow Through & Overlapping" and "Solid Drawing, Arcs & Staging". In "Spacing", for example, you determine the speed at which your object changes over time from a starting point to an end point. Each principle is explained clearly.

Techniques in Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D provides you with numerous tools for creating 3D animations. In the tutorial, you will learn how to use them effectively. Among other things, you will familiarize yourself with the timeline, deformers, dynamics, particle animation and the generators and effectors of MoGraph. You will also receive an introduction to character animation and learn how to export your animations.

What you will learn in the Cinema 4D tutorial

This tutorial makes the difference - between a simple and a high-quality animation. Sharpen your eye for important rules and don't just create motion sequences - design them!

Principles of animation

Example analysis: Take a look at how animations are created professionally
Timing & Spacing: Develop a feeling for the speed of an animation
Squash & stretch: How to deform your objects realistically
Anticipation: How to take movements into account before the actual movement
Follow Through & Overlapping Action: Pay attention to elements that move with you
Solid drawing & staging: Animation as a stage - proportion, perspective, staging
Arcs: Animate not just in a straight line, but with lifelike arcs and curves

Animation techniques