Maxon CINEMA 4D
Description
Maxon CINEMA 4D is a 3D modeling, animation and rendering software created by Maxon, a German firm that is currently a part of the Nemetschek Group. The software itself is not new, having been in existence since the early 90s, but it has gained significant traction since motion graphics artists found out how well the MoGraph module could be used in broadcast design. That reputation has remained to this day, but the program has grown far beyond that niche.
The program is compatible with Windows and macOS, providing it with a wider platform coverage than some competitors that are compatible with only one operating system. System requirements are relatively low in simple scenes and modeling. However, when you start doing serious geometry, complicated simulations or Redshift rendering, then you will desire a workstation with good specs – lots of RAM and a good NVIDIA card will make a difference in the viewport and render performance.
The reason why people prefer CINEMA 4D to other 3D software is likely to be MoGraph. It does procedural motion graphics, cloners, effectors, fields, in a manner that no other application is quite comparable. It is used by broadcast studios and advertising agencies to create animated logos, title sequences and those looping 3D animations that you see all over social media. In case that kind of work is your area of interest, MoGraph may be the only reason to make such a decision.
CINEMA 4D has polygonal, parametric and volume-based workflows in terms of modeling. Deformers, generators, sculpting brushes – the standard toolkit you would have guessed. The parametric method is pleasant in that you can always go back and make changes non-destructively. It is not revolutionary like Maya or Blender, but the workflow is easy and predictable.
Maxon CINEMA 4D reveals its weaknesses in character animation though. Joint rigging, weight painting, IK/FK blending are all present and they are good in most projects. However, artists who are serious creature animators or film production with complicated character rigs will tend to find themselves in Maya. Even Blender has been trailing behind in this department at a rapid pace. Therefore CINEMA 4D is not the one to use when pipelines are character-intensive.
Rendering has experienced a massive transformation in the recent past. The in-built Standard and Physical renderers are still present, although Maxon has been pushing users to Redshift since they purchased that rendering team. Redshift is accelerated by the GPU and provides a lot of time savings on complicated scenes. The disadvantage is that it only supports NVIDIA graphics cards, leaving AMD and integrated graphics users with the in-built renderers or third-party engines such as Octane, Arnold or V-Ray.
Recent releases have given the simulation system a significant overhaul with the unified simulation framework. There is now a single system of rigid bodies, soft bodies, cloth and particles. It works well enough with standard simulation tasks. However, it is not its strong point when it comes to large-scale fluid simulations or massive destruction effects. Houdini continues to dominate that space by far.
There are some significant architectural changes that should be mentioned in the recent versions. Scene Nodes introduce a node-based scene construction that enables more procedural and scalable workflows. The Capsules system allows artists to bundle node setups into reusable assets. And expanded USD support enhances compatibility of pipeline with other tools in film and game production. Complex shading configurations are also more flexible with node-based materials than with the traditional channel-based system.
The After Effects Cineware integration is one of the workflows that motion graphics artists enjoy. You can drag and drop 3D scenes into AE without having to export image sequences, which is time-saving on deadline-intensive projects. Exchange of files with other 3D applications is possible via FBX, OBJ, Alembic and USD.
One of the strongest features of Maxon CINEMA 4D is the interface, and the majority of the 3D community users would agree with it. The structure is rational, the menus are properly structured, and searching tools does not involve searching through endless submenus. The learning curve is not nonexistent, 3D software is complicated in nature, but it is shorter than Houdini or Maya. That is assisted by extensive documentation and a huge online community.
CINEMA 4D Pricing and Plans
A few years ago, Maxon switched to a subscription-only business model, abandoning the perpetual license model altogether. To studios the price is bearable, but freelancers and hobbyists experience the pressure more, particularly with Blender continuing to get better as a free option with each release. There are student and educational discounts, which are of some assistance. Certain users have complained that the rate of new features is not necessarily proportionate to the current subscription fee, but recent additions such as the integrated simulation system and Scene Manager have indicated that Maxon is working on updating the core.
Who Should Use CINEMA 4D?
Maxon CINEMA 4D fits best in the motion graphics and broadcast design arena. It also does architectural visualization and product rendering fairly well. In the case of film VFX work, it may be used as part of a pipeline, but is not commonly used as the main application. It can be used by game developers to create assets, but game-specific tools can be more tightly integrated with the engine.
Users who compare 3D software must consider CINEMA 4D versus Blender, Maya, 3ds Max and Houdini depending on their workflow requirements, industry and budget. There is no 3D application that is good at everything and CINEMA 4D is not an exception.
