Learn How to Model and Animate with Cinema 4D Lite
Have you ever wanted to learn how to model and animate with Cinema 4D Lite? Want to take advantage of the great free application that’s now bundled with After Effects CC?
I’m just putting the finishing touches to my brand new course “Up and Running with Cinema 4D Lite”. I wanted to write a training course specifically aimed at After Effects users with little or no experience with 3D applications. It’s an accessible and comprehensive course that covers all aspects of this application.
Real World Projects
You’ll learn how to build models from primitive objects, link objects and animate them. I’ll show you how to light your scenes and animate cameras changing in time with music. You’ll create your own custom materials as well as utilizing the amazing free presets that come with Cinema 4D Lite.
All this is applied to a single project so you’ll be able to understand how each of the features can be used in conjunction with each other on real-world projects. Here’s a taster of what you’ll be creating.
You’ll also discover how to use Cinema 4D Lite alongside After Effects, taking advantage of the new Cineware plug-in. We’ll also explore some third party scripts and plug-ins that’ll help you along the way.
Subscribe Now
So, if you want to know how to make best use of this new software that’s arrived on your doorstep, sign up for Lynda.com and be one of the first to get the training when it’s released. If you want to try out a free trial to Lynda.com here’s a link for a week of free video training.
A brand new tool for After Effects CC was released today. CINEWARE proxy automates the process of making useful proxy files from your Cineware layers to help speed up your workflow immensely.
How can it help me
Cineware is a great addition to After Effects CC but it doesn’t really take advantage of the great built-in proxy system that After Effects offers. Cineware proxy fixes all that by making a placeholder proxy of your 3D layers.
If you need to make changes or update your Cineware layer it’s a case of flicking a simple switch to go back to the live C4D file.
Add the brilliant Background Renderer to the bundle and save even more money. This essential script allows you to render faster in the background while you continue working on your After Effects projects. Used in conjunction with Cineware Proxy you’ll own a lean, mean rendering machine! Use the coupon code bgcine to save an additional 20% on BG Renderer Pro when you checkout.
I used this amazing new script in conjunction with Background Render Pro to create this movie. “Club Robot” is my tribute to Beeple, as a thank you for all the great work he does. It was modelled and animated in Cinema 4D Lite. Compositing and Visual Effects were done with After Effects CC and Cineware.
This movie forms the basis of many of the tutorials from my forthcoming “Up and Running with Cinema 4D Lite” video training course which will be available soon at Lynda.com. It’s an entire two-day course in Cinema 4D Lite, aimed at After Effects users who may not be familiar with 3D software. It teaches modelling, animation, texturing, lighting, cameras and all other aspects of working with Cinema 4D Lite.
This kind of training is perfect for those who have encountered problems that they can’t resolve on their own. You can ask Angie any questions regarding how to do something with the software and she’ll find a solution for you and demonstrate to you how to solve it.
This involves sitting at your own computer while Angie Shares her screen with you to show you her tips and techniques and answer your questions. You can follow her steps as you watch and ask questions, just like you can in a regular training course. It’s easy to set up. all you need to do is to contact Angie with your requirements and then she’ll help you with the rest.
What does it cost?
For individuals, the cost of this bespoke one-to-one software training is $74.95 per hour (Bookings of 5 hours or more are charged at $45.95 per hour). Setting up is free, you won’t be charged till the training begins.
How do I pay?
Payment is made before the session and can be done via your own Paypal account or by direct Bank transfer.
Remote Training for Groups
Angie can also provide training for groups via Skype, Google Hangouts or Adobe Connect. In a classroom situation, this can be done via a TV that can display Skype. Angie can help you set this up.
Alternatively, people can access the training at their own desktops using Adobe Connect. This is ideal for training groups who include people in different locations or situations where a single training room is not available. The cost for group training is a flat rate of $99.95 per hour.
Become an expert in Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro, Photoshop, Illustrator or Maxon’s Cinema 4D with Angie Taylor’s custom 1-2-1 Training Brighton or London.
Angie provides training in her own studio, The Creative Cabin which sits in in a beautiful location, over-looking the sea, near Brighton. If you prefer Angie can come to you and provide customised software training at your own desk.
Learn how to create visually stunning animation, motion graphics and visual effects using professional post-production techniques.
Angie Taylor’s After Effects Training courses are like no other – not just simply software training – you’ll receive creative, real-world, professional training by an industry professional with over twenty years experience in the broadcast industry.
Angie has trained designers at the top companies in the UK, including; BBC, Sky, Channel 5, ITV, Microsoft and MTV. Individuals or groups can have bespoke training or consultancy provided at their own place of work -working on real-world projects. Alternatively pre-designed training courses can be delivered at a training centre in Brighton or London.
Angie works regularly as an industry expert and consultant for software companies including Adobe, Apple, Maxon & Wacom. She regularly speaks at seminars, conferences and trade shows. She is also a trainer for Lynda.com and video2brian.com and has five books published on Motion Graphic Design, After Effects and Illustrator.
Testimonials
Nico Jones, Lead Motion Graphics Artist, Big Button
“My professional life as a Motion Graphics Artist can be divided neatly into two parts – before and after Angie Taylor. Within one training session she had solved a number of issues that had troubled me for over a year, shone a clear light on some bad habits, and opened doors to countless techniques I hadn’t even considered. Three years on my output is virtually unrecognizable from my early work; I’d hate to see what I’d be producing had I not had the good fortune to be able to learn from Angie’s near-outrageous levels of technical and creative expertise. In addition, her post-training support has helped me out of many a tight spot.
I think having a good ‘mentor’ is something that is under-appreciated in today’s age of impersonal video tutorials, useful though they are. Interacting with someone who can not only answer your questions but inspire you, will allow anyone to improve faster than they may have thought possible. I believe a session, or simply a conversation with Angie Taylor will certainly be enough to convince you of this.”
When I became an Adobe trainer myself I realized even more thoroughly how excellent a teacher Angie is. She is always perfectly prepared and happy to answer any questions, provide training material, exercises and useful links; perhaps even more importantly a day of training with Angie does not end then: she is always willing to follow-up and to keep in touch; to help further with detailed emails, by sending files, checking projects and solving specific technical issues.
It’s been a pleasure and an honor to meet and work with Angie, who is a lovely person as well as a brilliant professional in her field.”
Chris Cunningham, Director of music videos, commercials & video art
“Of all the After Effects books I looked at whilst trying to learn it,
I found Angie’s was the most user friendly and creative.”
Product manager Steve Forde said today in his Adobe Blog about the new features in next version of After Effects After Effects;
“with what’s coming to the next version of After Effects – we set a new standard I don’t know that we can match again – EVER”
Announced today is the astounding next version of After Effects, along with the other professional video and audio applications such as Premiere Pro and Audition.
I’ve had my hands on the next version of After Effects and I’m hooked, I’m sure you will be too. Here’s a run down on my favourite features and improvements.
CINEMA 4D Lite
The inclusion of a lite version of CINEMA 4D application with After Effects is a fabulous thing. Now everyone can learn and use this amazing 3D application.
Although this is essentially a pared down version of the software it’s by no means limited for new users and it’s feature set is on a par with CINEMA 4D Prime R14 which normally retails for $995 so you are getting a lot of new 3D bang for your buck!
Live 3D pipeline between CINEMA 4D and After Effects
C4D files can now be imported directly into After Effects. Just import them like any other file and drop them into your comps without the need to render.
You can also create new Cinema 4D files directly from within After Effects by choosing
File > New > MAXON CINEMA 4D File. The Edit Original command can also be used on a selected C4D file to edit it in C4D and see it automatically update back in After Effects. Popular 3D formats such as OBJ, FBX, and Alembic are all supported and can now be integrated into your After Effects scene.
The background CineRender renderer takes care of business in terms of getting those pixels made. There are several choices for render modes. The Software render allows you to work quickly and displays your scene with the current viewport settings in C4D while the Standard render modes allow you to see detail that can be customised from the Cinema 4D Render Settings like anti-aliasing and reflections. There are also options for redisplaying scenes in wireframe mode to quickly check animation.
With the Cineware plugin you can extract 3D data such as cameras, lights and nulls from Cinema 4D so you can match up new elements into the scene. Cinema 4D layers are also supported, making it easy to treat different elements of the scene individually.
To top it all off you can also work with individual passes by selecting the Multipass options. These can include standard Multipasses like Reflection, Caustics and Shadows which can be tweaked and perfected in post. A depth matte can be combined with the Lens Blur filter in After Effects to adjust depth of field effects.
External Compositing and regular Compositing tags can be used to isolate individual objects by the way of Object Buffers (Mattes). It really is a flexible solution to what once was a complex and time-consuming workflow. Huge speed boost will be achieved from this massive new feature.
You can also modify a .c4d file to include the camera data from After Effects. This is especially useful for transferring camera data created by the 3D Camera Tracker effect.
I’m currently recording a four hour video workshop. This will be aimed at After Effects users who want to get into Cinema 4D but find 3D apps challenging. It will cover the entire After Effects and Cinema 4D workflow as well as getting you comfortable with Cinema 4D so that you love it just as much as already love AE.
Meanwhile, my good friend, John Dickinson has a great overview video of the new Cinema 4D Lite and the Cineware plugin here on Motionworks.
The Refine Edge tool allows you to improve an existing matte by creating semi-transparent areas for the fine detail commonly found at the edge of a matte. A typical example of where this is useful is in keying out hair.
Inspired by, and giving a nod to, the Refine Edge feature in Photoshop, the Refine Edge tool is also integrated in the Roto Brush & Refine Edge effect. To use Refine Edge you must already have an alpha channel defined for the layer. This could be created by Rotobrush, masking or by a keying effect.
Roto Brush & the Refine Edge effect only affect areas defined by the Refine Edge strokes. These strokes can vary in terms of width and can be confined to specific areas of the matte.
The new Refine Soft Matte effect is also excellent at edge refinement. Refine Soft Matte effect applies identical edge refinements as the Refine Edge tool but applies it to an entire matte.
Warp Stabilizer VFX, improvements to the Warp Stabilizer effect
I’m most excited by the fact that you can now also reverse any stabilization created with the Warp Stabilizer. This makes it doubly-useful. So for example you can remove camera movement, making it easier to apply an effect or remove an element from a shot. Then you can reintroduce the camera movement to the shot, making it seem as though your modifications existed when the footage was shot – brilliant!
The new Objective options for using Warp Stabilizer VFX also allow you to use the effect for compositing a new layer into a scene containing camera movement. Simply run the warp stabilizer on one layer and apply the data to another layer. the composited layer will appear naturally in the shot as if it has always been there.
The Preserve Scale option in Warp Stabilizer VFX effec doesn’t get confused by point-of-view shots like the previous one did in CS6. It will no longer attempt to correct for movement of the camera by changing the scale when you enable the Preserve Scale option. Underlying tracking points can now be revealed and if necessary, deleted, making it easier to select portions of the track you want to keep.
These’s a new overview movie, outlining this featurehere by Matthias Mohl.
Improvements to the 3D Camera Tracker effect
The Auto-delete Points Across Time feature in 3D Camera Tracker and Warp Stabilizer VFX effect allow you to delete corresponding track points when you delete track points in the Composition panel. This means you no longer have to delete the track points on a frame-by-frame basis, saving loads of time.
You can also now define a ground plane and origin in a scene using tracking points and the Camera Tracker target. This makes it a whole lot easier to define fixed points in the tracked scene and avoid errors.
These’s a new overview movie, outlining this feature here by Matthias Mohl.
Snapping to layer features, including anchor points and masks
Snapping is one of those unglamorous features that will seem irrelevant to some people but will simply improve all After Effects users lives immeasurably. Basically, layers will now snap to each other when they are placed in close proximity to each other. Edges, Anchor Points, Corners can be used as snap points. It also works with Masks to vertices and points can be snapped to make sure they are perfectly lined up. It works in 3D as well as 2D so finding the centre of a 3D object is now a whole lot easier.
Pixel Motion Blur effect
The new Pixel Motion Blur effect analyzes your video footage and creates a “fake” motion blur. It uses the same motion vector estimation as the Timewarp effect, and is great for adding realistic motion blur to anything that is animated and rendered elsewhere, then composited in After Effects. Of course this can include files that originated in Cinema 4D.
For illustrations, videos and more information about these top new features, check out the the “After Effects Preview” PDF document available here.
The Adobe websitefeatures videos from all the product managers as well as screenshots of the apps.
My good friends and mentors, Chris and Trish Meyer have a fantastic definitive article covering the new features of After Effects
If you’re keen to get hold of these new features as soon as they are available, Adobe are offering an NAB Show special to save 40% off Creative Cloud (valid till19th April 2013). Sadly this promotion is available through the US store only.
I’m presenting After Effects and Cinema 4D at FMX 2013 with Maxon in April.
You can purchase tickets for FMX here. It promises to be an exciting lineup of 3D art and visual effects. Confirmed FMX highlights include:
Cloud Atlas, Life of Pi, Skyfall, The Croods, Crysis 3. I hope to see some of you there.
Have you ever wanted to learn how to model and animate with Cinema 4D Lite? Want to take advantage of the great free application that’s now bundled with After Effects CC?
Angie provides training in her own studio, 
