9 Modeling Tips in Cinema 4D

Introduction

• Enhance your polygonal models in Cinema 4D with these practical tips.
• Avoid common modeling mistakes, like mismatched design elements.

Tips for Modeling in Cinema 4D

1. Select Parts of Your Model with Ease

• Fill Selection: Use looped edge selections to isolate polygons with ease.
  • Hover over isolated areas to select polygons.
• Phong Break Selection: Utilize breaks in phong shading to define selectable areas.
  • Pro Tip: Use tag override and lower phong angles for more precise selection.

2. Cloth Surface on Flat Geometry = Live Extrusions

• Use the Cloth Surface for non-destructive extrusions on flat editable geometry.
• Parent geometry to a cloth surface for animatable extrusions.

3. Bevel Everything

• Bevels enhance the realism by adding detail and allowing geometry to catch highlights.
• Use the Bevel Deformer for non-destructive bevels.
  • Add it as a child to the main object.

4. Save Iterations

• Always model parametrically or non-destructively to retain previous states.
• Save copies before making geometry editable to ensure you can revert changes.

5. Make Geometry as Light as Possible

• Use dense geometry only where deformation occurs.
• Keep rigid bodies with minimal geometry.

6. Use Subdivision Surfaces

• Maintain light scenes by using Subdivision Surfaces to increase resolution only when necessary.
• Adjust subdivision levels: low during editing, higher for rendering.
• Crease or weight points, edges, and polygons to prevent unwanted smoothing.

7. Use Falloffs on Effectors and Deformers as Modeling Tools

• Apply falloffs in deformers and effectors to target specific geometry sections.
• Utilize cylindrical falloffs for non-destructive modeling changes, e.g., twisting rim spokes.

8. Transform Geometry Like Photoshop

• Use Welters Cinema 4D Transform plugin to shear, scale, and rotate geometry effectively.
• Offers additional workflow enhancements like the UV to Object plugin.

9. 5 Point Star Spline

• Rotate a 5-point star spline -90 degrees on rotation B to point upwards.
• Make the star editable and adjust the axis to maintain correct orientation.
• Save frequently used objects to your library for efficiency.

10. Add Geometry Where Objects Deform

• Increase polygon count in areas of deformation to smooth transitions.
• Adjust the number of intermediate points and cap types for better detail.

Conclusion

• Explore multiple methods for achieving desired modeling results in Cinema 4D.
• These tips aim to enhance your modeling skills and workflow.

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