Cinema 4d | Abstracts

[Bash 0]

I made this tutorial a long time ago, since people were asking on another graphics forum.

 

I thought i already posted this here before, but i can't seem to find it. So here it is:

 

C4D - Abstract Shapes - Technique #1

 

This is just one way of making abstract shapes in C4D, it's a new technique which I have come across lately.

 

I've tried to go into enough detail so that people who haven't used C4D before can use this tutorial.

 

Here is something you should get as a result of this tutorial:

 

 

And here's how to make it:

 

1. Create a sphere by going to 'Objects > Primitive > Sphere'.

 

2. Change the size of the sphere so that it has a radius of 50m instead of 100m, as shown below:

 

 

3. Next, click on the 'Make Object Editable' button, and the 'Use Polygon Tool' button, as shown below:

 

 

4. Right-click the sphere and click on 'Smooth shift' in the menu:

 

 

5. Zoom in (if you need to), and then just select any polygon at random. You should see that the axis arrows appear on that polygon only.

 

 

6. Press AND hold the mouse down, anywhere on the screen, then drag right. Keep dragging the mouse enough for the polygon to extrude as much as shown below.

 

 

7. Press any one of the polygons again, at random, and then repeat step 6 - but extrude the polygon to a different length than you did in step 6.

 

 

8. Repeat step 7 many more times - rotate around the sphere so that you extrude polygons all around the sphere. What you get should look roughly like what is shown below:

 

 

TUTORIAL CONTINUED IN THE NEXT POST (BECAUSE OF IMAGE LIMIT)

[Bash 0]

9. Right-click the sphere again, and choose 'Matrix Extrude'.

 

 

10. Press on a polygon that's at the tip/end of one of the segments that you've extruded:

 

 

11. Hold down SHIFT and repeat step 10 for EVERY segment you have extruded!

 

 

12. Release the SHIFT button. Press AND hold the mouse down, anywhere on the screen apart from on the polygons that you have selected, and then drag the mouse to the right so that you get something that looks like what I have below:

 

 

13. Now this is the bit where you can make something more unique. Press on one of the polygons which have been made as a result of the 'Matrix Extrude'. An example of one is shown below:

 

 

14. Press AND hold the mouse down, anywhere on the screen apart from on the polygons that you have selected, and then drag the mouse to the right so that you get something that looks like what I have below:

 

 

15. Repeat step 14, many times, on other extruded segments, until you get something that looks good enough. With the 'Matrix Extrude' tool, if you press, hold, and drag, then stop and then do the same thing again without selecting new pixels, you can make the extrusion a lot more curlier:

 

 

TUTORIAL CONTINUED IN NEXT POST (BECAUSE OF IMAGE LIMIT)

[Bash 0]

16. Add HyperNURBS to the sphere, by going to 'Objects > NURBS > HyperNURBS'. More detail is shown in the pictures below:

 

 

The 'Object' window should look like this now:

 

 

The sphere should look more smooth now:

 

 

17. Now it's time to add some material. This is optional, but it makes the object look a lot better. I'll be adding the 'Chrome' material for this tutorial.

 

Firstly, load the materials as shown in the pictures below:

 

 

 

18. Click on the 'chrome1' material and drag it on to the sphere.

 

 

19. Now all you need to do is export the render. I'll describe this quickly, since most of you already know:

 

Firstly, go to 'Render > Render Settings'. Pick the 'Output' tab. In the 'Resolution' field, choose the 800 x 600 option.

 

Then pick the 'Save' tab. In the 'Format' field, choose 'TARGA'. Then tick the 'Alpha Channels' box at the bottom.

 

Close the window. Go to 'Render > Render in Picture Viewer'. Wait for the render to finish loading. Then go to 'File > Save Picture as...', make sure all the settings are correct and then press 'Ok'.

 

Save the .tga file anywhere you want, then open it in Adobe Photoshop, and VOILA! You've finished!

 

I hope this was useful!

 

I'm really sorry for triple posting, but i had no choice because of the image limit in each post...

[Corey 0]

tnx for a great tutorial..gonna try that wriht away;)

[maddog39 0]

woah... Thats awsome but unfortinetly I dont have C4D but its cool anyway. I think I have something caled GMax which I believe is similar though. Ill see what I can do with it.

[JaVe 0]

Whoa, finally a 3d tut. I like your sig better though saying 'bash'. Do you figure i could do the same in 3ds max? Have any experience, maybe you could tell me how to get to matrix extrude? I know how to extrude etc and meshsmooth etc. I can come up with some real flashy materials which look amazing with correct lighting. Nice abstract though BUT you should add more lighting like shadow at the right; also you should add more depth with lighting. Overall = 8.5/10, lighting is actually very important. Is cinema4d easier than 3ds? Or so i heard? Nevermind my blab, i am but a newbie.

[Bash 0]

Whoa, finally a 3d tut.  I like your sig better though saying 'bash'.  Do you figure i could do the same in 3ds max?  Have any experience, maybe you could tell me how to get to matrix extrude?  I know how to extrude etc and meshsmooth etc.  I can come up with some real flashy materials which look amazing with correct lighting.  Nice abstract though BUT you should add more lighting like shadow at the right; also you should add more depth with lighting.  Overall = 8.5/10, lighting is actually very important.  Is cinema4d easier than 3ds?  Or so i heard?  Nevermind my blab, i am but a newbie.

44573[/snapback]

yea, i recently got a friend to let me borrow 3DS, and i have to say, C4D is MUCH easier to use compared to 3DS. i've been using 3ds for a while and i've only been able to do some noise effects and add materials, lol, so i can't really help you there. even though i can tell you can do a lot more in 3ds, i suggest you get c4d to do some of the easy abstract stuff..

[bombmac 0]

gj on a nice tut dude thx for sharing

[SilentWarrior 0]

Bash's c4d tuts are the best out there. Thanks for all the help youve given me from your tuts!