WTF: No, seriously, What The Font?!

If you want to know what font a client is using in their project, consider: What The Font.

Just upload an image and using their crazy robots and powers of typographic delight, they will tell you what font is in that image. The world amazes me. Special thanks to sender-inner R. Blaik.

New C4D Plugin Programming Blog

Some of the Cinema 4D programmers are now writing a Cinema 4D plugin programming blog in their personal time. It looks  like a great resource for any aspiring (and current) plugin programmers.



C4D Programming is written by Frank Willeke, Yannick Puech, and Francesco Guazzi.

Thanks guys!

C4D Architectural Visualization Resources

With any luck, I'll be doing some more architectural visualization work soon. Here's a list of resources I came up with while doing research for a project. If I've missed anything, please leave a comment.

Tutorials

C4D Specific

• Digital Tutors
• Learn to Visualize: Architectural Concepts
• Modeling Interiors in Cinema 4D
• Rendering Interiors in Cinema 4D
• C4D Exchange
• Modeling an Office Building in C4D: Alternatively, a lower-quality free version can be downloaded here.
• Modeling a house by Dr. Pavel Zoch
• Envy Studios
• C4D V-Ray Exteriors - From the Ground Up
• C4D V-Ray Interiors - From the Ground Up
• C4D Advanced Render Interiors - From the Ground Up
• Claude Kongs
• Tutorials: 3D architectural visualization – the key elements (3min)
• 3D Arch-renderings Meet The "Film Look" in After Effects CS5: a brief overview of a plugin-free After Effects workflow for creating architectural visualizations.
• How to make a good architectural visualization movie
• Directing CG Architectural Movies: Unfortunately, this is just a teaser trailer for an as yet unreleased tutorial series. But if it ever gets released, it looks like it will be a must-watch.
• Cineversity:
• Vectorworks to Cinema 4D
• 3D Terrain from USGS Data Sets
• Sketch-Style Drawing
• ArchC4D: A 90min introduction to architectural visualization in C4D. Available for free, but if you like what you see, you might want to kick a few bucks to the author.

General Tutorials

• Arch Viz Making of Tutorials: A pinterest board created by Ronen Bekerman. Seems like a pretty good starting place. Not necessarily C4D specific.
• Of particular interest to me was his approach to Modeling a large complex onto a photo of aplot of land.
• CG Architect.com: This looks to be a great resources. They have quite a few making-of articles up that show images of finished works in various states of production.

Recommended Reading

• CG Talk Forums
• Arch Viz Workflow: It seems that most people use some combination of VectorWorks or Sketchup to work with DWG files from the architects, and then bring those into C4D using various plugins. VW seems to be the preffered option because of the quality of its exchange plugin.
• C4D Cafe Forums
• Archviz Workflow / Software Question: A few posts on the subject. It seems that at least some people prefer ArchiCAD over SketchUp for architectural work. Also, for 2D work, you can import a .dwg into illustrator and then export an AI file for use in cinema. For 3D a .dxf file can be used (despite often poor results).

Plugins / Model Packs

• Bridge Maker Preset: Create a (not sure how useful it is) bridge.
• Win4Doors + Stairs 4D: Polygon modeling plugins that allow for the easy generation of stairs and windows.
• Win Gen: A parametric window object.
• Window Rig: A really extensive free window rig.

Tools

• Google SketchUp: A free architectural modeling plugin.
• Sketch 4D: Allows you to download and open Google Warehouse files directly into C4D. Also allows you to open sketchup files in C4D so that you can use SketchUp Free instead of SketchUp Pro.
• Google SketchUp 8 Essential Training by George Maestri for Lynda.com
• VRAY for C4D: A popular third-party renderer for architecture visualization work. While I'm a big proponent of using built-in tools where possible, the renders coming out of VRAY really seem to be a cut above C4D's built-in renderer for this sort of work.
• ArchiCAD: A 3D CAD modeling program tailored to architecture work.
• Tools4D Texture Remapping Kit: A great tool for taking existing photographs and translating them into reusable tiling textures. Great for grasses, building fronts, etc.

Tips

• Adopt a standard scale for all of your models, this way you can easily import all of your files from different projects into the file for your latest gig.

Areas for Further Research

• Model packs
• Texture packs
• Go through the above tutorials and resources and see if any best practices emerge. If so, codify them and write another post.
• Helpful plugins

C4D Reference / Tutorial Resources

This is a partial list of C4D resources I use regularly. I have bolded those that will probably be of the greatest benefit to you. If you don't know where to start as a C4D animator, you could do worse than this:

1. Compete in the 5-Second projects. Dedicate time to making a project you're proud of. Actually trying to make something is far more instructive than a manual could ever be.
2. If you run into a problem, someone else probably has too and you'll be able to find an answer on the CG Talk forums.
3. To stay current in all the latest and greatest in C4D, subscribe to C4D weekly. Read the whole newsletter and at least one article a week. If that's overwhelming, do it once every other week.
4. Once you've put together a reel using your best 5 second projects, go to DMALA and meet up with some other C4D and AE artists in person. Bring cards, eat free pizza, get work.
5. Whatever you do: create *something* on a regular basis.

• CG Talk Forums: http://forums.cgsociety.org/forumdisplay.php?f=47
• Greyscale Gorilla: http://greyscalegorilla.com/
• 5 Second Projects: http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/category/fivesecondprojects/
• C4D Cafe: http://www.c4dcafe.com/ipb/
• Creative Cow Forums: http://forums.creativecow.net/cinema4d (Beginner Friendly)
• C4D Weekly: http://www.c4dweekly.com/
• Cineversity.com: http://www.cineversity.com/
• C4D Manual: right-clicking on any parameter and choosing "Show Help"
• C4D Tutorials: Help->Show Tutorials
• Making it Look Great w Tim Clapham: http://www.motionworks.com.au/making-it-look-great-7/
• Tim Clapham's Blog: http://www.helloluxx.com/
• My Youtube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/nerdingoff
• C4D Live: http://c4dlive.com/
• DMALA: http://www.dmala.org/
• Vertex Pusher: I haven't had a chance to watch these yet, but apparently they're some of the best in the business for modeling techniques.