ct0004 - Create abstract flower shape using animated growing splines in CINEMA 4D

The MoSpline is a Spline generator with which you can grow flower-like spline shapes and animate growing splines. In this tutorial, you will create motion graphics, shown in Figure 1 using Mospline.

Figure 1

1. Choose Create > Spline from the main menu; a cascading menu is displayed. Now, choose Circle from it; a Circle is added to the Object Manager.

2. Make sure the Circle is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Object button; the Object Properties area is displayed. In the Object Properties area, enter 5 in the Radius spinner.

3. Choose MoGraph > MoSpline from the main menu; a MoSpline is added to the Object Manager.

4. Make sure the MoSpline is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager,choose the Object button; the Object Properties area is displayed. In the Object Properties area, enter 0.7 in the Offset spinner and clear the Extend End check box.

5. Make sure the MoSpline is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager,choose the Simple button; the Simple area is displayed. In the Simple area, set the parameters as follows:

Length: 1086          Steps: 24                    Segments: 100 

Angle H: 198          Angle P: 183               Angle P: 182 

Curve:  129            Bend: 48                    Twist: 50

Width: 3.19

After entering these values MoSpline is displayed, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

6. Choose Create > NURBS  from the main menu; a cascading menu is displayed. Now, choose Sweep NURBS from it; a Sweep NURBS is added to the Object Manager.

7. Make sure that MoSpline is selected in the Object Manager. Press and hold the left mouse button on MoSpline and drag the cursor to Sweep NURBS in the Object Manager; the MoSpline is connected to Sweep NURBS in the Object Manager. Similarly, drag Circle to Sweep NURBS in the Object Manager; the Circle is connected to Sweep NURBS in the Object Manager. 

8. Select MoSpline in the Object Manager. Choose MoGraph > Effector > Random; Random is added to the Object Manager.

9. Select Random in the Object Manager. Choose the Parameter button. Expand the Transform area, clear the Position check box and select the Scale check box. Next, enter 0.38 in the S . Y spinner. Next, enter 0.45 in the S . Z spinner.

10. In the Transform area, select the Rotate check box and enter 36 in the R . H spinner and 6 in the R . P spinner. 

11. Choose Create > Light > Light from from the main menu; a light  is added to the Object Manager.

12.  Make sure that Light is selected in the Object Manager. In the Object Manager, choose the General button. In the General area, select Shadow Maps (Soft) from the Shadow drop-down list and Volumetric from the Visible Light drop-down list.

13. Choose the Visibility button. In the Visibility area, enter 25 in the Outer Distance spinner. Choose the Lens button in the Attribute Manager and select Candle from the Glow drop-down list.

14. Now, invoke the Move tool and place the Light in center of the MoSpline in the Perspective viewport, as shown in
 Figure 3.

Figure 3

15. Choose Create > Light > Light from from the main menu; a Light.1 is added to the Object Manager. place the Light on the top of the MoSpline, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

16. Double-click in the Material Manager; a new shader with the name Mat is created in the Material Manager. Select the shader; the Material Editor is displayed. In the Color area, set the parameters as follows:

R: 143          G: 34         B: 197

17. In the Material Editor, select the Reflection check box; the Reflection area is displayed. In the Reflection area, enter 46 in the Brightness spinner.

18. Make sure the Mat is selected in the Material Manager. Drag and drop the Mat shader on the MoSpline in the Object Manager; the Mat is applied to the MoSpline.

19. Choose the Render to Picture Viewer button from the Command Palette; the rendering takes place in the Picture Viewer window.

ct0001-Creating abstracts using MoGraph

MoGraph is a huge advancement in the field of motion graphics. It is a toolset in CINEMA 4D which helps you to create spectacular visual effects, logos, and text. MoGraph is a collection of objects, shaders, and scripts that can be combined to create models and animation. In this tutorial, you will learn about the tools and effectors available in MoGraph toolset of CINEMA 4D.
 
Step 1: Create a helix in the viewport using the Helix tool. Next, in the Attribute Manager, set the parameters as follows:
Start Radius: 0                     Start Angle: –44                    Height: 770

Step 2: Using the Viewport Navigation Tools, place the helix in the Perspective viewport, as shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1

Step 3: Create a cube using the Cube tool. Next, in the Attribute Manager, set the parameters as follows:

Size . X: 15                     Size . Y: 15                    Size . Z: 200

Step 4: Create a cloner using the Cloner tool. In the Attribute Manager, select Object from the Mode drop-down list, as shown in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Step 5: Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the arrow button next to the Object text box and select Helix in the Object Manager, as shown in Figure 3. The helix object is added to Object text box.

Figure 3

Step 6: Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, enter 112 in the Count spinner and select Even from the Distribution drop-down list.

Step 7: In the Object Manager, select Cube and then drag it to Cloner; the Cube is connected to Cloner. Also, clones of Cube are created in the Perspective viewport, as shown in Figure 4.

Figure 4

Step 8: Make sure that Cloner is selected in the Object Manager. Add Random effector to it by choosing Random from the MoGraph menu, as shown in Figure 5. The Random is added to the Effectors area in the Attribute Manager.

Figure 5

Step 9:  Select Random in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Parameter button and clear the Position check box. Next, select the Rotation check box and enter 45 in R . P spinner and 90 in the R . B spinner.

Step 10: Choose Cloner from the MoGraph menu. The Cloner. 1 is added to Object Manager.

Step 11:  Make sure that Cloner.1 is selected in the Object Manager. In the Attribute Manager, choose the Object button and select Radial from the Mode drop-down list. Next, enter 3 in the Count spinner and 50 in the Radius spinner.

Step 12: In the Object Manager, select Cloner and then drag it to Cloner.1; the Cloner. 1 is connected to Cloner. Also, clones of Cloner.1 are created in the Perspective viewport, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6

Step 13:  Choose PolyFX from the MoGraph menu. The PolyFX is added to Object Manager.

Step 14:  Select PolyFX in the Object Manager and drag it to Cloner. The PolyFX  is connected to Cloner in the Object Manager, as shown in Figure 7.

Figure 7

Step 15: Select PolyFX  in the Object Manager and choose the Effectors button in the Attribute Manager. Next, drag Random from the Object Manager to the Effectors area. The Cloner is fragmented in the Perspective viewport, as shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8

Step 16: In the Material Manager, choose the Danel material, as shown in Figure 9.

Figure 9

Step 17: Change the color of Danel material to blue in the Material Manager, as shown in Figure 10.

Figure 10

Step 18: Drag the Danel material to Cloner in the Object Manager. The Danel material is applied to Cloner in the Perspective viewport.

Step 19: Create background from using the Background tool. Next, in the Attribute Manager, select On from the Use Color drop-down list.

Step 20: Choose Render Settings tool from the Command Palette; the Render Settings window will be displayed. In the Render Settings window, choose Effects button; a flyout will be displayed. Choose Ambient Occlusion from it.

Step 21:  Choose the Render to Picture Viewer tool from the Command Palette. The model is rendered in the Picture Viewer window, as shown in Figure 11.

Figure 11