Cinema 4D R20 Essential Training: VFX - Enhance Your Skills and Portfolio
Lynda Cinema 4D R20 Essential Training: VFX
If you are interested in learning how to create stunning visual effects with Cinema 4D, then this course is for you. In this article, I will give you an overview of what this course covers, who it is for, and why you should enroll in it. By the end of this article, you will have a clear idea of what you can expect from this course and how it can help you improve your skills and portfolio.
Lynda – Cinema 4D R20 Essential Training: VFX
Introduction
What are visual effects?
Visual effects are the processes by which imagery is created and/or manipulated outside the context of a live action shot. They are used to create environments that look realistic but would otherwise be impractical, expensive, dangerous, or impossible to capture on film. Visual effects can enhance the storytelling and the style of modern-day films and TV shows.
What is Cinema 4D?
Cinema 4D is a 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software developed by Maxon. It is widely used in the film, TV, advertising, and gaming industries for creating high-quality visual effects. Cinema 4D has a user-friendly interface, powerful tools, and a flexible workflow that make it suitable for beginners and professionals alike.
What is Lynda?
Lynda is an online learning platform that offers thousands of courses on various topics such as business, design, photography, software, and more. Lynda is part of LinkedIn Learning, which means you can access all the courses with your LinkedIn account. You can also earn certificates of completion that you can share on your LinkedIn profile or resume.
Course overview
Who is the instructor?
The instructor of this course is Andy Needham, a freelance motion designer, editor, and compositor based in London. He has over 15 years of experience in the industry and has worked with clients such as Google, Sony, Adidas, and BBC. He is also a certified Maxon trainer and a regular speaker at industry events.
What are the learning objectives?
The learning objectives of this course are:
To explore the Cinema 4D workflow for creating visual effects and integrating them into live action shots.
To learn how to use the Cinema 4D Motion Tracker to track and solve a shot.
To learn how to import and optimize models with the Polygon Reduction and Level of Detail tools.
To learn how to animate geometry and cameras using keyframes, splines, and expressions.
To learn how to create realistic materials and lighting using physical render settings and global illumination.
To learn how to perform projection mapping with Projection Man and break apart objects with Voronoi Fracture.
To learn how to set up and composite multipass renders using render settings and render tokens.
What are the prerequisites?
The prerequisites of this course are:
A basic knowledge of Cinema 4D interface and tools.
A basic knowledge of Adobe After Effects for compositing.
A computer with Cinema 4D R20 or later installed.
A Lynda or LinkedIn Learning subscription or a free trial account.
Course content
Motion tracking
How to track and solve a shot
In this section, you will learn how to use the Cinema 4D Motion Tracker to track and solve a shot. You will learn how to import footage, create a tracking object, adjust the tracking parameters, refine the track, and solve the camera. You will also learn how to add 3D objects to the scene and match them to the perspective and movement of the shot.
How to import and optimize models
In this section, you will learn how to import and optimize models with the Polygon Reduction and Level of Detail tools. You will learn how to reduce the polygon count of a model without losing too much detail, and how to create different levels of detail for a model based on its distance from the camera. You will also learn how to use the LOD object to switch between different levels of detail automatically.
Animation
How to animate geometry and cameras
In this section, you will learn how to animate geometry and cameras using keyframes, splines, and expressions. You will learn how to use the Timeline, the F-Curve Editor, and the Dope Sheet to create and edit keyframes. You will also learn how to use splines and expressions to create smooth and realistic animations.
How to create materials and lighting
In this section, you will learn how to create realistic materials and lighting using physical render settings and global illumination. You will learn how to use the Material Editor, the Reflectance Channel, and the Node Editor to create complex materials with different layers and properties. You will also learn how to use physical render settings, global illumination, area lights, and sky objects to create natural lighting for your scene.
Projection mapping and fracturing
How to use Projection Man
In this section, you will learn how to use Projection Man to perform projection mapping. Projection mapping is a technique that allows you to project an image onto a 3D surface, creating the illusion of depth and realism. You will learn how to use Projection Man to create a projection camera, a projection object, and a projection material. You will also learn how to adjust the projection settings, paint on the projection image, and export the projection map.
How to break apart objects with Voronoi Fracture
In this section, you will learn how to break apart objects with Voronoi Fracture. Voronoi Fracture is a tool that allows you to split an object into smaller pieces based on a Voronoi diagram. You will learn how to use Voronoi Fracture to create dynamic simulations of destruction and explosion effects. You will also learn how to use different sources, modes, parameters, connectors, effectors, tags, and fields to control the fracturing process.
Course summary
What are the main takeaways?
The main takeaways of this course are:
You learned how to create stunning visual effects with Cinema 4D R20.
You learned how to use the Cinema 4D Motion Tracker, Polygon Reduction, Level of Detail, Projection Man, and Voronoi Fracture tools.
You learned how to animate geometry and cameras using keyframes, splines, and expressions.
You learned how to create realistic materials and lighting using physical render settings and global illumination.
You learned how to set up and composite multipass renders using render settings and render tokens.
How to access the course?
To access the course, you need a Lynda or LinkedIn Learning subscription or a free trial account. You can sign up for a free trial account here: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/trial. Once you have an account, you can access the course here: https://www.linkedin.com/learning/cinema-4d-r20-essential-training-vfx.
How to get a certificate of completion?
To get a certificate of completion, you need to watch all the videos 71b2f0854b