12 weeks of Cinema 4D
If Cinema 4D was a person, they definitely wouldn’t be approachable, but they’d be the coolest person you’ve ever met. — John Rodriguez
Two dimensions are not enough
I have always been deeply passionate about design in all its forms. I am a person who is interested in colors, shapes, product design, interior design, fashion design, physical product design, modelling. What I really like about my work right now is that although it is 2D product design, there are so many layers and dimensions that if you do not know what you are doing, you can get lost in its vastness. My desire to not be stuck in the two-dimensional world inspired me to express what lies behind the shadow and the corner — to go beyond sketching and drawing and focus on rendering.
3D modelling involves the creation of three-dimensional objects using specialized software, and it is often used for high-quality production. Our team really loves to produce something more modern and impressive than a regular product design team, and that’s why I decided to begin my journey with Cinema 4D.
Last year I learned a bit of Blender 3D. I did that exceedingly popular, free course from Blender Guru on YouTube, and it was a great experience. My donut was not that great (as you can see) but I learned a lot, and this provoked my interest in 3D tools furthermore.
Goals & Objectives
I would say that my main goal was to increase my creative workflow. I never intended to stop working on 2D design products and projects. On the contrary, I feel that my knowledge of 3D can help me improve my skill at 2D design techniques.
Additionally, I needed to challenge my design capabilities in a field that was unfamiliar, yet remarkably interesting to me.
I admit that I had a bit of concern about 3D modelling software — in most cases, this software has so many options that it’s rather intimidating and can be overwhelming.
Understanding how shapes work on a flat screen is one thing but knowing the properties each shape can have in a space brings you that much closer to realistic design concepts, and that experience is what you want to provide to your end users.
Welcome, base campers!
When I started looking for a 3D course, I was looking for nothing less than the best course, the one with the best content and software tool that would give me the chance to scale my knowledge however I wanted. Of course, there are a huge number of courses on the Internet, especially when we consider the abundance of tools that you can use to make a fair range of assets. That’s why I chose Cinema 4D. The interface and capabilities of this software are close to those of Blender. However, this is a paid software. And it is obvious to me why that is the case. To me, it looks tidy and clean (as much as possible for such an instrument), especially after the latest updates. It is popular mostly among design professionals due to its high-quality renders, motion graphics, and animation.
This was my first Take 1 at VMware, and I had to think carefully about the area in which to develop my skills. I had a choice between many other things, but in the end, I chose 3D. There were no other 3D courses on the Take 1 platform at the time, so I had to hunt around and pick the right one myself, then add it to the platform. Honestly speaking, choosing was the hardest part. The process of submitting a specific course is quick, and the status is updated within a few days. This is when I found the School of Motion courses, workshops and trainings. They impressed me with their interactive way of learning. They are also creating a good community, and they provide a certificate from Credly if you complete 70% of the course. The course that I found was Cinema 4D Basecamp.
Cinema 4D Basecamp is very intensive, and I think that in the beginning I did not realize how much, really. It is a 12-week course with homework assignments twice a week, plus the hours spent on lectures. And you probably know how these lectures go at the beginning. The teacher is clicking somewhere, you stop the video to do the same (if you can find the option in your interface), and then you play the video repeatedly. Sometimes you must go back because you missed one tiny little step, or it just does not work the way you want. But of course, it is all part of the process. You must keep telling yourself that today you know more than yesterday, and each day the knowledge you have will return your investment of time and effort.
Click, click, render…
With the new year 2022, my course started — exactly on January 3. The training starts with a light orientation and some basics about modelling like splines and twists. The platform is very well organized — you have overview, transcripts, and you can take notes for each video. Something that brings the course remarkably close to live training are the mentors or Teaching Assistants. You are assigned to one very experienced teaching assistant who provides technical and creative feedback to guide you through new skills, improve your techniques, and provide encouragement along your journey. They review each of your homework tasks during the course. Also, you are provided with Project Files for every lesson.
EJ Hassenfratz is the creative director and the Cinema 4D Trainer, and he is incredibly good at explaining even the most twisted commands and tricks.
For the next weeks we were focused on the lighting which is something essential for the 3D environment. Applying materials to your 3D objects can make them appear dramatically real or surreal. Like any feature-rich software, in Cinema 4D this can be done in many ways. We were looking at how to make an object very shiny, scratchy like glass, or rough with various imperfections, like an orange. From there, everyone can experiment endlessly.
At this point we were jumping to the Graph Editor to give our projects some motion. You can imagine how intense this is — you just learned how to create an object, and you must move them now.
We are also introduced to MoGraph tools that are used to create geometry with clones and add text in Cinema 4D.
Then we combine this knowledge with After Effects. The two tools work very well together.
The most important lesson for me was definitely “Take your time.” I didn’t realize how dense Cinema 4D is, and time, in this case, is your ally, not your enemy. The first few weeks are for you to learn what to do with the interface buttons, and everything else is to learn how to use their functionality in a creative way. It is like every other art and creative work — you transform your ideas into a 3D space. Your shapes will have an additional dimension.
Takeaways
3D is an amazingly fast transforming niche which means that the software you are working with will be changing at the same speed, too. The difficulty for me was that I was working on software that was newer than what the recorded videos showed during the course. I also think that recording such a large volume of lectures is very time consuming, and therefore challenging.
I now have permanent access to course materials. I might need to come back to some of the materials and references. At this point I am still not a pro in 3D, but I took the first step on to the learning curve. I can recommend this experience to anyone who is looking for a strong start in the world of 3D.
Take 1 is one of the best opportunities VMware provides, no matter what field you decide to develop your skills. Knowledge is our best investment, and you are provided with options such as conferences, courses, workshops, trainings and degree programs. You can take advantage of opportunities that are published, and you can add new opportunities, too. The application is easy— prodjust make sure to get an invoice with the company contact because it is required when you submit your expenses. The courses should provide certification because you will be asked for one at the end.
I hope I have inspired you to take the next step toward gaining new knowledge!
