CINEMA 4D : The Artist's Project Sourcebook (Digital Media Academy Series) [Paperback]

Anne Powers (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 1578202426 | ISBN-13: 978-1578202423 | Publication Date: January 21, 2004 | Edition: Pap/Dvdr

Cinema 4D is a 3-D modeling and animation application widely used to produce anything from simple logos to complex visualizations regularly seen in broadcast animation and motion-picture special effects. Cinema 4D: The Artist's Project Sourcebook delivers the instruction and coursework required of an academically complete textbook. Packed with inventive approaches for using and combining tools and materials as well as a DVD featuring libraries, materials, model ideas, and animation examples, this volume thoroughly instructs the beginner and inspires seasoned users toward advancing their skills. It also features engaging practical lessons that can be used as curricula in the classroom or serve as educational tools for the self-learner. Through fun and rewarding projects, students gradually gain confidence in navigating the complexity of 3-D modeling and animation.

Packed with inventive approaches for using and combining tools and materials, Cinema 4D: The Artist's Project Sourcebook thoroughly instructs the beginner and inspires seasoned users toward new visions!

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... full of creative detail without being stodgy, brimming with playful fun ... I could not imagine a better teacher or a better way to learn this application." -Tom Wolsky, South Coast Productions, author, Final Cut Pro 4 Editing Essentials

From the Back Cover

Make the creative leap to 3D. Realize your artistic vision with this treasure chest of instructional projects. Get the essential concepts and techniques without drowning in the technical complexities.
This new edition is an artist's sourcebook for the visionary in you that wants to master 3D and have fun in the process. It serves as a complete guide for the creative use of CINEMA 4D R10 and all of its modules.
Short, playful projects show you how to put this powerful toolset to work. You will master R10 s improved workflow, scene management, enhanced animation timeline and searchable object manager, as well as its:
* MOCCA 3 system, including Joints, Skin Objects, the Weight Tool, the Morph Tool, Visual Selector and Clothilde
* MoGraph module for motion graphics, type manipulation and the animation of multiple forms
* Bodypaint 3D for applying 2D drawing and painting skills to 3D models
* Advanced modeling tools such as the Brush tool
* Interface with third-party applications including Z-Brush, and Adobe s Creative Suite
You also get inventive quick starts for other modules including Hair, Sketch and Toon, Advanced Render, Dynamics and Thinking Particles.

Project source files are just the beginning. This DVD is bursting to the brim with extra projects, tutorial movies, guest artist tutorials, inspirational galleries and unique C4D Teacher Files (C4D scenes with embedded step-by-step instruction). --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Focal Press; Pap/Dvdr edition (January 21, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1578202426
• ISBN-13: 978-1578202423
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 8.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,682,987 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A thoughtful and FUN intro to Cinema4D, July 31, 2004

By 

E. Yasi (Waltham, MA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CINEMA 4D : The Artist's Project Sourcebook (Digital Media Academy Series) (Paperback)

Cinema 4D is a great 3d modelling and animation tool that is (for this type of software) not too expensive, and very powerful. However, for newbies like me the number of options is very, very intimidating.

I recently purchased a copy of Cinema4D, and while I enjoyed working through all the tutorials in the manual, I found they too quickly got into some of the finer points of the product, and I felt rushed. Anne Powers' marvelous new book gets it just right. You very quickly are doing modest little scenes that *look great*. She also has you leap right into animation in the first chapter, so while it's far from slowgoing, she still keeps the steps reasonable, and it felt like I was actually absorbing some of the lesson rather than just following it along. I also appreciate that she often doesn't have you import something 95% done, and you just click a few times to add one feature. Many examples have you building from scratch, which is especially helpful for those of us learning from the ground up.

There's not alot of verbosity following each step explaining *why* you're doing it, and some may find that a flaw. But, I've found that as long as I take a little time to see what I'm doing, and what the results are, that this is not a problem, since Anne does keep each project very manageable.

Finally, the DVD that comes with the book is *truly* useful. There's far more than source files for the examples. There are links to further study on each chapter's topics, extra artists work, detailed discussions on the most recent version (v8.5 as I write this), and more.

Perhaps an industry veteran would find this all a bit simplistic, but I appreciated the pace and level of detail. She also leaves you with lots of great ideas and templates to use as a basis for your own work.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing Writing Style, November 30, 2004

By 

John Matlock "Gunny" (Winnemucca, NV) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: CINEMA 4D : The Artist's Project Sourcebook (Digital Media Academy Series) (Paperback)

I like Anne Powers style. The first chapter is about building a dozen primative designs. But in the first paragraph of the first chapter she says go look at the finished designs on the DVD. I've never seen a better approach to tell you just what you are trying to do before you get started on the actual doing. It seems like so many computer forget to tell you just what you're trying to do. After you know what you're trying to do, then step by step, each illustrated. you build the model.

Chapter 2 gets a bit technical, you may be tempted to skip it --so she starts it by saying that if you are planning to become proficient don't even think about skipping it. And so it continues, you're building a car, adjusting surfaces, designing birthday cakes - with legs that dance.

Besides C4D, there is also a chapter on BodyPaint 3D, the companion software from Maxon. There is also a chapter on using C4D in conjunction with other packages such as Photoshop, Illustrator, Zbrush and more.

This is a sourcebook, a tutorial on how to use the software. It just happens to be one of the better writting of these I've ever seen.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cinema 4d: The Artist's Project Sourcebook, July 19, 2004

By 

CHRISTOPHER COLE (REDONDO BEACH, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: CINEMA 4D : The Artist's Project Sourcebook (Digital Media Academy Series) (Paperback)

I have been working with Cinema 4d for about 9 months and have had to feel my way around the program due to the lack of books in English. I have to say, this book has taught me so much. The projects are easy to follow and well written and there are clear pictures to help you. She covers so much information, from modeling to rendering, that will help any 3D artist with whatever they are trying to achieve. This book is a must-have for any 3D enthusiast. Kudos to Mrs. Powers for writing this terrific book!