C4D role in the workflow

[Anonymous]

For those who use C4D in the pipeline as a portal to the excellent rendering engines (AR2 and VRay), how much do you use C4D for modeling beyond what you've already done in AC? In other words, what, if any, modeling tasks are easier and faster to do in C4D than in AC? I've struggled a bit with the 3D profiler, and wonder if some of those detail shapes might not be better to do in C4D?

We currently use AC for the design development and const doc phase (traditional residential architecture), but have not yet migrated to cg renderings, which I want to do.

[owen]

I should have been more specific in my broken comment. Basically Graphisoft took an unnacceptably long time to release an update to Maxonform so it would work on the Intel Macs .. it was a painful process. Not a PC issue though.

Aside from the delay in the Mactel version, another issue is that Maxonform is still based on Cinema 4D R9.6 ... although R10.x has been with us for a long time and we now have 10.5. So if you rely on interfacing to your own full Cinema app then you cannot upgrade to R10 .. or if you do Maxonform will no longer work.

Graphisoft had promised an update to R10 due end of last month... no sign yet.

a few more threads on the subject:

Maxonform for AC10

Maxonform again...are u really using it..and how

Archicad 11 and "curved" organic shapes for buildi

WHEN IS GRID TOOL COMING??? Thread went off-topic into Maxonform, but the original subject of the Grid Tool is another telling tale of Graphisofts ability to handle their own Add-Ons..

Any news on MaxonForm for ArchiCAD11 ?

[Anonymous]

Thank you Owen for your time and helpful insight...esp regarding the very important Maxonform bridge.

Right now beginning to look at Modo....looks VERY impressive, so will download demo of that and see how that might go.

I think that may fit well in my workflow concept, which is freehand sketching (ah yes, the creative hand still lives!)>Photoshop tweaks and presentation (both plans and elevation)>full 3D design development virtual model (Modo or Archicad/C4D...the AC/C4D combo would be about 5X to 6X the cost of Modo)>Final Presentation renderings (Modo or C4D/AR2/VRay>Autocad (LT?) for construction docs (if required).

[Anonymous]

Decided today to go with C4D and VRay. I've been working a little with the demo and like it. Got great feedback on C4D forum confirming "rock solid" stability...very important for me, whereas many Modo users complaining of crashes, like every few minutes. Probably part of being a new software developer.....C4D/VRay will give me the quality render I've been looking for, that with the stability makes it a winner for me. Besides that with the Maxonform bridge to Archicad makes it even more useful for me.

[Eduardo Rolon]

I found one bug using the saveas C4D plugin for AC and VrayC4 and it is that if you rotate the model and turn one of the objects off then C4 will crash the work around is to turn off the material not the mesh. POsted that on the VrayC4 forums but apparently nobody uses AC over there.

All in all I am happy with the purchase. Fast, reliable and easy to start to figure out.

[Anonymous]

I have found the posts in this thread very informative so far and have a few additional questions.
I currently have the Maxonform addon for AC11. I was starting to get into Maxonform for AC10 shortly before the upgrade to AC11, then was disappointed by the delayed release for AC11.
We have recently contracted out some of our rendering needs, but I have been considering the purchase of C4D so that we can keep that in-house + have full functionality of other tools C4D offers. For example, I have been exploring the Engineer Edition of C4D because of the import capabilities from other design programs. I work with engineers who do modeling in programs other than AC or C4D and I want to import their geometries directly through the Okino translator included in C4D engineer edition then bring these geometries into AC

If I understand correctly working in C4D 10.5 I would need to bring any newly modeled objects into AC11 through the Maxonform bridge. There is not a current plugin to go directly from C4D10.5 to AC - Is that correct?

Having used MaxonForm a bit I know that I can toggle between programs when I need to modify the shapes created in MF. Does the plugin with the older version of C4d allow a similar type of workflow where you can toggle between programs within AC?

On a more general note - Is anyone using freeform modeling and then working directly with a structural engineer for the analysis of the structures? what challenges are you finding? what programs are the engineers using? are you converting things through IFC or through another translator?

I appreciate any responses or ideas anyone has to offer here.

[Rakela Raul]

If I understand correctly working in C4D 10.5 I would need to bring any newly modeled objects into AC11 through the Maxonform bridge. There is not a current plugin to go directly from C4D10.5 to AC - Is that correct?

there is a plugin to export from c4d (version dont know) to ac 10 and 11 and it was just postd it here somewhere in the forum

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?t=19460

Having used MaxonForm a bit I know that I can toggle between programs when I need to modify the shapes created in MF. Does the plugin with the older version of C4d allow a similar type of workflow where you can toggle between programs within AC?

i dont believe you can have the same workflow between C4D and AC as you do with MF and AC....C4D can export to AC and AC will export to C4D thru 3DS i think

On a more general note - Is anyone using freeform modeling and then working directly with a structural engineer for the analysis of the structures? what challenges are you finding? what programs are the engineers using? are you converting things through IFC or through another translator?

i would like to know this also

[owen]

The plugin posted is just to export the ArchiCAD model to Cinema4D (as an .ac4d file). This is part of the Architecture Exchange package which comes as part of the Cinema4D Architecture Bundle (inc. Advanced Render, Sketch & Toon).. it is one way only (AC>C4D) but basically allows you to update your ArchiCAD model geometry in C4D without having to remap materials you have applied by associating C4D materials to ArchiCAD materials. Very handy for setting up a template with placeholder objects with premapped materials to be replaced by an ArchiCAD model.

To get model geometry back from C4D into AC there are only 2 ways I know of .. the Maxonform plugin and the 3DS Import plugin. If you are on Cinema R10.5 then you are left with 3DS ... Graphisoft had said they would update the Maxonform plugin to R10 (going on 3 months overdue) but never replied as to wether or not it would work with R10.5 in the announcement

So who knows .. The fact that GS cannot/will not even answer a simple question like that speaks volumes about their 'customer service' attitude. If we are going to have to wait months and months for something, at least tell us so instead of barring the doors to re-emerge 4-5 months later saying 'ta da! its here .. rejoice!. Hey .. Whats with the pitch forks guys? What do you mean its out of date already?'

gee i really have a bee in my bonnet about this one don't i ..

[owen]

ejrolon wrote:
I found one bug using the saveas C4D plugin for AC and VrayC4 and it is that if you rotate the model and turn one of the objects off then C4 will crash the work around is to turn off the material not the mesh. POsted that on the VrayC4 forums but apparently nobody uses AC over there.

All in all I am happy with the purchase. Fast, reliable and easy to start to figure out.

I am keen to get my hands on a demo - have been told there will be one available with the 1.1 update in a week or so.

Aside from the quality (which i understand is excellent) how do the render times compare to those using AR Radiosity?

[Eduardo Rolon]

It is not even funny… 30-50% off and no splotches (technical term for the dirty circular shadows due to not having enough GI samples)

[owen]

nice

and i'm all too familiar with those splotches ...