Cinema 4D potential

[Anonymous]

There seems to be a lot of negative feelings about Graphisoft's decision to discontinue MaxonForm, especially from those who have spent a lot of time and money purchasing and training the product. However, in the wake of this we have the new Cinema 4D plug-in. This product is extremely powerful how ever you look at it, whether it be as a modeling tool, a rendering engine or even as an animation program. With this in our arsenal ArchiCAD stands to become very strong in its field. However, without the correct knowledge and proper use it will fall by the way side as a tool used seldomly and never reach its potential.
With this in mind I am proposing that we use this topic to discuss how each of us use, have used or intend to use the software. This can then become an impetus for others to learn and eventually invest in the software, strengthening its user base and therefore its support by Graphisoft.
If you own MaxonForm or C4D; what do you use it for? What is your work process? Have you found any work-arounds in MaxonForm or C4D that save time compared to their AC counterpart method?
I invite others to raise questions about any aspect of the software and its potential to AC users.

*I understand that numerous other Cinema 4D forums exist and provide excellent advice, however I am yet to find one that specifically focuses on its use with AC.

[Djordje]

Bricklyne wrote:
Obviously the clients and juries selecting them are not intimidated by the prospect of
having to realize such forms (or pay for them); nor are the engineers and contractors who would have to actually build them and make them work. So why should we be to conceive them?

True for the clients and juries; not true for the engineers and the contractors.

This region has probably the largest concentration of Hadids, Fosters, SOMs and what nots - but you will notice that a lot if not all of them are late in the delivery or even conception. Why? There is next to nobody who knows how to do them.

Clients adore the spatial plays, the shapes, the wonderful artistic presentation; but when they see the cost ... then they think again.

This, of course, is no apology for woefully short Graphisoft toolbox when it comes to blobotecture. Not that it cannot be done in GDL, very far from it - the "only" missing thing is the graphical interface. With the defunct GDL Toolbox probably available, the real question is why a new tool does not address freeform, instead of - the trend of last few versions - copying the features of you-know-whom.

[Dwight]

Joeri wrote:
In addition :


I did the test with a basic chair : import to ".gsm" is about 11 MB ! and counts 42.850 polygons. Every move, change or whatever in AC takes at least 5 minutes... What's the use of 3Ds import in AC then?

You are right - AAAAArgh!!!!- i regularly use POSER figures translated through Cinema 4D in my Archicad models - as figurines in allegorical pediments, for instance. Each figurine is over 40 Mb once in Archicad. I have the fastest equipment but these tiny sprite-like creatures take an eternity to manipulate in Archicad. The intermediate stage through Cinema is very quick. Go figger.

Ironically, the attached image is of part of a model that has about 30 figures in total, and it takes about the same time to image in 3D as a model having only one figure. And so it goes.

[Anonymous]

I did use the intermediate stage through Maxonform. I've noticed that 3Ds objects are handled with ease in the Maxonform interface but happy life ends once you bring them back to ArchiCAD...

I have to deal with total concepts, architecture and interior design. So I feel the need to design bathrooms, kitchens, ... the way they are build. Realistic visualisation (mostly Art.lantis) is nice but the representation of that specific type of bath, this sink, that faucet, ... is so more important to me.

I never mind not having these objects straight out of the box, but the longer I'm using ArchiCAD, the longer I seem to get bogged down.

I'm still waiting for GS to address this issue. The amount of other software library parts is improving so fast that I feel isolated : I'm not able to import any SketchUP file, I'm not able to translate 3Ds properly, GS will no longer support / improve Maxonform, I have no freeform modelling tools,...

As I've seen the poor library development over the last years I'm pretty sure AC12 / 13 / will not be any better. I've read the commercial talk about Formfonts 3D but I doubt the result.

GS, give us the freedom to freely design what we want or improve / integrate other import add-ons that do the work properly ! Parametric objects are not the only way to go !!!

[Anonymous]

Example : I have to integrate historical building components in my design.
I've searched the web and found a 3Ds file that is pretty close what the picture below is like so I paid the 100 US dollars with a smile.

Import in Maxonform : OK
Translating to .gsm : total crash of AC

[Anonymous]

Joeri, one way that may help you is using GDL. If you open the file in 3DS and save it as a .DXF then you can open this file within AC and tweak it with GDL. This is by no means a simple task for those with no GDL skill, and can be time consuming depending on the level of attributes that you wish for the object to have. Although it would allow you to create a library of custom parts that you know will be suitable in the future.

If you feel that this could be worth looking into, I mentioned earlier that there is a wonderful tutorial in David Nicholson-Cole's GDL cookbook. He has been kind enough to donate the latest version for free download at ArchiCAD East's website so it is always worth a look.

[Anonymous]

Chris,

Thanks for the tip anyway. I've bought Cookbook 3 some years ago and it has been of great help to fully understand wat GDL is about. With (a lot of) trial and error I'm capable to get 2D objects with all the parameters I like. 3D script is far to complex and time consuming for me