Collaboration with other software
About model and data exchange with 3rd party solutions: Revit, Solibri, dRofus, Bluebeam, structural analysis solutions, and IFC, BCF and DXF/DWG-based exchange, etc.

exporting to c4d

Anonymous
Not applicable
I think that I've tried just about all the various options and so far find the OBJ format to work the best. However, when I export by materials, which makes sense, ALL the AC geometry of that material comes in as ONE single polygon object in C4D. This is a major, major pain as there is no easy way to split all the polygons like the explode command in autocad...you have to do it polygon by polygon. What I would really like to see in the file transfer is all the polys of one material to come in under a single null object in C4D so that each part is easily accessed amd edited in C4D and yet comes in already "sorted" by material under the null object. This would save a lot of time. By the way, that is the way FormZ objects come in, except I used to do it by layers, but same concept.

Have I missed an option here somewhere that might work better? I did try the AC to C4D exchange plugin...and offhand can not remember the results as far as how the geometry came in.
151 REPLIES 151
Wokka
Contributor
and 8 months after ArchiCad R12 was released...
The architecture of C4D hasn't changed since R10.111, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'll have to chase up my Maxon man.
Thanks for the link..
Cheers
Warwick Lloyd-Martin
3 D E N V I R O N M E N T
http://www.3de.com.au
Windows 11 Pro 64bit
ArchiCad 4.55>27 AUS
Lumion 12.5/2023
D5 Render
Anonymous
Not applicable
Wokka wrote:
and 8 months after ArchiCad R12 was released...
The architecture of C4D hasn't changed since R10.111, so it shouldn't be an issue. I'll have to chase up my Maxon man.
Thanks for the link..
Cheers
Hi wokka. We have news from your maxon man? I'm still using AC11 and right now I can't change my worlkflow...Need the .ac4d format

Thanks
Anonymous
Not applicable
Hi guys...something tell me that nothing is changed...
Wokka
Contributor

Absolutley nothing at all.
Maxon Man (superhero?) is waiting.................
Graphisoft Australia is waiting..................
It's pretty ridiculous. I just renewed my subscription with Graphisoft for my second license without knowing if 50% of my work (3D & C4D) will be usable EVER. If the exchange is not going to be continued, they should let us know! If it is, give us a timeframe to work with! Anytime before R13 would be nice. It's hard enough trying to survive in this economic climate. They are not helping.
Warwick Lloyd-Martin
3 D E N V I R O N M E N T
http://www.3de.com.au
Windows 11 Pro 64bit
ArchiCad 4.55>27 AUS
Lumion 12.5/2023
D5 Render
owen
Newcomer
(apologies in advance for being a swearing bear but this situation is completely unacceptable)

This really is f'ing beyond a joke..
Wokka wrote:
It's pretty ridiculous. I just renewed my subscription with Graphisoft for my second license without knowing if 50% of my work (3D & C4D) will be usable EVER. If the exchange is not going to be continued, they should let us know! If it is, give us a timeframe to work with! Anytime before R13 would be nice. It's hard enough trying to survive in this economic climate. They are not helping.
8 months since AC12...

There was a press release a while back where someone from Autodesk went on about how the subscription model is the future as software companies can be held accountable by their customers for performance. This situation reveals just how much of a joke that is. Graphisoft just keep sucking the money out of you knowing just how of a commitment changing a fundamental element of a business such as ArchiCAD is..

I think i can remember reading something somewhere on these forums about this plugin somehow being Maxons responsibility but IMO that is just bullshit. Graphisoft sold this as a solution to their customers. They share the same parent company. They have a responsibility to their customers to ensure that ALL plugins to other applications are kept up to date with at minimum the current versions of ArchiCAD and ideally also those 3rd party applications the plugins interface to.

Instead they go and create bullshit like the Virtual Building Environment. If Graphisoft has spare resources then put them to use updating all the plugins that seem to languish months behind AC Maxon has an API for 3rd parties to develop plugins. Use it Graphisoft.
cheers,

Owen Sharp

Design Technology Manager
fjmt | francis-jones morehen thorp

iMac 27" i7 2.93Ghz | 32GB RAM | OS 10.10 | Since AC5
Anonymous
Not applicable
Yup its ridiculous. You try holding back a rollout to Archicad 12 in a large office of users because it is not playing ball with Cinema4D. Our office is always looking at other workflows that are easier, Revit to Max is discussed quite often everytime something like this happens and it seems to be a lot. And saving back to Archicad 11 is not a very good option as some of the test projects in 12 are heavily dependant on the curtain wall tool. I hope no one asks me whether or not they should buy archicad any time soon.
Surely it cant be that hard to update the plugin.
Karl Ottenstein
Moderator
Is this what you've been waiting for:

http://archicad-talk.graphisoft.com/viewtopic.php?p=135932

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/solutions/cinema4d_download.html
One of the forum moderators
AC 27 USA and earlier   •   macOS Ventura 13.6.6, MacBook Pro M2 Max 12CPU/30GPU cores, 32GB
Wokka
Contributor
Unfortunatley no, it isn't what we've been waiting for.
That's the resurrected Maxonform in a disguise.
What we're after is the old exchange plugin that enabled you to export to C4D, reapply materials, lighting etc. You would then alter the model in ArchiCad (because Architects change their minds) and re-import into C4D. All the material assignments would still be intact. Very easy workflow.
Since 12 came out we have had not a peep out of Graphisoft regarding this issue. Both my Graphisoft reseller and my Maxon reseller have been unable to get anything from them.
Also (as you have found out) the web page is very misleading about what sort of software we downloaded.
Warwick Lloyd-Martin
3 D E N V I R O N M E N T
http://www.3de.com.au
Windows 11 Pro 64bit
ArchiCad 4.55>27 AUS
Lumion 12.5/2023
D5 Render
Eduardo Rolon
Moderator
Karl the missing functionality is the equivalent of Artlantis "Open with reference…" command. Imagine if Abvent removed that option from Artlantis. This plugin was made originally for AC8 and C4D 8 and was updated for each new release, it was also available or Vectorworks. The consequence is that for some projects I have to use AC11 which defeats the purpose of buying upgrades.
Eduardo Rolón AIA NCARB
AC27 US/INT -> AC08

Macbook Pro M1 Max 64GB ram, OS X 10.XX latest
another Moderator

owen
Newcomer
Am i right in thinking Graphisoft is responsible for maintaining the Cinema 4D Add-On?

Now i know Maxon is currently responsible for the Material Exchange plugin, but if Graphisoft can handle this complex add-on surely they can take over the relatively simple Material Exchanger? They could even wrap them up into one - just keep the features the current AC11 Material Exchanger has under Save As..>Cinema4D
cheers,

Owen Sharp

Design Technology Manager
fjmt | francis-jones morehen thorp

iMac 27" i7 2.93Ghz | 32GB RAM | OS 10.10 | Since AC5