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Home » Latest Maxon Cinema 4D S22 Drops, Delivers Easier UV, Viewport Enhancements

Latest Maxon Cinema 4D S22 Drops, Delivers Easier UV, Viewport Enhancements

Subscription model promises more regular updates, while better UV mapping just makes life easier.

Kitty image credit: Maxon

Creative artists in motion media know that this is the best of times (in spite of the current news of the world). The power of the digital tools and technologies 3D artists wield today, with apps like Maxon’s Cinema 4D, continues an evolution that looks just shy of magic to old hands who know a little of the long and winding path the art tools took to get here.

Programs such as Cinema 4D – often abbreviated C4D – are often rolled out at NAB, or “Vegas in April”. Not much news that this was one of the first major conventions cancelled when the the outbreak picked up in March.

Like many major players, Maxon, makers of Cinema 4D, usually maintains a large NAB presence. The answer to this was – like so many things today – handled by maintaining an equally large presence online, spanning the full four-days of the Vegas show floor.

The last part of 2019 had also seen Maxon join forces with Red Giant. While that would have caused some buzz at the show, now those tuning in could hear it directly from well known Red Giant creative Stu Maschwitz.

There are reruns to watch at home.

Maxon’s NAB Livestream – No NAB Necessary

Along with the rest of the world, Maxon adapted to the times by organizing this past April 20th a series of live online talks, product presentations, tech briefs and more. Of course, we had to start with a feature description of the star of the show, Cinema 4D S22, the company’s first subscription release. For that overview, we heard from David McGravran, CEO, and Paul Babb, Global Head of Community and Customer Experience. Next, over the next four days, the company paraded a long roster of talks by top motion designers, animators and industry insiders including Stu Maschwitz (Red Giant/Maxon), Andy Blondin (Epic Games), Chris Schmidt (Rocket Lasso), Andrew Kramer (Video Copilot) and Beeple.

Want to hear it directly from those making the news? Here’s a link to Maxon’s YouTube channel with all of their NAB 2020 Rewinds.

So What’s New in Cinema 4D S22?

Now let’s get into the specifics of the new version of Cinema 4D S22. Veteran C4D users may be a bit puzzled by the name since past versions were always preceded by “R” (the last one being R21). The reason for the S is because the new version is a subscription-only release, which allows subscribers immediate access to new features. Subscriptions are somewhat new for Maxon, who began offering the service in September of 2019. With it came more affordable pricing as well as an increased pace of improvements and enhancements. However, the new features will also be rolled into an upgrade later this year for those who still wish to own a perpetual license.

New UV Workflow – Woohoo!

Perhaps the most important new feature in S22 is an all new UV workflow which I expect will make every serious C4D user stand up and cheer. UVs, for those who are unaware, define the coordinates that texture maps use when they are applied to your model’s polygons.

Cinema 4D S22’s new UV layout tools deliver a simpler, easier-to-navigate interface.

The process of laying out UVs can be quite complex. Much care must be taken to define seams in a model to split and subsequently flatten out the mesh. Previous versions of C4D did the job but the UV tools were somewhat lacking and could be confusing. For a program that is known for being the most intuitive and easy to learn 3D application in the business, for its 22nd major version, C4D’s UV tools needed a serious overhaul.

Cinema 4D S22’s new UV functionality addresses its UV shortcomings by moving towards simplicity. Improved selection and visualization tools as well as a progressive unwrapping workflow now make it much simpler to define a UV map. In addition, new packing algorithms optimize texture resolution. Especially handy: a new automatic UV unwrapping option based on the Ministry of Flat licensed technology that was developed by Eskil Steenberg of Quel Solaar.

I headed over to Quel Solaar’s website to learn more about the new auto UV unwrapping feature. On the website Steenberg makes a claim “The craft of UV mapping is about to become obsolete”. That’s a bold statement, but if it works as good as it looks – which is why Maxon must have licensed the technology in the first place – it could be a gamechanger in what is otherwise a tedious and forsaken task.

It’s hard to imagine, however, that at least for some projects, you wouldn’t need to get in there and set up UVs manually. I’m looking forward to trying it out and seeing for myself. (BTW: Steenberg has some intriguing software – some for free – stuff well worth checking out, including apps to handle extensive, real world LED lighting effects.)

Here’s a little BG page from Maxon as they explain how Steenberg’s unique approach will benefit those of us working in CD4 S22.

Better Views

Cinema 4D’s viewport also continues to be enhanced, making the best use of the latest graphics card technology for more accurate viewport rendering and interaction, including multi-instance performance. There is also full support for Apple’s implementation of Metal.

Viewport rendering has enhanced features like more effective hair and fur.

S22 also includes some significant import/export features, ideal for the busy artist. GLTF export is a flexible and efficient format for sharing 3D animations on the web and within AR applications. In addition, GoZ integration allows for a smooth round-tripping workflow with Pixologic’s ever popular sculpting application, ZBrush. The re-written core architecture makes modeling tools faster and more robust while better preserving UVs and vertex maps.

Here’s What It Will Cost You

While you will still be able to buy and own a perpetual license of Cinema 4D – that’s $3495 – I don’t see why you would want to. The subscription model ($60/month for Cinema 4D itself, $82/month if you add in Redshift) is not only less expensive, but it also allows Maxon to update your software more frequently with improvements and new features.

But Should You?

Corporate boards and bean counters love the subscription model, like the one that Adobe had moved to for its Creative Cloud apps, since income ends up being more predictable. There are fans of this subscription/constant update model – it feels like you are always hip to the latest, after all all you have to do is just download the latest update. But it’s good that Maxon has decided (for now?) to also keep the one-time license purchase available, unlike Adobe. If you’re working on movie productions rather than in a posthouse setup, locking down the whole production to specific versions remains a crucial approach.

If you are a subscription customer already, you already have access to C4D S22. If you aren’t, the new UV workflow, which, after all, is the really big news here, will fundamentally change the way you create UV layouts, an important area of making compelling 3D images. Check it out.

Full disclosure: I’ve worked for Maxon in various training and presentation positions over the years.

About Joe Herman

Joe Herman is a filmmaker, artist and post production specialist and writes often about the industry. You can reach him at joe[at]legendmultimedia[dot]com. Or reach and follow him on Twitter @JoeHermanTweets.

Community & Partner Links

How Sony’s New Virtual Sound Technology Can Change How We Hear Films

Kami Asgar and Jessica Parks are post-production heavyweights who work with major studios, namely Sony. As a sound designer (Asgar) and as a post executive (Parks), their collective resume touches on everything from Apocalypto to Grandma’s Boy to Venom.

Parks has recently shifted her focus from supervisor to hands-on sound design, and we talk about how it’s never too late to pivot on your career path and find the thing you love doing wherever you are in life.

Click on this link to read the rest of the article on No Film School’s site.

NJ – Governor Murphy signs $14B Incentive Program Bill – the NJ Economic Recovery Act of 2020

 Film tax credits — amending existing programs to include provisions for so-called New Jersey film partners and New Jersey film-lease partners and allowing an additional $200 million of tax credits annually over 13 years.

Click this link if you want to read the full article on the Lexology site. http://bit.ly/35NtDx6

Film Commish announces date for production restart

In her December 18, 2020 news update, MOME Commissioner Anne del Castillo announced that the Film Office is now accepting permit applications for production activity that begins on July 27th.

She also announced awards now (Awkwafina) and more. To read all of the Film Commish’s bloggy sort of news column, click here.

Stimulus Offers $15 Billion in Relief for Struggling Arts Venues

The coronavirus relief package that Congressional leaders agreed to this week includes grant money that many small proprietors described as a last hope for survival.

For the music venue owners, theater producers and cultural institutions that have suffered through the pandemic with no business, the coronavirus relief package that Congress passed on Monday night offers the prospect of aid at last.

To read the full article on The New York Times’ site, click here.

If you want to start production, here’s the latest news from the Mayor’s Office

Phase 4 production guidance is available on the Film Permit website. All production activity, whether it requires a Film Permit or not, must comply with New York Forward Industry Guidance.

For more information see, please refer to the State Department of Health’s Interim Guidance for Media Production During the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency. Please review the guidelines and FAQ before submitting permit applications. The Film Office is operating remotely, so please allow additional time for Film Permit processing.

The above paragraphs contain links to the various FAQ – just mouse over the relevant words.

Nikon to Stop Making Cameras in Japan

Nikon has fallen on hard times as of late as its camera sales have cratered, and now there’s a new indicator of how dire its financial situation is: the company is reportedly pulling the plug on making cameras in Japan after over 70 years of doing so.

To read the full article on Petapixel’s site, click here.

NVIDIA Uses AI to Slash Bandwidth on Video Calls

NVIDIA Research has invented a way to use AI to dramatically reduce video call bandwidth while simultaneously improving quality

What the researchers have achieved has remarkable results: by replacing the traditional h.264 video codec with a neural network, they have managed to reduce the required bandwidth for a video call by an order of magnitude. In one example, the required data rate fell from 97.28 KB/frame to a measly 0.1165 KB/frame – a reduction to 0.1% of required bandwidth.

To read the rest of this article on Petapixel, click this link.

 

 

 

Union Health Plan Dodges Film Workers’ Suit Over Virus Relief

Law360 (October 9, 2020, 5:22 PM EDT) — The Motion Picture Industry Health Plan’s board can’t be sued under ERISA for allegedly flouting its duties when it relaxed plan rules in response to COVID-19, a California federal judge has ruled, nixing a proposed class action filed by two cinematographers who still couldn’t qualify for benefits.

In an order entered Thursday, U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner granted the board of directors’ motion to dismiss Greg Endries and Dee Nichols’ Employee Retirement Income Security Act suit accusing board members of breaching their duty to treat all plan participants fairly.

Endries and Nichols, members of Local 600 of the International Cinematographers Guild, said in July that the board left them and others “out in the cold” in its attempts to address the problems COVID-19 caused for plan participants.

But Judge Klausner agreed with the board’s contention that the case, which alleged a fiduciary breach, should be tossed because plan administrators don’t act as fiduciaries when they amend health care plans.

Read the full article on the Law360 site by clicking here.

Russo Brothers Received Close to $50 Million From Saudi Bank

Anthony Russo and Joseph Russo photographed at the PMC Studio in Los Angeles for the Variety Playback Podcast.

The Russo brothers, directors of the all-time top grossing film “Avengers: Endgame,” quietly secured a roughly $50 million cash infusion for their production company AGBO from Saudi Arabia earlier this year, multiple sources tell Variety.

In a deal brokered and closed at the beginning of the pandemic, the Russos received the investment from an undisclosed Saudi bank in exchange for a minority stake in the brothers’ Los Angeles-based shop.

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