MAXON CINEMA 4D Release 13

[TwoOneOne]

MAXON CINEMA 4D Release 13 Now Available

4D Release 13, the next generation of its industry- leading 3D motion graphics, visual effects, painting, and rendering software application. With all new character tools, integrated stereographic capabilities, stream-lined multi-artist collaboration and physical rendering, CINEMA 4D Release 13 builds on the company’s 25-year legacy of enabling digital content creators around the world to produce highly engaging content quickly and easily for a variety of industries.

Customers with an active MAXON Service Agreement (MSA) valid through September 2nd will automatically receive their upgrade. Current customers who do not have an active MSA can purchase an upgrade through MAXON and its authorized dealers. Pricing and upgrade information is available at MAXON: Home. Release 13 will make its first official European trade show appearance at the IBC exhibition in Amsterdam, Netherlands, September 9-13, 2011 (MAXON Booth can be found in the RAI Hall 6, stand 6 C.10).

"Release 13 is an amazing upgrade. We've been working with CINEMA 4D for ten years and this is a giant leap forward. The new physical renderer produces outstanding quality and the new character tools save hours of precious production time", states Raffael Leb, CEO of Vienna-based studio Cybertime. "However, what we like most of all are the dozens of workflow improvements that make working with Release 13 enjoyable. You wonder how you lived without them", emphasizes Leb, whose studio boasts clients like Ford, Diners Club and M&Ms.



Key Highlights of CINEMA 4D Release 13:
MAXON offers four versions of CINEMA 4D, each catering to the needs of 3D artists in different industries. NOTE: The features listed below may not be included in every configuration.

New and Enhanced Rendering Engine
Digital artists are constantly striving to improve the quality of their images. This new version gives CINEMA 4D users a bundle of new tools to aid in achieving the realism they crave.

• Physically-Accurate Rendering: Creating photorealistic images is easier than ever with the new physical render engine. Based on real camera properties, this additional render engine accurately calculates 3D motion blur, depth of field and lens distortion based on the focal length, aperture and shutter speed of the camera.
• Efficient Subsurface Scattering: Now users can efficiently create translucent materials such as milk, skin and wax with a new subsurface scattering shader included with both the new Physical Render and CINEMA 4D's standard render engines.
• Shared Image Sampler: Saves tons of render time by combining sampling for multiple effects such as motion blur, depth of field, area shadows, ambient occlusion and blurry reflections. Sample options allow users to specify a fixed number of samples, apply an adaptive number of samples based on the geometry and shading complexity, or progressively render each frame within a given number of passes or amount of time.
• New Anti-Aliasing Filters: Users can now achieve higher quality anti-aliasing using the Mitchell and Gauss algorithms.

Stereoscopic 3D Workflow
Stereoscopic capabilities are supported throughout R13 to provide a dependable solution and fluid workflow for generating high-quality 3D content across a wide variety of media:

• Stereoscopic Camera Conversion: Gives users control to easily convert any camera to a Parallel, On Axis, Off-Axis or Radial Stereoscopic camera.
• Stereo Image Workflow and Preview: Stereo images can be previewed directly in the 3D editor using Anaglyph, Interlaced, Shutter or Side-by-Side methods.
• Stereo Rendering Options: Allows customers to easily render the merged stereoscopic image or separate images for each individual camera to create a true 3D experience.
• Picture Viewer Support: Review animated stereo renders, adjust parallax and export renderings as merged or individual stereoscopic files.

More Accessible Character Tools
The new suite of character animation features simplify the process of building a rig, eliminating technical hurdles and allowing artists to quickly animate characters of all types:

• New Character Object: Includes an auto rigger, which simplifies the process of building a rig and applying it to a character. Technical directors are able to set up flexible rig templates that any user can easily apply to their characters.
• New CMotion System: Allows users to create their own or apply preset parametric walk cycles based on cyclic motion. Make characters walk along a spline and over terrain, or even manually place footsteps. Can be integrated with the character object or applied to anything in a scene.
• New Muscle System: CINEMA 4D R13 now allows users to create custom-shaped muscles and anchor them to multiple joints within a rig. Includes deformer for skin stretching and sliding.
• New Collision Deformer: Deforms surfaces based on collisions enabling characters to intuitively interact with the environment around them.

Numerous Workflow, Modeling and Animation Improvements
CINEMA 4D is renowned for outstanding ease of use. With an enhanced navigation system and a number of interface improvements in R13, users can perform common application tasks more efficiently:

• Revamped Navigation System: New cursor-based navigation automatically sets the point of interest for rotation and dolly movements based on where the user clicks to begin navigation. This also ensures the speed of camera navigation is smooth and consistent, regardless of the distance to the point of interest - making it easy to pivot around any portion of a model or scene.
• Sticky Keys: Allows users to activate a tool only while its shortcut is pressed and immediately return to the previous tool.
• New Spline Data User Interface: Attributes utilizing spline data can now be edited much more precisely with additional spline types and the ability to view splines in a larger, separate window.
• Location Indicator: Provides artists with a new indicator that hints at the location of selected objects outside the current view.
• Surface Manipulation: Offers flexible options with a new Infinite Axis mode that lets users start manipulation from any point and easily snap surfaces to other objects in the scene. The rotation axis can now optionally display gimbal rotation, making it easy to visualize situations in which gimbal lock will occur, and can also transform multiple objects in a selection individually rather than as a group.
• Animation Enhancements: Based on user feedback, a lot of tweaks were made to the animation system to improve efficiency, including clamping, better curve handling, markers, etc.

Operational Efficiency

• Superior XRef Object: Improves artist efficiency with fully embedded XRef (External Reference) commands in R13 so referenced objects can be textured, animated, and included in expressions or simulations within the master file, greatly enhancing work in a collaborative environment.
• Improved C.O.F.F.E.E. and Python Scripting Language Integration: Equips customers with improved integration of the powerful C.O.F.F.E.E. and Python scripting managers, giving programmers and developers a customizable solution for a wide range of software development tasks that can be utilized in any pipeline. Python plugins and scripts now appear alongside those created in CINEMA 4D's C++ and C.O.F.F.E.E. APIs.
• File Format Support: Allows artists to access a range of popular file formats for greater workflow flexibility. Multi-Pass files can now be stored in multiple channels within a single OpenEXR file. The popular FBX and COLLADA file formats have been updated facilitating easier asset exchange and interoperability.
• After Effects Exchange: Gives customers using R13 unparalleled integration with After Effects with the introduction of stage object support, timeline marker exports and support for 29.97fps.

Miscellaneous Productivity Boosting Features
CINEMA 4D R13 also includes many new productivity-boosting features, including a host of new and improved shaders and more.


System Requirements
Recommended system requirements include Windows XP, Vista or 7 running on Intel or AMD CPU with SSE2-Support; Mac OS X 10.5.8 or higher running on an Intel-based Mac and 1024 MB RAM, DVD ROM drive. Up to 256 threads now supported. Standard DVD installation can take up to 2.5 GB of disk space.


Availability and Upgrade Path

CINEMA 4D Release 13 and BodyPaint 3D Release 13 are scheduled to ship in September through MAXON and its authorized dealers. Customers with an active MAXON Service Agreement (MSA) valid through September 2nd will automatically receive the upgrade. Current customers who do not have an active MSA can purchase an MSA before the end of August and be eligible for a free upgrade. New customers who purchase from now until August 31st will automatically receive a one-year MSA with their purchase.

[helicase]

3ds max + vray still looks better to me.

[TwoOneOne]

for me cinema4d is all about MotionGraphics and not so much about the built in render engine.
So yeah i´m a big mograph fan and that´s why i´m looking forward to try this.

[HakRus]

@helicase +100 But I still want to learn CINEMA 4D )))
@TwoOneOne Thanks for the news !

[helicase]

for me cinema4d is all about MotionGraphics and not so much about the built in render engine.
So yeah i´m a big mograph fan and that´s why i´m looking forward to try this.

Don't get me wrong, i have seen some great renders done in advanced render in C4D, but 3ds max + vray can easily produce the same results and then some. I have seen some great renders done in microsoft paint too lol

Motion graphics, my one buddy told me it dominates vray for quality / rendertime, so yeah it would def be cool to learn, at least till arnold render comes out !

[exidge]

... and mray + maya looks better to me : D Have to agree with 211, I guess C4D has some of the best tools for MoGraphics.

@ helicase looks like MRay IR, same speed without indirect lighting, same buckets, everything same. Do you have more info?

[helicase]

... and mray + maya looks better to me : D Have to agree with 211, I guess C4D has some of the best tools for MoGraphics.

@ helicase looks like MRay IR, same speed without indirect lighting, same buckets, everything same. Do you have more info?

watch this: ARNOLD at "Softimage|UeberTage 2010" (Part I) on Vimeo
This is the render engine Sony Pictures uses.

IR seems less realistic imo

[TwoOneOne]

and btw, you guys now that there´s vray for cinema4d, right?

maybe the best example for this particular combination is this clip:

[exidge]

watch this: ARNOLD at "Softimage|UeberTage 2010" (Part I) on Vimeo
This is the render engine Sony Pictures uses.

IR seems less realistic imo

I watched the video and it honestly doesn't impress me at all. Maybe there is something I don't see? I thought this is sort of a realtime raytracing engine, but it's just another render engine with some better memory useage. Vray/Mray in Max can scatter millions or billions of polys aswell, not sure how or if Arnold is faster (multi core supported). Maybe it's really that great in speed but I saw nothing revolutionary. Vray RT does great for quick setups aswell. Would be nice to see some test scattered objects in arnold and vray and Mray. Would love to test it.

[blake_spector]

I've been working in an agency once, the guy next to me was using C4D. Seeing me working with Max/Vray, they bought Vray for C4D

Also - guy made me do most of the modeling work, turned out i was a lot faster in Max than him in C4D.

Though, it's def. a nice software package. To me, it just doesn't 'feel' as sophisticated as all those Autodesk applications. It might be - i'll probably never find out. Autodesk all the way! (It's like being stuck to 5-series BMW's, never wanting to buy an E-Class Mercedes. Same thing or not? Which one is better? In the eye of the beholder).

[helicase]

I watched the video and it honestly doesn't impress me at all. Maybe there is something I don't see? I thought this is sort of a realtime raytracing engine, but it's just another render engine with some better memory useage. Vray/Mray in Max can scatter millions or billions of polys aswell, not sure how or if Arnold is faster (multi core supported). Maybe it's really that great in speed but I saw nothing revolutionary. Vray RT does great for quick setups aswell. Would be nice to see some test scattered objects in arnold and vray and Mray. Would love to test it.

Vray has been doing all of this since vray 2.0, i agree with you! lol. The movie monster house was really cool though, so it does have potential. I have not seen any vray quality cars done with it, so i'm skeptical. I'm happy with vray until then

[Pete-MJL]

As usual, this version R13 works well and is incredibly stable.
I am a bit annoyed by the newly introduced selection and navigation stuff though, but then, after a while even I will learn how to do it...

To all the Max users: Cinema is THE most user friendly 3D-app out there.
I do all my modelling in it and use the C4D Advanced Render engine for all my renders.
It is fast and accurate.
Also, Cinema4D is used in many movies. See MAXON: Movies for some of them.

Maybe you should give it a try...

Peter