Next Limit SD Exporter 2.0 for Cinema4D 7.303 on MacOS9 ======================================================= ========================================================================= Functionality, behavior and appearance are subject to changes. Send issues to info@nextlimit.com (CC: bubinga@nextlimit.com) ========================================================================= This plug-in for Cinema4D, saves animated scene data to a file, which can be read into RealFlow and/or RealWave. Controls ======== Objects List There are three columns in this list: two check boxes and text "Sv" : save the object "Vt" : save vertex information for each frame .With this checkbox unchecked, only position, rotation, scale and pivot are saved. This is useful when the object doesn't contain any other displacement plug-in that could change the relative vertex position. In other cases if you want to get the object deformation in RealFlow, the vertex info button should be checked. Bear in mind that, for every frame, all the object's vertices will be saved and the file size will increase accordingly. Objects: object name, according to the internal Cinema hierarchy Save All: save all objects in the list Save None: clear all Sv check boxes Vertex All: save vertex info for all objects Vertex None: clear all Vt check boxes Rescan Scene: rebuild the object list Check box "Rebuild Objects Each Frame (Slower)" Refresh vertex info for each frame for all objects that need to. Important for certain types of deformers and HyperNURBS. Messages: progress messages. First Frame and Last Frame: first and last frames to save. Save SD: Go! While saving, the button reads STOP, to stop saving. Outfile: self explanatory. Procedure ========= To export your scene to RealFlow, follow these steps: 1. Open the plug-in window, found under the Plugins menu. 2. Select the objects to export, including or not vertex information. 3. Set the first and last frames to export. 4. Click Outfile button and choose a filename for saving. 5. Press SaveSD. 6. In the Message list some messages will appear when saving data. IMPORTANT (and we mean it!) ========= This plugin exposes the internal object hierarchy of Cinema4D, so some understanding of it is necessary before saving objects. Cinema4D generates hidden polygonal objects from some objects in the scene (i.e: cubes, spheres, surfaces, boolean operators, arrays..), and if deformers (bend, twist...) have been applied to those objects and are active, another hidden polygonal object is further made from those. The list of objects that appears in the plugin window shows all these hidden (and not hidden) polygonal objects. For example, get an array (2 copies) of pyramids, and a bend deformer under Pyramid. The resulting hierarchy for Cinema is: Array (visible) |--->Array (hidden) | | | |->Pyramid.1 (hidden) | | |->Pyramid.1 (hidden, polygonal, not deformed by bend) | | |->Pyramid.1 (hidden, polygonal, deformed by bend) | |->Pyramid.2 (hidden) | | |->Pyramid.2 (hidden, polygonal, not deformed by bend) | | |->Pyramid.2 (hidden, polygonal, deformed by bend) | |->Pyramid.3 (hidden) | |->Pyramid.3 (hidden, polygonal, not deformed by bend) | |->Pyramid.3 (hidden, polygonal, deformed by bend) |--->Pyramid (visible) |->Bend (visible) The objects that will show up in the plugin will be: (1) Array->Array->Pyramid.1->Pyramid.1 (2) Array->Array->Pyramid.2->Pyramid.2 (These are not deformed) (3) Array->Array->Pyramid.3->Pyramid.3 and (4) Array->Array->Pyramid.1->Pyramid.1->Pyramid.1 (5) Array->Array->Pyramid.2->Pyramid.2->Pyramid.2 (These are deformed) (6) Array->Array->Pyramid.3->Pyramid.3->Pyramid.3 To save the array of deformed pyramids, one would check the Sv checkboxes of (4), (5) and (6), AND their Vt checkbox (they are deformed). If the deformation parameters of the deformer were also animated, "Rebuild Objects Each Frame (Slower)" would also need to be checked. Another example, a boolean with a cylinder and a sphere: We would have: Boole (visible) |--->Sphere-Cylinder (hidden) (the name would change depending on the operation) | |->Sphere (hidden, polygonal, cut by cylinder) | |->Cylinder (hidden, polygonal, , cut by sphere) |--->Sphere (visible) | |->Sphere (hidden, polygonal, full sphere) |--->Cylinder(visible) |->Cylinder (hidden, polygonal, full cylinder) We would see: (1) Boole->Sphere-Cylinder->Sphere (These two are the intersected objects) (2) Boole->Sphere-Cylinder->Cylinder (3) Boole->Sphere->Sphere (These two are the full objects) (4) Boole->Sphere->Cylinder To save the sphere cut by a cylinder, we would check Sv for objs (1) and (2) Another one: A cube animated with two bones: Cube (visible) |--->Cube (Hidden, not deformed) | |->Cube (hidden, deformed by the bones) |--->Bone (visible) |->Bone.1 (visible) We would see: (1) Cube->Cube (not deformed) (2) Cube->Cube->Cube (deformed) To save the animated deformed object, check its Sv and Vt checkboxes AND "Rebuild Objects Each Frame (Slower)" There are lots and lots of generator objects and deformers in Cinema4D. To cover each one would require a fair amount of space. Try and experiment saving each type of object, and if you discover a bug, please, tell us. Hints and tips ============== -With the plugin window open, if an object of the hierarchy is deleted or added, you will have to close and re-open the plugin window to reflect the changes or press the Rescan Scene button. -With the plugin window open, if a new document is loaded, it is necessary to press Rescan Scene to load the new object hierarchy. -To save correct data, only objects that have a CONSTANT number of vertices and faces throughout the animation are allowed. Booleans with animated intersections must be avoided. -To save properly an object deformed by a Shatter deformer if the Strength parameter is animated, this parameter must be always >0, i.e., from 1 to 100, because the number of vertices change from 0 Strength to 1 Strength. -Save ONLY objets with constant number of vertices and faces. -"Rebuild Objects.." and Vt checkboxes are very useful to get animated deformations exported correctly. The Next Limit Team.