Cinema 4D

How can I load the plugin for Cinema 4D?

The plugins can be downloaded separately for Windows and Macintosh operating systems from the customer gateway. Please note that this gateway is only accessible for license holders. To install the plugins, please follow the instructions in the installer. You will be guided through the entire process.

Why can I not see the RealFlow plugins in Cinema 4D?

Please make sure that you have installed the plugins correctly and completely. It is also important to choose the correct Cinema 4D version. In Cinema 4D's “plugin” folder you should see a directory named “RealFlow”. There you can find a “realflow.dll” (Windows) or a “realflow.dylib” (OS X) file together with the associated resources. It is possible that you need administrator rights to install the plugins.

Once the plugins have been installed, open Cinema 4D and check the “Plugins” menu. The “RealFlow” menu must contain a total of 6 entries as shown in the image below. If your Cinema 4D version does not include "Thinking Particles" you might not be able to use all features of the plugin set.

How can I export objects from Cinema 4D to RealFlow?

Before you start to export objects, you should make them editable and perform a triangulation to avoid problems. Then open the “RealFlow SD Exporter” from the “RealFlow” plugins menu. The objects are shown in a list on the left side of the plugin's GUI. You can either select “Add All” to export the entire list of nodes. If you only want to export a selection, choose them from the list and click on “Add”. In both cases the nodes will appear in the right column.

By default, objects are exported with the “matrix” option. This is the standard geometry option and supports object animation. If you want to export the one or more object with PLA (“Point Level Animation”), e.g. cloth simulations, then you have to choose “Add with vertex”.

To finally export the nodes you have to specify an “SD File” and a directory where the SD should be written to. With “Start Frame” and “Stop Frame” you can specify the animation range and “Inc Frame” is the frame increment or step width of the animation.

“Scene Scale” gives you the possibility to save the objects at a certain scale. 1 is RealFlow's default scale, 0.01 represents Cinema 4D's standard scale.

If you want to export a Camera, tick “Add Camera” and select the appropriate camera from the “Camera” list.

With “Export” you can write the SD file to the previously specified folder; “Cancel” will close the plugin's GUI.

Where is the SD file after export?

The SD file is written to the folder you have specified under “SD File” in the “RealFlow SD Exporter”. We recommend saving the SD to the “objects” folder of the appropriate RealFlow project.

Why is there only one SD file, although I have exported multiple objects?

The objects from the right column of the “RealFlow SD Exporter” GUI will be written to a single SD file. If you want to create more than SD file you have to repeat the export process with different node selections. These SD files can be imported with RealFlow's “MultiBody” node, because by default, RealFlow supports only one SD file per project.

Is there a general workflow for import into Cinema 4D?

Each RealFlow element (particles, RealWave surfaces, SD files, meshes) requires its own specific workflow and plugin. Basically we can say that particles must be loaded with the “RealFlow Particle Importer”, RealWave and object/dynamics SD files require the “RealFlow SD Importer” and meshes can be added with the “RealFlow BIN Importer”. If you also hold a license of the RealFlow RenderKit, the individual elements can also be imported with the appropriate tools.

How can I load particles into Cinema 4D?

Particle from BIN files can be imported with the “RealFlow Particle Importer”. You only have to specify the path to the BIN file sequence and scrub the timeline. The particles appear in the viewport. You can also make additional settings under the plugin's panels (“Setup”, “Attributes”, “Display” and “Render”).

How can I render particles?

Just select a primitive from the plugin's dialogue, scale it, and render it.

The particles cannot be seen in the viewport. What can I do?

If the particles are not displayed in the viewport, please check the path to the particle BIN files sequence. Maybe the path is broken, because you have shifted the files to another volume or folder. Another common reason why particles are not displayed is file padding. RealFlow file names always follow a certain notation: node name + node number + file padding + extension. The file padding is a sequential number with a leading 0. By default this is a five digit “code”, e.g. 00001. You should check if the value in the “Padding” field of the “RealFlow Particle Importer” corresponds with the file name. Cinema 4D packages without the "Thinking Particles" module will also fail to load and display particles.

How can I load meshes into Cinema 4D?

You can load meshes either as BIN or MD files – both formats are supported – with the “RealFlow Mesh Importer” plugin. Once you have specified the path to the BIN/MD files sequence you can scrub the timeline in order to make the meshes visible in the viewport. You can make additional settings under the appropriate panels of the mesh loader plugin's GUI. UV coordinates are automatically applied together with tags for vertex maps and magnitudes.

The meshes cannot be seen in the viewport. What can I do?

If the meshes are not displayed in the viewport, please check the path to the mesh BIN or MD files sequence. Maybe the path is broken, because you have shifted the files to another volume or folder. Another common reason why meshes are not displayed is file padding. RealFlow file names always follow a certain notation: node name + node number + file padding + extension. The file padding is a sequential number with a leading 0. By default this is a five digit “code”, e.g. 00001. You should check if the value in the “Padding” field of the “RealFlow Mesh Importer” corresponds with the file name.

How can I import objects into Cinema 4D?

The “RealFlow SD Importer” can read and evaluate geometry and motion data stored in the SD files. When you call the plugin, a GUI appears where you can specify the path to the SD files. Please keep in mind that you have to use the appropriate slot for cameras or objects. With objects you also have the possibility to recreate the nodes from geometry data stored in the SD. Optionally you can also add texture coordinates, invert the object's normals and bake animation data into keys.

Is it possible to export TP/Cinema 4D particles to RealFlow?

This can be done with the “RealFlow Particle Exporter”. Here you can choose the desired particle source, e.g. a standard particle or a TP emitter and write the data to a RealFlow-compatible BIN file sequence. The “Particle File” panel gives you the opportunity to specify further data, e.g. the particle type (dumb, liquid, elastic etc.) and the scene scale. RealFlow's standard scale is 1. If you want to use Cinema 4D's default scale, please enter 0.01.

Does the Cinema 4D exchange plugin support vertex maps and blended fluids?

Yes, it is possible to use vertex maps with RenderKit meshes. Hybrido meshes are currently not supported. Meshes can be loaded with the “RealFlow Mesh Importer”. The plugin automatically creates vertex maps for the exported channels. With the help of these vertex maps, fluids can also be blended together. RealFlow's MD format provides the full range of channel data.

Does the Cinema 4D exchange plugin support MD files for meshes?

The plugin supports both BIN and MD files. The individual channels and properties can only be processed with the “MD” panel's options and features. Hybrido meshes do not support channel data at the moment.

Is motion blur supported?

The “RealFlow Mesh Importer” provides a parameter for motion blur: “Blur Length”. To activate motion blur for RealFlow meshes you have to render with Cinema 4D's scene motion blur.