X-Particles 4 for Cinema 4D Essential Training
5h 40mIntermediate2018-03-30
Authors
Andy Needham
Motion Designer, Editor, Compositor
Course details
X-Particles 4 is a stellar addition to Cinema 4D, allowing artists to quickly and easily create finely rendered fluid simulations, dynamics, and collisions. This course gets you started with this powerful plugin. Join Andy Needham as he walks through the Emitter interface, and shows how to use modifiers to change the look and behavior of particles. Andy demonstrates how to create visible particles, make fluid and fire simulations, and render your work. He also covers additional ways to sculpt particles, and shares helpful tips for enhancing your workflow.
Learning objectives
Working with the Emitter tabs
Adjusting particles with modifiers
Creating visible particles
Creating custom turbulence with FlowField
Caching in X-Particles
Adjusting materials settings
Tags and other objects
Sculpting particles
Saving and loading presets
Learning objectives
Working with the Emitter tabs
Adjusting particles with modifiers
Creating visible particles
Creating custom turbulence with FlowField
Caching in X-Particles
Adjusting materials settings
Tags and other objects
Sculpting particles
Saving and loading presets
Skills covered
X-ParticlesInsydium3D Particles and DynamicsCINEMA 4DMAXON3D AnimationRenderingMotion Graphics and VFX3D ModelingVisualization and Real-TimeEssential TrainingAECProduct and ManufacturingAnimation and Illustration
Concepts
Introduction
- Welcome
- What you should know before watching this course
- Using the exercise files
Getting Started with X-Particles
- What is X-Particles
- What is new in X-Particles 4
- What can you do with the X-Particles plugin
- Quick-start guide
- Setting up an X-Particles layout
- Tour of the system object
Understanding the Emitter
- Object tab
- Emission and Extended Data tabs
- Groups and Display tabs
- Questions tab
- Modifiers tab
- Editing and Advanced tabs
- Emitting particles from objects and textures
- Using the emitter falloff controls
Modifiers Overview
- What does a modifier do
- Using modifiers with falloffs
- How do I get my particles to move around (Turbulence)
- Control particle attraction, repulsion, and targeting
- Change particle speed, scale, and life
- Using Weight to mix modifier strength
X-Particles Power Concepts
- Groups
- Triggering actions
- Making particles collide
- Inheritance
- Data mapping
- Caching simulations
Creating Visible Particles
- Generate geometry from particles
- Creating trails
- Making networks and grid-like patterns
- Create plant-like structures
- Using the CellAuto object
- Working with the OpenVDB Mesher
Dynamics and Constraints
- Overview of dynamics and constraints
- How do I make fluids effects
- How do I start a fire with ExplosiaFX
- Advecting particles and caching ExplosiaFX
- Create custom turbulence with FlowField
- Working with ClothFX
X-Particles Materials and Rendering
- X-Particles material and render settings
- Rendering C4D splines with the XP material
- Using the XP Gaseous material
- Lighting particles and volumetric rendering
Tags and Other Objects
- Wet Map
- Freezing particles
- Newton gravity
- Deformers
- VertexMap Maker
- Circle Packer
Other Ways of Sculpting Particles
- Using C4D deformers
- Using mograph effectors
- Particle painting
Workflow Tips
- Naming and organization
- Installing icons to identify different parts of our simulation
- Changing default settings
- Saving and loading presets
Challenge
- Challenge overview
- Challenge solution
Conclusion
- Next steps