Creativepro.com gives Alien Skin Software's Eye Candy 6 for Photoshop a 9.5 out of 10 rating!
"Eye Candy 6, the latest collection of real-world filters from Alien Skin, lets you produce a huge range of natural and man-made textures and effects quickly and easily. From glistening chrome to realistic fire and smoke, from animal fur to snow and icicles, Eye Candy makes the process both fast and enjoyable."
Video Copilot's Optical Flares Review by Topher Welsh at AEtuts+
"Finally! Optical Flares is here and the behemoth of a lens flare plugin could not be more worth the months of hype! I decided to run through all the features, poke around and try out the plugin and give my exclusive opinion on how fantasmically AWESOME this thing is! Trust me, it has been well worth the wait."
Most of BCC 6 AE's effects run in Adobe's Premiere Pro CS4, my NLE of choice, and After Effects, an application with which I have a love-hate relationship. There are a few new effects that only run in After Effects. They tend to involve 3D text, or both. The BCC 6 filters that run in AE I find easier to use than many native AE filters. One that was surprisingly easy to use was the Type-On Text filter. While I've used AE's templates to make animated tltles before, this lets you do much more, with less work. It also creates the text in 3D, with a wide array of textures, and pre-made motion files, that far exceeds what you can do in AE alone.
Platform: PC & Mac Description: 3D Pro level CG animation, modeling and effects MSRP: $995 (Core Edition), $395 (upgrade) Buy here Download Demo:Click Here Review Date: December 1, 2009 Reviewed By: Mark Bremmer
It's becoming increasingly difficult to not see the value in using Computer Generated art (CG), even for modest film productions. CG graphic and animation addition to any film is more accessible than ever and the convenience plus creative license provided the filmmaker are significant - and I'm not speaking of sci-fi special effects either, but ordinary enhancements to studio or location shots. With the release of Cinema 4D (C4D) revision 11.5 (r11.5), Maxon makes a solid step forward in arming the filmmaker with easy-to-use tools of the trade.
For this review, I'm only going to look at additions to 11.5. plus the features of the Broadcast Edition which includes a must-have tool called MoGraph. For a full scope of what C4D is, please check out my earlier reviews for both the Core Edition and Studio Bundle.
Core Edition r11 review
Studio Edition r11 review
C4D, especially the full Studio edition, is aimed squarely at the film and broadcast market. It's utility and capability will reward anybody that desires a CG solution that respects the needs of that market; like microfilmmakers for instance.
As an FYI, the C4D core edition, since the release of r11, now includes what is a cinematic industry standard for digital matte painting called BodyPaint. This tool makes it astonishingly easy to create photo-realistic mattes. So, if you buy C4D R11 and above, you now get BodyPaint.
Also as an FYI, C4D uses a module system, making its full range of tools available only as you need them. Not particularly inexpensive, C4D makes up for the expense very quickly in the studio by being extremely stable and user friendly.
MoGraph 2 is a hero at replicating "render instances" which creates a wide variety of objects without a large RAM usage - a blessing for 32 bit systems. However, while it's very easy to make beautiful abstractions, this ability to reproduce objects in organic or grid-like arrays has a different kind of benefit for filmmakers: Vast cities, forests or even just simple creation of castors or table legs from a single object.
Ease of Use
Sometimes the mundane is the most welcome. New to r11.5 is some really basic but highly useful features like Connect and Delete. When working with models with many parts and textures, Connect and Delete let's users combine/connect everything into a single object in one command yet it preserves all texture maps and selection tags - no work is destroyed. While it was possible to eventually end up with the same result via other processes, it was something that potentially take some time and busy work. It's this kind of common sense, user-centric refinement that proves C4D as a filmmaker's tool.
One of the things that I am growing to respect even more in this product is the outward looking sensibilities that Maxon has taken with C4D. (By that, I mean C4D is not developed in isolation regarding the workflow of filmmakers.) New to r11.5 is even better integration with After Effects and Final Cut Pro. Animated sequences intended for post production enhancement can use C4D's improved composite tagging with a special tag called Object. C4D will now include tidy 3d space and position information that AE or Motion can read and then apply replacement footage onto the designated objects in 3D. For example, If you use any software in your studio for motion tracking like Syntheyes, this means that you can do a moving crane shot of a person looking out a window, process it via Syntheyes into C4D and magically create the same camera move for a sky scraper fly-by. After rendering the animation, if you've tagged a window element as the "Object", back in AE you can simply replace the window object with your crane shot footage yet still allow any architectural elements to naturally get "in the way" visually. Slick.
The MoGraph module, combined with the Broadcast Edition, engages the same real-world simple functionality that enables filmmakers to concentrate on the end result instead of figuring out how to get to the end result. The improved physics and replication is controlled by sliders and real-time updates eliminating guess work.
There are other, nuanced, ease-of-use improvements, as well. C4D has in improved rendering system with this release making it faster to get real-time rendered results. Key framing and getting visual queues to key frame status has been improved. Scene management now utilizes a distilled and more organized option set, eliminating the need to hop around the software and adjust settings in multiple locations. The picture/animation preview now lets users compare, adjust and save settings and post effects for consistent use.
A solution bigger than the software.
Finally, because of the ubiquity of C4D in the film and broadcast markets, rendering animation sequences isn't problematic for humble filmmakers. For example there is a free plug-in for a Render Farm called Rebus (http://www.rebusfarm.com/) This extremely affordable service let's you export your render to them from within C4D. Useful? You bet. I had a sequence that was going to take almost eight hours to render on my network in the studio. Instead, I sent it to Rebus via the C4D plug-in and it was completed in 15 minutes for a very modest fee. Nice.
All workspaces are customizable and there is always multiple ways to accomplish any given task depending on your personal preferences. If you like to use pull-down menus, just use them. If you like floating palettes, no problem. If you like using icons within the workspace, it's easy to do. More of a hot key or right-click contextual menu person? You can get there that way, too.
New physics capabilities makes for great fun breaking things like glass. But this capability can also be used for effects like the dropping of thousands of gumballs similar to Bedtime stories with Adam Sandler. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UI4X95pCTEY)
Depth of Options
MoGraph 2 and the Broadcast Extension Kit
MoGraph 2 is a quantum shift in capabilities. It is available as an individual module, but it's also included with the Broadcast Extension Kit (BEK). (More on BEK later.) MoGraph, as its name implies, is for creating motion graphics. However, its prowess extends way beyond that. Included in this module is the ability to dramatically accelerate the building of "normal" everyday scenes by means of replicating objects as "render instances," saving substantial memory requirements on humble 32 bit systems. This feature can be used for anything from street lights to entire cities or forests - literally thousands of reproductions without killing the average laptop or desktop system.
But wait, there's more. Physical simulations, things like items breaking apart, realistic gravity interactions, and more are also part of MoGraph. And these are things you can see in realtime as you adjust the effects. Additionally, objects can be used as Tracer objects that make some astonishingly real-looking effects in 3D super easy to do. The new Spline functions and Fracture functions, especially when used in conjunction with the variety of effectors in C4D, means there are more options available than can be reasonably covered. However, seeing them in action (check out the samples online at www.maxon.net) will make you think, "Oh, wow." and then, "I wonder if I could...?" The answer to "I wonder if...?", at least in my experience has always been yes. And it can be done fairly easily.
Animation of position, scale and more can be linked to other objects or audio tracks - yes, that's right, audio tracks. It's tough to sum up the options in MoGraph easily. Essentially, you can create unbelievably sophisticated imagery or animation on, with, or connected to just about anything – and this is important: easily.
The new PolyFX capabilities mean that adding effectors to objects enables transformations down to the polygon level for very cool special effects capabilities.
Enter the Broadcast Extension Kit.
The BEK is a collection of 3D objects that have been amended to fully utilize MoGraph 2's capabilities. If you have ever seen pro sporting events on TV, you know that before commercials and right before football games, they use spinning graphics and super cool effects called, "bumpers." The BEK is designed to help you create things like this very easily. In fact C4D is a foundational software in TV studios for just that reason.
However, the BEK is much more than that. In addition to the object and material catalogs designed for use with MoGraph, it also comes with some incredible camera and lighting tools. By Camera tools, I mean slider controlled presets to mimic things like crane shots; Jiggle, realistic swing and much more, all adjustable in realtime preview. I've seen a couple of examples where these capabilities were used to "sell" the idea of funding an actual shoot because investors could see ( in this case, an ad agency) why the shot needed to be done a certain way. However, these tools can also be combined with digital mattes for super realistic work as well.
Performance
Maxon has implemented what is becoming a CG standard of Bucket Rendering, which is kinder to computer RAM and renders significantly faster. This is most excellent.
In my studio, like most studios that utilize CG software, I have multiple software solutions. While they are all very good at what they do, there are two primary qualifiers that make rating them easy:
Stability (Hardware), and
Ease-of-use/speed-of-production (Peopleware)
C4D is unbelievably stable. In talking to other shops that use it on both PC and Mac, this is uniformly echoed. Nothing drives up blood pressure like losing work due to a crash, especially on deadline. Maybe I'm lucky, but after two months of heavy r11.5 use, C4D hasn't hiccuped once. Still not good enough? You can set up the software to incrementally save back-ups as you work.
The ease-of-use/production can be more subjective. However, the integration of tools within C4D and to destination post workflows like AE, Motion, Shake, or Combustion leaves little to quibble about. It's pretty tidy. For those coming from a menu driven environment, one of the most unusual capabilities to get used to is the option to drag and drop elements within the various managers. For example, if you want a Random Effector to modify a MoGraph array of objects, just drag and drop it into the appropriate spot on the MoGraph attibutes window. This immediacy of workflow makes using C4D a smooth experience.
Very powerful for some digital slight of hand is the ability to add a composite tag within C4D defining an object for replacement within filmmakers compositing software. In this example the camera backs have images replaced in After Effects so as the camera falls, the images rotate as if on the cameras themselves. Other uses include replacing window elements on CG digital mattes like sky scrapers - get a passing crane shot of an actor, motion track with Syntheyes, bring the info into C4D and create an identical camera move past a sky scraper which will let users replace a window element with the crane footage.
Value
Working with C4D is like working with any well thought out professional equipment. The experience becomes invisible because things just work. If your budget allows and you desire pro level CG work that doesn't scream "I did it myself," you'll never regret working with this software.
Final Comments
C4D has a robust and apparently generous user community that regularly posts online tutorials to augment your usage of the software. There are multiple learning options out there including Maxon's own Cineversity that provides some excellent, detailed instructions on more advanced usages of C4D.
One absolutely killer feature is the fact that Maxon provides free tech support. Always. No 30 day period, no pay-as-you-go. Free. I suspect they offer it for free because there doesn't seem to be a need to call - everything works.
It's almost universal: Flow works with every common creative app, including the Adobe Creative Suite, video - and sound-editing applications from Adobe and Apple, Microsoft Office, 3D apps, AutoCAD, CorelDRAW, Painter, text files, and any other file you choose to associate with a project—just drag it onto another document in Flow’s map to connect them. Version 1 doesn't track QuarkXPress or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom files, but GridIron promises to support them soon. It works on Mac OS X 10.5 and above, and Windows XP or Vista.
Marcus Geduld reviews Electric Rain Swift 3D v6 at Layer's Magazine.
Advanced users will enjoy Swift 3D's ability to import industry-standard 3DS and DFX formats. Swift 3D also includes polygon tools for advanced modeling. Developers will enjoy the program's ability to export models and Papervision3D scenes.
There seems to be some old info at the bottom of the review (cut and pasted over an old review, is my guess). The price is $249.
Trish Meyer reviews Rob Birnholz's After Effects Camera training from the Toolfarm Expert Series. This is one of the most unbiased reviews I've ever read and Trish goes through the training very thoroughly. It's a great review. She knows After Effects like know one else.
Layers Magazine reviews ImageFlow FX and gives it 4/5 stars!
As is my usual custom, I initially tried out ImageFlow FX by downloading the free, 15-day trial version. I was pleased to discover that CoreMelt let me keep four of the 25 effects permanently, with no obligation to buy the full product. The four free effects are Carousel, Continuous Random Pan, Multi Pop Forward, and Filmstrip. But it was a no-brainer choosing to buy the suite. I knew my $129 would repay itself almost immediately, giving me more time to focus on really creative work rather than sequencing dozens of still images on a timeline. - Marcus Geduld
While my review covers some of the major changes in the software, these are the most compelling reasons to consider the latest version. There are also some workflow changes that have been made to the application which animators will appreciate.
Although it is a brief examination of 3 elements of the upgrade - Mograph2, Rendering, 3D data export, they dramatically enhance the design, animation and production experience of any 3D animator, especially those who develop material inside the workflow of a Hollywood-style design shop.
This upgrade, cloaked in a dot-5 moniker, really deserves much more credit. This is a substantial reworking of the tools professionals use every day, those tools on which a successful job depends upon.
It is without hesitation that we recommend a MUST BUY rating for this software, especially for owners of previous versions and/or 3D artists in animation design.
A nice review of CoreMelt Complete v2 titled "CoreMelt's plug-ins are getting better with age" by Kevin McAuliffe.
I have to say the I always like CoreMelt's effects, and I think that much like a good wine, CoreMelt's plug-ins are getting better with age. They were smart in the move away from FXFP to keep their plug-ins After Effects ready, as that keeps their product in the hands of more users. CoreMelt's V2 contains a good variation on the "standard" plug-ins (Bleach Bypass, etc), but adds a whole bunch more that you really need to have in your back pocket for those picky clients who don't know what they want, or want something very unique.
Areeba Hanif wrote a review for Digital Production Middle East Idustrial Revolution ParticleMetrix.
For a wipe plug in, I was impressed that I could control not just the speed/movement without touching time remap, but also be able to do it on all three axes. This also includes gravity that as with other particle generators determines the weightlessness of the individual particles.
The best particle generator (TP2) is still the best, and has pushed particle creation in After Effects so far, other companies won't be able to catch it!
In the end, my gripes with Particular 2 are small and if you didn't pick up Particular in version 1, it is a must have in version 2 if you do any particle effects what so ever. Don't let the $399 price tag fool you. You want the best? You're getting it!
Steps right into the more intermediate - advanced concepts of After Effects rather than explaining beginner procedures. Each section focuses on a specific topic. You can navigate directly to lessons you need to review. Even if you're on an earlier version of After Effects, you can take advantage of this instruction. Lesson files are compatible with CS4, but the theories apply to 3D cameras in previous versions of AE as well.
Pros: Keeps projects organised, behind-the-scenes time tracking and versioning, works almost seamlessly Cons: Won't appeal to all creatives, lacks support for some applications such as QuarkXPress
If its any consolation, I haven't used QuarkXPress in years. They did give it 5 out of 5 which ain't too shabby!
IT Enquirer reviews Digieffects Camera Mapper. This is a really interesting review.
If I were to advise you on the Camera Mapper plug-in, I'd honestly say that if youire even in the slightest way interested in creating dramatic effects with After Effects, and camera mapping is either something you do regularly or have never done before but would like to try out, you should definitely try it out. I'll bet you will not hesitate for long to buy it.
Just the fact that you can very easily build 3D objects and text inside Apple Motion was good enough for me. However the magic did not stop there, when I looked at the different setting and parameters for each of the BCC 3D Objects I was stunned to see a truly vast numbers of settings that can be key-framed and animated within the realm of Apple Motion. You even have an option to specify your own textures, bump map, specular highlights for front image map, bevel and back image map of the created object. For me, personally, the cherry on the cake was that most of the 3D objects filters had dynamics built in. You had a choice of using (Curl, Shatter, Ripple, Pulse, all of the mentioned dynamics had a vast array of settings which could be manipulated).
Check out the full review from Zac. I have to completely agree. The 3D Objects are incredible plug-ins. You have to try them out to see how great they are (and if you're not a Motion user, but an After Effects or Premiere user, you're in luck. In AE you can use the built in lights and camera as well. Download a 14 day demo here. (Note: It has been updated to work in Snow Leopard too!) Here is a test movie from Zac:
If you could only purchase one comprehensive set of plug-ins for your NLE, the answer is simple: Boris Continuum Complete. Currently at a well-seasoned version 6, BorisFx offers Continuum Complete for AE (After Effects and Premiere), FxPlug (Apple Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Express), AVX (including Media Composer 3.5, Newscutter, Symphony and a version specific to Avid DS 10 or greater) and Sparks (Flint, Flame, Inferno and Smoke).
""Very tasty" is about the only way to describe the new ParticleMetrix plug-in by idustrial revolution. One of the latest additions to the FX Factory managed plug-in tool by Noise Industries, ParticleMetrix is a collection of customizable particle transitions for both text and imagery."
After Effects offers a lot straight out of the box, but when getting serious with Motion Graphics you may want to migrate out of what After Effects gives you and invest in a supplementary suite of effects. One reason for doing this is that a lot of designers use the AE effects out of the box and end up coming up with similar looks. Migrating to a new suite can give you a new interface to work with and open your mind to new looks. In any case what you want to look for is value. Until now, I have used the Sapphire suite for my supplementary effects. I've continually upgraded functionality by adding effects plugin from Zaxwerks and Trapcode among others.
Being so used to the much more expensive Sapphire package, I was skeptical that Boris Continuum Complete 6's (BCC6) effects could be any better than what I am currently using. Upon investigation my first thought was "Wow, there is a lot here!" I was right and that was just the beginning.
Figure 1. AdvLensFlare: This is a preset called Big Hoops. This plugin is great for adding depth with real customizable light effects.
Figure 1a. AdvLensFlare: Look at the breakdown of everything you can add, takeaway, or customize in just this one effect.
Ease of Use As I've immersed myself in BCC6, I've come to truly discover that Boris FX are GREAT at the default level. Most of them work great the minute you apply the effect. BE WARNED! You will be tempted to use these effects at default and end up a week later seeing the same look on a cheap TV spot on The CW. Boris should not be faulted for this. It seems as though they design the effects for quick-use. That being said, they add a plethora of customizable options to each effect.
Although I don't have enough space to write about each individual effect, I do want to give a brief run-down of some of the effects that immediately made me jump out of my seat and drop kick the first person I saw in a fit of joy. (Hey, we all have our own special ways of expressing our joy! Mine is just a bit more aggressive than others.)
1. Advanced Lens Flare: For the love of God, someone has finally done it. They've perfected the Lens Flare! Each and every feature of a standard Lens Flare is customizable, addable and subtractable delivering believeability and depth to any element you add it to. Forgive me if someone did it before Boris with this much control and I haven't run across it, but this effect is ESSENTIAL.
2. Generators: I can't tell you how many hours I've wasted in Photoshop recreating rock, wood floor, fire or any other sort of texture over and over again. This sounds really stupid I know, but this kind of stuff comes in handy time and time again.
3. 3D Effects: Previously only available through Zaxwerks, Boris Continuum Complete includes a full 3D extrusion suite. This alone is worth the price of admission. (check out some of the examples at http://borisfx.com/after_effects/bccae/3D_movies.php )
4. Cartoon Look: For years I've admired the look of movies like Waking Life and to a lesser extent those Charles Schwab commercials where the people are cartoon characters for no particular reason. Boris includes an effect that imitates this look with stunning precision.
Figure 2. Generators: Just a sample of a few of the generator plugins. This can save you hours of messing around in Photoshop.
Depth of Options One of the problems that I've had with other effects suites is that even when you get a plethora of options, they don't necessarily play well with other After Effects functionality, rendering them pretty much useless. In the Sapphire suite, this comes into play sometimes when using a mask. And at times, similar third party effects don't get along with the After Effects 3D environment. In the case of BCC6, not only do they give you A LOT of options for each effect, but there seemed to be no conflicts with my workflow.
Figure 3. PixelChooser: When you select PixelChooser (available in many of the effects) The functionality is nearly doubled.
In the case of masks, BorisFX's exclusive PixelChooser option allows you to integrate masks into the effect or avoid them entirely by using preset in-effect masks for quick use. As an added bonus EVERY effect comes with about two dozen really well thought out preset modes. Not just static presets but pre-keyframed animated presets that will automatically stretch to the length of your clip if you want them to.
Figure 4. Presets: A snapshot of the insane amount of presets available. Each folder is filled up like this one.
Performance From my in-depth tests and immersion in this software I've found that the Boris suite does exactly what it sets out to do effectively and efficiently. In the realm of 3D, if you are looking for speed, Zaxwerks still beats Boris. However, Boris comes through so much stronger in features and real deal functionality with the AE 3D environment that it really is worth the extra time. (And I didn't have the crash problems that I sometimes have with Zaxwerks.)
Figure 5. The Cartoon Look applied to a Swish Pan move.
Figure 6. Misalignment: The BCC Misalignment effect offers a RGB effect similar to that of Video Copilot's Twitch. But with presets like this, "Crossing Route," you can quickly create background elements for trailers and DVD menus
One thing to note before buying: Double check the system requirements for the 3D effects. These simply won't work on some older systems.
Figure 7.Rays Ripply: The Rays Ripply effect offers a visual effect not unlike Trapcode's Shine, but with built in auto-animation for a more dynamic effect.
Figure 8. LED: With the BCC LED effect you can mimic everything from a Lite Brite to a Fisher Price PXL2000.
Value For low-budget filmmakers, a $995 investment may seem like a lot of money. I recommend taking some time to think about the value you are getting for that money. Many effect suites sit around the thousand dollar mark, but on top of getting all the great features of blurs, lighting effects, generators, and particle systems, you also get great features not found anywhere else (other than in very specific and costly plug-in sets). For example, to just get into real 3D extrusion effects, the Zaxwerks Proanimator plugin costs $695.00 to do just that. On top of that, you also get plugins that mimics Trapcode's Shine and 3D stroke (while these effects are somewhat different from the Trapcode options, they do the trick in a pinch). You even get a 3D Layer Deformer, which would cost you about $300 for Digieffects Freeform AE (see last month's review).
Figure 9. Damaged TV: Damaged TV has a ton of auto-animating presets that run the gamut of bad reception looks. This works especially well for customizable transitions too.
Not only do I recommend getting the AE suite, but, if you have a Mac, I also suggest putting down an additional $100 to add on the Boris FXPlug in-editor effects as well. Available for Premier Pro (Mac only) or Final Cut Pro, Boris FXplug gives you quick use of the same effects plus additional effects that you might find useful. For instance the Swish Pan transition makes quick use of an often used Hollywood camera trick.
Figure 10. Prism: Prism provides a lot of cool playful RGB effects, good for music video stuff like this . But also very practical color blurs.
A very nice review of Wacom Intuos4 by John Virata is senior editor of Digital Media Online.
The Intuos4 provides for a wonderful stylus and tablet system. Combined with the included mouse, there is really no other need for another input device. The Intuos4 does it all. There is a reason why Wacom tablets are the best on the market and that is their superior functionality, user experience, fit and finish, and unboxing experience.
If you could only purchase one comprehensive set of plug-ins for your NLE, the answer is simple: Boris Continuum Complete. Currently at a well-seasoned version 6, Boris FX offers Continuum Complete for AE (After Effects and Premiere), FxPlug (Apple Final Cut Studio and Final Cut Express), AVX (including Media Composer 3.5, NewsCutter, Symphony and a version specific to Avid DS 10 or greater) and Sparks (Flint, Flame, Inferno and Smoke). The ability to support such a wide range of NLE and motion graphics/compositing packages is in itself a tribute to Boris. The fact that the performance and quality is consistent across all of these diverse hosts is nothing less than miraculous.
Oliver Peters Reviews Boris Continuum Complete 6 at his blog DigitalFilms.
"With so many products to offer, Boris FX tends to concentrate on updating all the versions of one product over the course of a year. 2009 has been the time to refresh many of the filters and all of the NLE host versions of Boris Continuum Complete, now at version 6. Continuum is probably the most wide-ranging set of filter packages available, consisting of keyers, effects, generators, color-correction, 3D text and more."
This came out a few months ago, but is worth mentioning here. I LOVE this package of royalty-free graphics and animated elements. I've only had this a few weeks, and it's already paid for itself five times. Let me explain.
This is not your standard Digital Juice package of motion backgrounds--these are fully customizable vector compositing elements that not only come as movie files with alpha channel, but also the Adobe Illustrator source files and After Effects project files. Because of this, no joke, I've used the content here in everything from HD and film projects to websites and business cards.
For those of you who are DJ customers, and have the Juicer installed, you will enjoy one thing in particular about this volume: the AI and AEP files are installed onto your hard drive. You don't need to put discs into your computer to have access to those files. (You'll still need to insert discs for the animation files.) Super quick and hassle-free.
I hope Digital Juice sells a bazillion of these and makes several more volumes. If you are involved in graphics in any way, it's worth the five minutes it takes to buzz over to their website and see the content.
(Editor's note: Right now, Toolfarm has a smokin' deal on it--they have it for $224.95.)
Tim Johnson is the CEO and janitor of a small freelance business in Utah. His work can be seen on various broadcast networks and film outlets throughout the universe. He and his wife are the proud parents of five daughters.
Expected Release: Available Now Review Date: July 1, 2009 Reviewed By: Mark Bremmer
Reprinted by permission from Microfilmmaker Magazine. Remember when you got your first bicycle? How you couldn't wait to show your friends? HUD (Heads Up Display) from SUGARfx will have the same effect on you. If you have any leanings towards sci-fi, adventure, espionage or covert operations in your work, HUD will make you feel like a kid in a candy store.
SUGARfx puts plug-in usability first and then tucks so many cool little features into HUD that you will be playing with it for some time and rethinking your storylines to include using it.
HUD is designed to be used with After Effects and Final Cut Studio/Motion and iMovie. Regrettably, it's a Mac only plug-in that is managed by the excellent Noise Industries plug-in manager called FX Factory. The Quartz Composer's visual abilities of the Mac platform are the reason that this plug-in in not cross platform so I don't even know if there is a way to make it cross-platform compatible in the future. As such, PC users might just have to switch to Mac to get their hands on it.
Ease of Use I love it when developers actually come from the real world. The folks at SUGARfx have done an outstanding job of making our lives easier. Absolutely everything is modifiable, easy to work with and key frame. The plug-in comes with 3 foundational settings: Target, Binoculars, and OSD (On Screen Display). Each of these core areas has a wealth of options and abilities. But here's the cool part: you aren't presented with the controls for these options until you enable them. At the very top of the core areas, users are simply shown a preset pull down and check boxes that enable features. Upon activating a feature, the related controls are then displayed. Payoff = no long list of controls to deal with unless you actually need them.
The HUD Binocular core function come with a good array of customizable presets to get users going. In this example, a sequence created with Vue xStream of an attack helicopter turning for attack is easily integrated into the story. The plug-in takes the original image and then adds the requisite coloring. The user can adjust zoom, focus, positioning and size of all elements. Meanwhile, all of the "noise" text and numeric data presentations are dynamically changed and updated. Sweet.
The control sets for each option are clearly labeled (important when you have a multitude of options enabled) and are comprised of a 1-3 sliders and/or input areas for color blending, rotation or anything else relevant to that specific feature.
Users can either use the numeric input controls for moving the various widgets and gizmos around the frame or simply click on their respective anchor points and drag them to wherever they are needed in the shot. Items like dynamic "noise" text continually change line length and wrap. Gizmos spin with smooth variations. On-screen data updates automatically when zooming or working with focus.
All this to say that much automated sophistication is simply laying in the wings and waiting for the user to engage it if desired. The automation can be controlled to the users' content. It just doesn't get much nicer than that.
The actual use of HUD is really a documentation-free endeavor. However, if you want to pick up some of the finer points of using the HUD, the .pdf 'documentation is brief, excellent and there are some online videos available for even easier learning. The one area that is worth reading up on is how to create your own artwork for inclusion into the HUD Binocular capabilities.
Additional preset/starting points for the Binocular option includes High Tech, Infrared and Thermal imaging.
Depth of Options My biggest surprise was the depth of options (and options within options) that are neatly hidden from the user until enabled. This is yet another area where HUD shines brightly. For example, in the Binocular core setting, in addition to the wide array of video and camera effects at your fingertips, users can also overlay and animate their own imagery. All you could want and more.
Essentially, all of the iconography, data-points, registration marks are appropriately available for the core option selected. The OSD core lets you select from histograms, battery low, variable interference, different reticules and more. It's like taking the OSD from multiple camcorders and putting them all at your finger tips for you to choose from.
Time markers and data associated metrics are just a click away in the film modes and actually track time. They can also be set to unique starting times of your choice and then progress in real-time.
Text is as flexible as the fonts you have in your system. Size, placement, color and blending are all controllable.
The core Target option lets users choose from a wide collection of gadgets and items that self animation - or not - depending on you needs. Everything is adjustable. In this example, a radar sweep was activated and a grid pattern was enabled to reinforce the target-lock notification.
There are enough spinning gadgets and whizmos to choose from that any self-respecting alpha geek will be smiling. Iconography is available from pull down selectors within each of the categories that it is available in. And for the Target and Binocular modes, a wealth of sensical and nonsensical information items plus widgets are at your disposal.
Presets are nice, but saving your own customization is even nicer. You can easily create your own presets to ensure consistency between HUD implementations with the click of a button. Super sweet.
While the Binocular mode allows you to add some of your own imagery, I was left wanting the same feature in both Target and OSD modes. While there are a bevy of options available, duh no surprise, us creative types want more. I'm a total newb at using the Quartz Composer from Apple, so I don't really trust myself with creating an "improvement". However, the ability to add some iconography that would lock to animation features already built in would be nice.
OSD let's users start with either film or video presets if desired. From there, options, icons and "appropriate" features become available to choose from for further customizing a shot.
Performance When you engage HUD and begin using many of its options, you are asking your computer to do a good deal of work. These are sophisticated abilities and they do exact a render-time penalty. Considering that these effects are probably confined to short screen time, the calculation and render issues are not prohibitive by any means - just something to be aware of. So, performance both real-time and render-time is highly contingent upon the user's computer.
In fact, on screen updates while preparing your work takes awhile, too, unless you are blessed with the latest in quad-core technology. That can be a little frustrating when accustomed to more instant real-time interaction afforded by other plug-ins, but to be fair, HUD is simply doing more than most of the other plug-ins that I own.
The creation experience is very good and the end results are first rate - regardless of your computer's abilities.
Value At $79, HUD costs more than a sandwich. If you're not currently planning any targeting or Cloverfield types of presentations than getting HUD is strictly a matter of how much disposable coin you have in your pocket. It is a one trick pony for sure.
That said, this is another one of those plug-ins that pays for itself in one use. The sophistication that HUD brings to the table lets users create and finesse looks in seconds that would require an hour or more to pull together by other means. The real claim-to-fame for HUD is the animation capabilities that are built into it. It's one thing to hack together some static artwork for a brief screen presence, but adding animation that leaves your audience thinking, "Wow, that's really cool", is another.
Additionally, if you have "http://toolfarm.stores.yahoo.net/dida10.html">Digieffects Damage plug-in, you can create some excellent targeting imagery with extra "issues" easily. The video distortion effects in SUGARfx HUD are confined to the source imagery/video itself and not the on screen widgets and icons. For truly cataclysmic display failures, you'll need some extra help.
Final Comments I like plug-ins; they save time. However, HUD not only saves time, it's just flat-out fun to play with. If you like shiny things and are easily swooned by techno-cool then you're already salivating and I don't need to say anything more.
I would say this is an essential plug-in for anybody that needs what it does. There simply isn't another way to produce what HUD does as fast or with the sophistication as it does.
About the Reviewer: Mark Bremmer has operated his own commercial studio for 15 years. He's been fortunate enough to work for clients like Caterpillar, Amana, Hormel Foods, Universal Studios Florida, and The History Channel; producing stills, digital mattes and animations. Mark contracts regularly as an art mercenary with production houses that shall remain nameless by written agreements. His production pipeline is Mac-based, with the FCP Studio2 workflow. He loves Shake and Motion. And his family.
Basic Training for Adobe CS4 Production Premium is a great way to maximize your new investment while keeping the learning curve to a minimum. It's so good at what it does, Adobe should consider bundling future volumes with their Creative Suites — if they did, the lazier of my colleagues would have to find something else with which to fill my voice mail and e-mail inboxes...
Oliver Peters, using the word grunt in a positive light, has a nice writeup on CoreMelt v2 on his blog Digital Films:
I won't go into depth on the whole set, because it's something that's easy enough to check out for yourself. These filters seem to have a low system impact - in other words, safe to try. On the whole, CoreMelt V2 is a great addition to the editor's toolkit at a really low price.
Kendal Miller from Fresh DV reviews Noise Industries Volumetrix and HUD.
"This plugin offers the psuedo-volumetric lighting look, ever prevalent in film trailers. There are both straight filters which can be applied to text or footage, and transitions." Read the full review...
For those shooting drama and want to make it obvious that the material being viewed is on a monitor or TV ("Sir, we’ve just recovered this videotape of the rescue mission to the Amazon whose flight crashed in 1992!" "Put it in the VCR now, sergeant!") Damage is an excellent plug-in. Additionally, for those who need to insert newly shot footage into old video, running those new shots through Damage could help them blend much more easily. And for those who wish to spice up their transitions, it could be combined with the usual fades, wipes, and dissolves, to simulate a TV being switched on or off.
You know if you haven't yet tried Damage, you're dying to! Download a demo here. Buy Damage here and save 5% with Toolfarm's everyday discount.
FreeForm AE for Adobe After Effects gets a very good review from Kevin McAuliffe. In a nutshell he says: "Purchase Recommendation: It was awesome then, it's awesome now. Pick it up!" Read the review here.
Aside from its power, Looks relies on a well-designed custom user interface to edit and apply effects. Maschwitz's breakthrough was to redesign the Looks GUI based on common tools that are part of steps in the production and post chain. Effects can be applied to these stages and in this order: Subject, Matte, Lens, Camera and Post. Some effects, like Fill Light can only be applied to a single stage, like Subject. Others, such as Film-like Curves, may be applied to difference stages in the chain, plus can be applied to more than one stage within the same effect chain. A single "look" is made up of a series of filters chained in sequence. For example, the Mexicali preset look consists of Curves + Exposure + Lift/Gain/Gamma + Curves + Auto Shoulder.
Looks is the unofficial #1 plug-in on my Top 10 Must-Have Plug-ins for Adobe After Effects list. Do you think Looks or another plug-in is the most flexible and user-friendly plug-in out there? Let us know! We're running a Plug-ins Survey and if you fill it out, you will be entered to win a Drobo! Click Here to take survey.
Buy Magic Bullet Looks here. Toolfarm has an everyday 5% discount on pretty much all of the software in our store, so buy it at Toolfarm, mmmmkay.
I will be presenting on Sunday, May 17 at KAFI at the Kalamazoo Valley Community College (room CNM 175) in Kalamazoo, Michigan, about... you guessed it.... greenscreen. I'll be on from 11:00 AM - 12:15 PM. For more information, go to the KAFI website
Also, a very nice review from Robert Grant at Sci-Fi-London:
Written with the indie filmmaker in mind 'Greenscreen Made Easy' follows a beautifully logical path through the entire process of pre-production, production and post-production from buying or building your greenscreen (or blue, and it explains that as well) through shooting your backgrounds, lighting for greenscreen, positioning your actors, techniques for clean keys, prepping for post-production, getting rid of artifacts, different plug-ins, blending, colouring, making it believable and using CGI backgrounds.
Video signals are contaminated by noise in many different ways even if they are completely digital. Sources of noise are for example storage media, image acquisition equipments (e.g. cameras, digitizers etc.), transmission channels (e.g. broadcasting, satellite links, cable networks, statistical multiplexers) and receiving and recording equipment. Innobits Video Purifier removes these contaminations, for example dithering artifacts, unwanted video noise and unpleasant signatures from earlier processing. Only noise that shouldn't be in the video is removed, which means that animated noise is not touched.
Innobits Video Purifier has recently earned the "Award Of Excellence" in DV magazine. Read All About It!
Limited Time Introductory Price: Regularly $396.00 now $196.00! Since seeing is believing, try out a free demo to use with your own footage!
Innobits Video Purifier is a standalone NLE software for you to use as an additional tool of the trade. The powerful algorithm used in Innobits Video Purifier is "heavy-duty" signal processing even if it is light weighted in respect to CPU time. The limitation in hardware, is the memory bandwidth, not the number of CPU's / cores or other hardware installed. In this NLE software there is a totally new thinking in the Graphical User Interface, making it really easy to learn and use the product.
Publisher:Toolfarm Host: Angie Mistretta Format: Downloadable Tutorial (Flash) Topic: After Effects Plug-in Training
MSRP: $42 Expected Release:Available Now Review Date: May 1, 2009 Reviewed By: Tom Stern, Microfilmmaker Magazine.
If you have Keylight and want to do keying work, then you need to know what this tutorial provides.
There are a lot of After Effects tutorials available. And many of them describe green screen keying.
Figure 1. Training Layout for the Toolfarm Expert Training Series.
I've watched well over 120 tutorials on AE and at least a dozen of those covered various aspects of keying. So why would anyone create another tutorial specifically on keying with The Foundry's Keylight in After Effects?
Because Professional Keying with Keylight (with Angie Mistretta), brought to you by the Expert Training Series at Toolfarm, is different. It teaches how to use the features in Keylight to do professional quality keying. And most importantly, it teaches you how to think about keying.
This is not one of those "tour of the interface" tutorials. You know the ones I'm talking about: "The brightness slider is used to control the brightness. Moving the slider changes the brightness." No way.
And this is not one of those "single method" tutorials that shows a technique that works well with the sample footage but falls apart when you try it on your own footage.
This training shows you how to recognize keying problems, and how to use the tools in Keylight to solve those problems.
Figure 2. The Green Screen Clip
The tutorial starts with a typical green screen clip. It was shot on an HVX in 720p24n mode. I saw this clip and I said to myself "This looks like something I would shoot. Pretty good." Then the tutorial tears apart the image as the host explains what she sees in it. There are a half-dozen problems with the clip ranging from poor exposure to green light spilling on the actor's skin to a dark line and halo artifact caused by HD compression. The host teaches you how to see differently.
Step-by-step she walks through building a multiple-key mask using a dazzling array of tricks in Keylight. As she does this, she points out the problem, tries a solution, and analyzes the results. I was surprised to hear "No, that didn't work. Let's see why." And then she shows the limitations of one technique after another and what to do next. It's not one technique, rather it's a systematic way to break down the quality issues in a key and fix them.
This really is Professional Keying with Keylight.
Comprehension
The material is easy to understand because the host shows you exactly what she is looking at and explains the problem she sees in it. Then she shows you how to use a technique. Most importantly, she shows you what she is doing. Most tutorials that I've watched on keying include shortcuts. The host might say "For this setting I think we need to use 28". And I'm left wondering where in the world this number came from and what "28" does in that setting. I didn't experience this kind of omission even once in the whole training.
Of course, at times, the multiple attempts to solve a problem can be confusing. I recalled after one section that the host had shown me three approaches to solve a particular problem. I appreciated that I now knew about all these techniques, but I couldn't remember which of the three had worked in the example. On the balance, I prefer to know the limits of the approaches and what alternatives are available. Without this information it's possible to reach "the end of the road" and not know what to do next. On the other hand, I appreciate that some people want a straight-through tutorial that just explains simple direct steps.
Figure 3. Full-feature Training Interface.
Depth of Information
The information is pretty deep. However, it is structured in a way that makes it really more like a succession of tutorials than a single training.
Getting Started
Creating a Nested GMatte
The Core Matte
Edge Mattes: Hair
Stacking the Key Using Masks
Edge Mattes: Adding the Rest of the Hair to the Key
Testing the Key on the Background Plate
Edge Mattes: Dealing with Black Lines in Footage
The Final Key! Working More with Replace
Creating a Master Alpha Matte
Finishing it Off: Color Correction and Edge Treatment
Figure Figure 4. Detailed work.
While the coverage is deep, it lacks some critical elements.
As with most green screen training, the tutorial omits advice on how to acquire the footage. There is no guidance on what kind of material to use for a green screen, how to light it, how big it needs to be, the distance of the actor from the screen, camera settings - and the whole set of problems that comes with acquiring decent footage to key.
This training demonstrates footage shot in the Panasonic HVX DVCPRO-HD format. While it is true that most filmmakers will buy, beg, or borrow this camera to shoot green screen footage, it is also true that many microfilmmakers will be working in SD (NTSC) or in HDV or AVCHD rather than DVCPRO-HD. And in case you didn't know, that makes a big difference. Because DVCRPO-HD records in 4:2:2 color, twice the color resolution of SD (4:1:1) or HDV (4:2:0). And its been my experience that these more common formats are A LOT harder to key. So although the techniques demonstrated are still valid, the use of a single high quality demonstration is kind of like cheating. It makes compositing look easier than it really is when you have footage shot in these other formats.
Another issue is that the training covers keying one clip to the nth degree of quality. The example never changes. This is a mixed blessing. It's good because in each chapter the host develops a deeper analysis of the image. However, the training isn't tailored to a specific case. If my goal is to composite people being knocked down by an explosion, then I'm going to have to absorb the knowledge from the example and adapt it to the specific case. There may be more detailed advice for these cases. And there may be shortcuts that the pros use in specific cases. And these aren't covered.
Finally, the training doesn't address workflow efficiency. It teaches how to get quality, not how to get speed.
Interest Level
When I started watching the tutorial, I intended to go only through the "Getting Started" section in my first sitting. I actually ended up having to pull myself away after the fifth section, because I didn't want to be late to an appointment. A few times I had to hit pause and think through what had just been presented, because I heard it and I was following it, but I needed a little extra time to absorb what I had learned before moving on to the next topic.
To help catch everything, I really appreciated the Full Screen mode. By expanding the tutorial to fill my screen it was like someone was showing me how to do the composite in my own application. It's a different experience when the tutorial uses the whole screen than when it appears in a small window.
Reusability
This training has three uses. The first time through, I was entertained and I was learning to think differently about keying and to view the shot differently. The second time through, I used it as a tutorial and I would watch a section, pause it, and try the technique on my own footage. The third time it is a valuable reference. There are so many techniques covered it is hard to remember them all. And being able to go back to the chapters and then move the cursor on the timeline to the section of interest makes it a valuable job aid.
Value vs. Cost
In my opinion, this training is absolutely worth the cost. I would (and have) paid this much for reference books. But having the host show me and tell me, rather than reading, allows me to learn much faster. And the way this training is organized and presented it is a useful resource later as well.
With that said, to recap my comments earlier, there are four weak elements of the training:
Acquiring green screen footage, or at least being able to explain to someone what constitutes good green screen footage.
Compositing in a low-color space such as SD or HDV.
Advice relevant to specific common uses. (Explosion, Falling, and so forth).
Method to streamline work flow for production efficiency; tradeoffs of quality for speed.
If the above elements are important to you, then you may still find this training to be valuable and informative. You will just have to find other resources to fill in the gaps.
Overall Comment
Professional Keying with Keylight is a full training resource for keying. It not only teaches the interface and techniques, but presents these in a practical context of problems solving. And knowing when to apply a technique with Keylight is at least as important as knowing how to do it. It is a solid general resource for keying with Keylight in AE.
About the reviewer: Tom Stern is a writer, producer, and director. His company, FILMdyne LLC, specializes in Digital Cinematography. Their motto says it all: "Shot on video - looks like film." Visit them online at http://www.filmdyne.com/ Tom is the author of the Redrockmicro M2 Cinema Lens Adapter manual. Tom is a frequent contributor to the online forums at DVXuser.com, http://www.dvxuser.com/ under his nome de plume Andy Starbuck.Tom is also one of the founding members of JustUs League Films. A production troupe in Lexington, Kentucky. http://www.justusleaguefilms.com/
RE:Vision Effects' tracking technology is at the heart of ReelSmart Motion Blur, so there is no handwork involved. Of course you can add as little or as much blurring as you need and even remove motion blur! Finally, you can create very interesting effects by blurring one sequence by using the motion from another.
ReelSmart Motion Blur works in After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Combustion, Commotion, Premiere Pro, and Boris Red.
In case you missed it in our previous newsletter, we also recently reviewed Noise Industries Yanobox Motype.
Saving time and money has been very important to our customers lately, and Yanobox Motype is a great way to do both without sacrificing quality work.
Noise Industries Yanobox Motype effortlessly generates complex text-based effects with lightning-fast speed; effects that would normally take several layers and filters to create.
If you need to get a "wow" response from clients right away, the presets alone are stylish and impressive. You are also able to tweak many of the elements individually and reverse-engineer to tailor it to the specific needs of your project. Well worth it and will quickly pay for itself. For After Effects, Final Cut Pro/Express and Motion!
It-Enquirer.com reviews Digieffects Simulate: Camera plug-ins. "DigiEffects Simulate: Camera plug-ins for Final Cut Pro again deliver digital video editors the ability to create effects that recall the feeling of film in a digital medium..." Read the full review.
This one has been on my to do list for a while. Kevin McAuliffe reviews BCC6 for After Effects at the Pro Editing @ Home Blog.
Purchase Recommendation: The first 'MUST HAVE' of 2009
Looking ahead, I can see BCC6 being on people's 'Top 10 of 2009' list, as Boris has taken the one problem with After Effects (not "real 3D"), and has given us real 3D text with complete camera and lighting support, and has taken something that works exceptionally well in Boris Blue, Deformers, and added those as well. These, combined with all of the other great effects in the package, make it something that shouldn't be overlooked
"As an editor and motion graphic artist, I love plug-ins, and every once in a while (sometimes a long while) a plug-in pack comes along that either pushes the bounds of what we know a program can do, or it takes an existing idea and improves on it. Boris Continuum Complete 6 AE has done both of those. Let's find out how they have done it, and why you are going to want to either upgrade, or get this pack to add to your collection."
So, let’s be clear on what is covered in this review. I’m going to take a look specifically at the CINEMA 4D (C4D) R11 Core edition. What’s the “Core” edition? It’s the fundamental, base component of C4D. I make the distinction because elsewhere in this magazine I review the full C4D Studio edition which includes many extra advanced modules that may or may not be useful to a typical Micro Filmmaker. If you’d like to see what’s included in the full studio version, click here.
The C4D core provides a full set of modeling, texturing, lighting, rendering and animating functionality in a tight and elegant package. It costs some coin - $995 for a new edition and $395 for an upgrade the 10.5 Core edition. But, like all things of quality, you get what you pay for in C4D.
Studio shots or full outdoor set extensions are made easier with the revised workflow and interface.
While C4D is probably better known in broadcasting circles than cinematic studios, due in large part to it's excellent motion graphics capabilities (a module called MoGraph - not included with the Core edition), Maxon obviously shares a very close relationship with Sony's Imageworks. C4D has been used in Hancock, Speed Racer, Beowulf, Surf's Up and more. In fact, Projection Man, a new integration into C4D of a technique called Camera Mapping, has been used on everything from Sea Biscuit to Spider-Man 3 to Beowulf. That relationship brings some powerful but astonishingly easy-to-use feature sets to the mere mortal and Microfilmmaker alike. With 'no-duh' workflows, a Master's degree in mathematics isn't required to get stellar results.
There is a ton of new, friendly features. I'll talk about what each mean to small studios and how they might benefit you in more depth later:
Non-Linear Timeline Animation and Motion layers (create animations within animation, save, modify and reuse them)
Onion Skinning (super friendly tool to intelligently create animation motion with visual queues over time - this is essentially digital tracing paper)
Collada Import/Export (Less useful to filmmakers - unless you're making game characters from your film characters!)
Online Updater (I adore this - it updates and installs the latest updates for you)
Doodle (If your project has a couple of folks or more working on it, you can leave notes on the digital work itself - cool.)
Ease of Use
Don’t be scared. The crew at Maxon has done an excellent job of hiding C4D’s power under a user friendly interface. This is very, very good for you as a user. While some software in the same marketspace *cough, Maya, cough* are excellent, those other software solutions also usually have sentences associated with them like this, “Technical understanding of modeling mathematics required” when used in connection with the pro or filmmaking needs. Maxon makes no such requirements by virtue of how they’ve made their program operate.
Maxon, instead of immersing you in a workspace with fields of numbers to create and control your work, provides a smart, graphical interface that assumes use of today’s larger monitors. (Yes, having a big monitor is a requirement) Drag and drop simplicity is used for applying textures and other functions to your 3D world. Clicking on any one of the tool windows or scene objects converts other windows simultaneously to show relevant additional controls. It’s little things that make software cross the line from only being good to being great. This type of interaction, appropriate information revealed appropriately, permeates the C4D experience.
Sounds great but how easy is easy? When I had a chance to speak during SIGGRAPH 2008 with Sony Imagworks’ lead digital matte painter, Steve Matson (his team was responsible for the huge vistas, massive castles and deep canyons in Beowulf), he indicated that C4D’s Projection Man was so easy to use he was comfortable handing off scene building 3D production work to Photoshop texture guys with limited 3D experience, letting them build and texture these large detailed scenes. When they were done, his crew simply “touched up” the 3D scene when they were done. Wow.
Cineversity is a paid-for option for quickly learning the ins and outs of the program. With R11 there are special tutorials covering the new features, but also useful tutorials showing the full use of individual tools by one of the Maxon designers.
Caveat: 3D can be made “easier” but it is never "fall-down" easy. Actual learning is involved. For both new or experienced users transitioning into C4D, Maxon also has an excellent learning option called the Cineversity. It’s largely made up of online video tutorials that are paid for by a subscription service that covers a massive array of needs for all of the constituent modules that make up C4D Studio. For us visual types, this is well worth the subscription fee. (Plus, if money is tight after buying C4D R11, there're currently over 200 free courses at Cineversity to get you started!)
Like other CG packages in the same market, C4D uses a “Tag” method of connecting behaviors and functions. It’s smart, fast and visual.
Modeling is very straight forward and easy to do, as is animation. Specialty animation with the modules of Thinking Particles and MoGraph do require familiarization, but are a snap to pick up.
Texturing is robust. However, I really wish (not to offend the C4D faithful) that some of the names for Shader schemes created by a legacy company (such as “bhodiNUT”) would be renamed. You’ll probably bristle at this if you’ve come to learn the secret language of the shader types like Cheen, Danel, Banzi and Banji but this naming convention flies in the face of the other common sense aspects of C4D. While well documented so it can be learned, reclassifying Banzi to “Wood Shaders” etc. just seems like a smart thing to do.
Depth of Options
Let’s get this out of the way up front for you tech types. C4D R11 now supports 64-bit systems on both Mac and PC platforms. If you don’t know what that means. Don’t worry. If you do and you work with massive data sets, I’m sure you’re smiling right now. In a nut shell, C4D can access all the memory capabilities of the most modern computer systems while not giving up anything on “legacy” systems. This doesn't necessarily mean that things will be faster for most artists, but you'll have the ability to handle more information and RAM. That also means very robust “option” sets.
In CG, options equals power. C4D, like its other cinematic brethren, does provide very specific numeric control over any and everything. You can get to that level of specificity if you want to, it’s just not the first and only option you are presented with. (Just because pure numeric control is the standard for some other CG software, that doesn’t necessarily make it a good standard)
Non-linear Animation (animation layers)
The creation of layered Motion Clips brings a new, non-destructive editing capability to movement. Not only for Character animation, but significant gains can be realized for inorganic object animation too.
Let’s take a look at the new features/options of C4D R11. For starters, the non-linear animation is a major time saver. Since most, if not all, of MFM readers are accustomed to working with video/film editing applications, the idea of layers and nested layers in nothing new. C4D animation layers allow you to build complex movement from individual layers, in a non-destructive workflow, which means no lost time in production. In addition to the layer functionality, you can create motion clips which function like a collapsed, key framed layer--letting you drag the animation around your time line with impunity. Drag it, trim it, combine it with others, layer it, and loop it. Fine tuning motion has never been so easy. I personally use multiple CG packages and C4D has the non-linear animation needs nailed. The best part is the plethora of little nuances in the interface that simply make your life easier by preventing unnecessary clicking.
In addition to non-linear animation, there are Motion Layers and Motion Clips. Like Animation Layers, Motion layers allow for non-destructive editing. The Motion Clips themselves contain no animation data but “subscribe” to an animation clip. This is useful because you can have a single animation clip but reuse that animation data several times by invoking the Motion Clips and subscribing to the animation. Change one animation file and all of the motion clips update automatically.
As a microfilmmaker, you may not have your sights set on an animated feature where capabilities like this really earn their keep. However, you could be surprised where it comes in handy for things like camera animation through a static scene.
Projection Man (Camera Mapping)
Projection Man lets users rapidly create 3D scenes with actual geometry that are textured by a projected photographs of a scenes or matte paintings.
This feature allows users to project a texture from a camera view onto simple geometry to quickly and easily create complex set extensions or full 3D digital mattes that allow for CG camera moves. (You've seen C4D's Projection man in movies like Sony's Beowulf, Polar Express and Open Season and are likely familiar with a fairly simple version of this concept that came out with the Vanishing Point exchange that came out in Adobe's Photoshop/After Effects CS3 release.) While it's been in C4D for some time, it now has it's own tool/workflow window that opens in your main scene, allowing you to quickly patch scenes when the camera moves far enough to reveal texture 'holes', smears or tears that can be fixed with either Photoshop or BodyPaint. You can either simply paint on geometry, or--this is the coolest feature--drop in an existing photo or matte painting, screen it back and build you low res geometry underneath it. Then you simply project the photo or matte painting in, select any layer elements in Photoshop that you want included, and, presto, your geometry has been texturized. This can be done for each piece of geometry with drag-and-drop simplicity using the same piece of source art.
Modeling C4D has a very robust set of modeling tools that cover typical polygonal modeling but also include HyperNURBS (BTW, NURBS stands for Non-Rational B-Splines - math lingo that has no place in normal people's vocabulary) which is an incredible modeling time saver because it allows for easy, non-destructive editing of complex curved shapes. The modeling in C4D is simple, straight forward, and easy to manage, thanks to the ability of working in both layers and groups - two different schemes that give maximum flexibility.
BodyPaint, now included with C4D instead of being a separate program, is a painting and UV tool (texture map coordinates for your objects). It’s interface/tool window has been updated to align with workflows in Photoshop. Additionally, BodyPaint supports Photoshop layer functions, blending modes and alpha masks. New to version 4 is the ability also to import paths and adjustment layers. BodyPaint doesn’t allow you to use the paths and adjustment layers, but their information is retained if you find yourself moving between the two programs for various needs. Also, you can now paint/apply blur, sharpen and colorize. A nice little nuance is that each tool you use in BodyPaint retains its own individual settings. There are new options for Jitter and Airbrush which behave in the same fashion as their Photoshop counterparts.
Oh, do you have some favorite Photoshop brushes in the .abr format? No problem, BodyPaint can use them. But it doesn’t stop there. Wacom Tablet support respects the typical parameters of the tablet but also the pen rotation feature of the 6D pen. Still not enough? You can now sample a texture, load in a brush profile, enable the rotation feature and create complex painting capabilities difficult to achieve any other way. Just as important as using a custom brush is saving it. New Save options now provide control over how and where you’d like the info to be saved. Nice.
Performance
In past editions, C4D had fallen behind the curve in time-to-render as compared to some of it’s competitors. Thankfully, this has been remedied in C4D R11. For socialites, you can never be too rich or too thin. In the CG world, you can never render too fast or too realistically. The new capabilities offered by R11 really mandated an upgrade fulfilled by a render engine code re-write. In speaking with some Pros that have a long history with C4D, this enhancement was welcomed as much as the new features were.
Important to note is that the C4D core edition does not do Global Illumination. GI is that photo realistic rendering where the program automatically calculates how light bounces around a scene. If you need that level of realism, there is a module you can add to the Core edition called “Advanced Renderer”. However, very realistic rendering can still be achieved with the C4D Core package by intelligent lighting placement and creating lighting arrays. This technique is very common in CG production anyway, because true Global Illumination is very expensive in render time. Creating pseudo Global illumination with the Core edition is a snap.
On my Mac system, C4D was very, very stable and that experience has been echoed by other users on both Mac and PC platforms that I talk to. During the review and testing for this article I was able to get C4D to occasionally misbehave, crashing a couple of times. But I can do that with every 3D package I own. Certain 3D software are know to be, um, quirky. This is not one of them, for which I am very grateful. You won’t spend your time wondering what Q&A was thinking while cursing under your breath at 1 a.m.
Value
C4D is in a kind of funny spot for the MicroFilmmaker that requires some CG capabilities and happens to be working with a modest to smallish budget. There are other options for less (Carrara, modo 302) that offer much of what C4D does for less money. Where C4D's strengths lay is in it’s completeness of capabilities and quality of renders. For animation's needs, C4D is better than modo 302 although the rendering quality is very similar. Carrara certainly costs less than either modo or C4D and is has more options than modo but Carrara’s renders are slower and not quite as refined as C4D’s or modo’s.
C4D simply does a lot of things, very well and is extensible so you can expand it to other needs later if required. The target audience is TV and Film studios, so this software is no slouch. Its user experience and capabilities are top notch. You do get what you pay for.
Final Comments
To be frank, C4D is not a good fit for a studio on a super slim budget. It is possible to disguise the CG-ness of lesser software by virtue of post production filtering and other tricks. However, if your CG requirements are significant in your film, and you want them to look pro-studio quality, you can’t go wrong with C4D both in terms of results and ease of use.
The thing I actually appreciate most about this release is the improved interface design and dynamic tool/feature integration - that automatic ability that updates your interface when you choose a new tool. There is now a very friendly face on a very powerful CG software - and that is the exception to the rule.
About the reviewer: Mark Bremmer has operated his own commercial studio for 15 years. He's been fortunate enough to work for clients like Caterpillar, Amana, Hormel Foods, Universal Studios Florida, and The History Channel; producing stills, digital mattes and animations. Mark contracts regularly as an art mercenary with production houses that shall remain nameless by written agreements. His production pipeline is Mac-based, with the FCP Studio2 workflow. He loves Shake and Motion. And his family.
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About the reviewer: Mark Bremmer has operated his own commercial studio for 15 years. He's been fortunate enough to work for clients like Caterpillar, Amana, Hormel Foods, Universal Studios Florida, and The History Channel; producing stills, digital mattes and animations. Mark contracts regularly as an art mercenary with production houses that shall remain nameless by written agreements. His production pipeline is Mac-based, with the FCP Studio2 workflow. He loves Shake and Motion. And his family.