Help with Cinema 4D

[Rambot]

Hi,

I've recently been trying out Cinema 4D (it's complicated software), and I've been having trouble trying to import a file from Illustrator which is composed of text.

So is there a way to import a Adobe Illustrator file into Cinema 4D? I want to import the Illustrator document (which is type) and use the tools in C4D to make it 3D.

[thelob]

If you haven't worked this out let me know as I've done it before and will try and figure out how I did it. Pretty sure you have to downsave your ai to illy 8 .

[Rambot]

Thanks for the reply, I've asked this question on Computer Arts too, but I didn't get a response.

I've already tried downgrading the version of the file. Actually down to ai.3 file but I've had no luck. If you could find out, then that would be superb. Thank you very much for your help.

[thelob]

Hi Rambot

Just done it and process is as follows:

IN ILLUSTRATOR
Create you text
Outline type (make it a path)
(make sure all guides are off as c4d sometimes picks up the guides as lines)
Save as Illustrator 8 ai file (ignore saving warnings)

IN C4D
File / Merge / Select ai file
Your ai file now comes in and appears in object pallete.
(you may have to centre the item on the xyz axis as it takes its coordinates from illustrator)

In object panel you will see the object and individual paths within it.
Select the object and all paths
Right click and choose connect

You now have one item and can use extrude functions as normal

Let me know if you need any more info or if it doesn't work

Thanks

I'm on C4d 10

[Rambot]

Thank you so much! I'll see how it goes.

[Rambot]

Thanks a bunch, C4D is working like a dream!

[thelob]

No probs

You've probably seen these already but.. www.c4dcafe.com and www.c4dportal.com have some good tutorials and forums

Thanks

[Rambot]

Thanks for the links, I've asked a question on there but no reply. Here's another question:

I've made some typography with an animated light shining past it.

How do I export the rendered animation into After Effects?

[Ned]

Not sure if this answers your question, but you can import the base 3D object right into After Effects, and use it as fully functional model.

[Rambot]

How do you do it? Do you have to save it as a specific file type?

BTW thank you very much for the help Ned! : )

[Ned]

In your timeline there's a little cube icon that you can select on any non-audio layer. Clicking that will convert to a 3D layer, and add a Z-axis to your transformations.

If you import a 3D model onto that layer, it can be shifted and rotated, revealing all three dimensional sides. I'm not sure though, which exact file formats are supported for import. You may have to play around with that one.