Category: 3D

3D clock built and rendered in Cinema 4D.

Simple 3D Clock

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3D Clock, CInema 4D
A simple 3D clock built and rendered in Cinema 4D.

This is a 3D clock I built and rendered in Cinema 4D. It’s a very simple design based on a real one owned by a family member. Here is the real one:

Interesting clock
A clock owned by a family member with a cool, simple, design.

The moment I saw this clock I knew I had to recreate it with a 3D program. It consists of very simple shapes which could be made with simple poly and spline modelling. I was also interested in creating a realistic light and shadow setup without using V-RAY (I don’t have V-RAY installed on my computer). The lighting and texturing took longer than building the clock.

Spitfire Part 3

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It’s been over 3 years since I lasted posted an update about my 3D Spitfire. In case anyone is reading and wondering why it’s been so long I’m building this model slowly as a hobby and labour of love, without any deadlines. Since the last updated I found a better set of blueprints and ditched the old mesh, starting over. The basic body/shell is complete, next comes the cutting and tiny detail bits, as well as the landing struts. When I’m feeling a brave I will tackle the cockpit interior, though that might be years down the road.

Here are a couple of pics of my progress.

Unfinished 3D Supermarine Spitfire
Unfinished 3D Supermarine Spitfire
Unfinished 3D Supermarine Spitfire from below
Unfinished 3D Supermarine Spitfire from below

3D Alternate USS Enterprise – Video and Final Images

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Here is a collection of animations featuring my alternate USS Enterprise. I’m pretty happy with the 3D mesh at this point and don’t see myself making any changes in the future. It was a fun exercise and I enjoyed experimenting with an iconic Sci-Fi design. If I have any regrets it’s that the ship is not as detailed as I would like, but since I don’t have a whole bank of computers and RAM at my disposal, this is the best the model will look if I want render times to remain reasonable. Read More

Tutorial: Simulating Global Illumination in Cinema 4D v.11

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Comparing Cinema 4D 11 Global Illumination against Lighting Rig that mimics the effect

Real Global Illumination vs. Simulated Global Illumination

For the purposes of this tutorial all we need to know about Global Illumination is that it’s a lighting effect that makes your 3D models look great while massively increasing render times. This is fine when you’re rendering a single frame but aggravating when you need a lengthier animation. I am using an older version of Cinema 4D (version 11), in which animations that use global illumination have an annoying flicker effect, which compounds the issue. I believe the flickering effect has been fixed in newer versions of Cinema 4D but that is not applicable to my situation (3D software is very expensive except for Blender, which I am currently teaching myself).

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Having fun with an iconic Sci-Fi Design: An alternate USS Enterprise – Part 4

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USS Enterprise thumbnailWith the release of the Star Trek: Into Darkness in just a couple of months I thought I would post the updates made to my alternate USS Enterprise. I’ve also been working on my lighting techniques in Cinema 4D to make this collection of computer generated polygons look like a physical object and a gallery at the end of the article showcases my best renders.

I’ve made some big changes to the Enterprise because I couldn’t wrap my head around two of the design elements. These two areas were the engine supports and the open/flared area around the front that looks like it would collect all sorts of space “garbage” for lack of a better term. I also made alterations to the saucer near the neck and straightened the engine supports. The curved supports are my main annoyance of both the official 2009 design of the Enterprise and my alternate design. In fact the new design of USS Enterprise might be my favourite if it weren’t for those idiotic supports. Maybe after all the carnage the ship goes through in the movie they’ll be fixed (though I doubt it)*.

I decided to do some before and after renders to show the big changes I’ve made to the design.

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