---
title: "Decay"
url: "https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/FLDECAY.html"
section_path: "Create Menu > Field > Modifier layers > Decay"
element_id: "FLDECAY"
description: "This page describes the Decay layer in Cinema 4D's Field system. It makes Field changes fade out over time — effects linger and decay after the Field has …"
---

# Decay

> **Note:** **What is it about?**
>
> This page describes the **Decay layer** in **Cinema 4D**'s Field system. It makes Field changes fade out over time — effects linger and decay after the Field has moved on, like cooling traces.

The Decay Layer is similar to the [Delay Layer](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/html/FLDELAY.html.md), as it influences the temporal course of changes (due to fields/modifier layers arranged before it in the field list; which also includes color changes, for example) and can therefore also have an effect outside a field influence area.

If, for example, a clone moves from one animation frame from Y = 0 to the next to Y = 100 and then to Y = 0 again, i.e. performs a sudden movement, the Decay field ensures that this lightning-like movement is transformed into a slow decaying movement (the speed can be adjusted).

To describe it a little more precisely (and to distinguish it from the Delay Layer): it is a lightning-like increase in value with a delayed decay (or vice versa).

# Example

In this example, spherical fields leave their footprints on a vertex map. The first half of the video shows the effect strength 100%, which maintains the effect over time (this could be used to create footprints of a walking character in the snow, for example).

[Video: 2026-0_decay_field_01_.mp4](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/2026-0_decay_field_01_.mp4)

[![Image: halvar.png](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/halvar.png)](https://help.maxon.net/c4d/en-us/Content/Resources/Scenes/2026-0_decay_field_01_.c4d)