Import/Export
In the following export filters, wherever you can define a maximum texture format, the maximum will apply to the longest side of a texture. The shorter side will be scaled proportionally.
Data can be opened in the following way for all import formats:
- Main menu:Open File/Project
- Main menu: Add File/Project
- Drag & drop the file onto the program interface
Whenever a foreign format is opened in one of these ways, the corresponding import dialog will appear automatically. Its default settings can be predefined via the various entries in the Import/Export group of the Preferences menu.
When importing external scenes, you can decide globally for which renderer they should be loaded into Cinema 4D.
In addition to switching the render presets to the corresponding renderer, these scene elements will then be loaded or converted specifically for the renderer - provided the corresponding formats also support this. This applies in particular to:
- Materials
- Light sources
- Cameras
By default, Cinema 4D supports the old renderers (standard/physical renderer) and, of course, the default Redshift renderer.
Cinema generates the following for the following selections:
- Standard/physical: Standard materials with the usual material channels and corresponding textures.
- Redshift: Redshift standard Node Materials with corresponding linked Nodes/textures of the common material properties. This can look like this, for example:
Here is an import from an FBX file in which textures and material settings (via the Imported parameters Node) are fed into a Redshift standard material.
If you have installed other renderers, these can also be listed here.
The handling of the color values from the various sources, during display in the viewport, rendering and saving, is affected by the Color Management that you can define in the Project Settings. You can find the relevant information here. A basic introduction to the topic can also be found here.
When importing external data, various presettings for this Color Management can be made automatically. The following modes are available for this purpose:
- Simple (no OCIO): The normal linear workflow is used here. The colors and textures use the respective embedded color profiles or the sRGB color space. This also corresponds to the current default setting for projects created in Cinema 4D.
- OCIO Auto: The OpenColorIO Color Management is activated and the file to be loaded is first searched for sRGB references. If these are found, the sRGB preset will automatically be activated, which will enable the use of the linear scene-linear Rec. 709-sRGB color space for renderings uses... Otherwise, the default setting ACES will be used, which uses the ACEScg render space.
- OCIO sRGB:The OpenColorIO Color Management with the default setting sRGB is activated. This makes the linear render space scene-linear Rec. 709-sRGB is used.
- OCIO ACES:The OpenColorIO Color Management with the default setting ACES will be activated. This uses the ACEScg render space.
Activate this option if you always want the corresponding dialog to be displayed when importing/exporting. Any changes made in the dialog will always be adopted as the default setting.
If this option is deactivated, the dialog will be suppressed and will use the properties defined in the default settings.
The described behavior can be temporarily reversed by pressing the Alt key (while clicking the open/save button of the file selection dialog).
This option allows you to define what happens to files that you drag and drop into Cinema 4D:
- Option activated: The file content will be added to the scene currently displayed in Cinema 4D.
- Option deactivated: The file will be loaded normally.
If you press the Shift key when you drop the file (i.e. release the mouse button), the behavior just described will be temporarily reversed.
Some minor innovations in R2024
The following minor innovations were made in R2024:
- glTF: The glTF importer can now import *.glb files and materials. The glTF exporter can also export instances as instances.
- USD: USD can now import materials as Redshift materials.
- GoZ: Cinema 4D now imports dynamic subdivision levels from ZBrush and ZBrush materials as Redshift Node Material.
- Forger: Selection transfer from Forger to Cinema 4D, support for Area light sources. Spline types (e.g. linear, Bezier) can be transferred.
Imported files can also contain Python code that can be executed in the form of a Python tag or Python Generator object, for example. If such scripts come from sources that you do not know, they could theoretically also conceal faulty or - in the worst case - destructive functions. This setting gives you the option of searching for Python elements when loading a file and then aborting the loading process if necessary, thus preventing the code from being executed.
The following options are available:
- Never: There will be no check for Python elements. The file will always be loaded completely and any Python code it contains will be executed automatically. This is the default setting for older Cinema 4D versions.
- Once; When loading the file, you will be asked whether a check for Python elements should be carried out or not. Your selection will automatically be saved as the default setting for this file. This default setting will be used when this file is reloaded. The list with the settings made for the various files can also be deleted again by pressing the Flush Data button. The selection dialog will appear again in any case, even if a file has already been loaded with the Once setting.
- Always: This will always check whether Python elements are contained in the file. If Python code is included that does not correspond to the standard code as it is used when creating new Python tags or generator objects, you will be asked whether the loading process should be continued or canceled.
Flush data
If you use Verify Scripts Once, a list of open files will be created in which it is noted whether a file should be opened normally or prevented from loading. If you want to clear this list, press this button.