Basic Properties

Icon

Icon File / ID

Sometimes, when working with numerous icons that look the same, you want to have a better overview of it all. This is what this function does. Objects and tags can be assigned their own icons or existing icons can be re-assigned or colored:

Examples for tags that were colored, replaced by existing ones and custom tags.

Note the Show Custom Icons command in the Object Manager’s View menu, which lets you switch to the Cinema 4D icons.

There are a few objects and tags (e.g., Material tags) that can’t be colored because they are controlled by Cinema 4D directly.

Here, you can either

load a bitmap - whereby an alpha channel will be evaluated, if present. Internally, this bitmap will be scaled and distorted accordingly if it has a different size than 64*64 pixels (which is used internally by Cinema 4D).
or
enter an existing command ID for corresponding icons. These IDs can be found in the Command Manager.

Icon Color

Color

This function can be used to color an existing or a custom icon. You can select from the following options:

None: No coloring will take place
Display Color: Each object can be assigned a Display Color in the Basic tab. This will be used here. Since the Display Color can also assume a layer color objects can also be colored according to the layer to which they are assigned.
Custom: Lets you select a custom color.

Tags have no Display Color and can therefore only be colored using a custom color. To do so, activate the Icon Color option.

Load/Save Presets

These commands can be used to save icons as a preset or to load an icon.

General details regarding the Preset System in Cinema 4D can be found there.

Name

You can assign all objects and elements (e.g., shaders) any name you like. The object or element will appear under this name, e.g., in the XPresso Editor or in the Timeline.

Layer

If the element (object, tag, track, etc.) has been assigned to a layer, you will find the layer name and color here. Layers can be dragged here directly from the Layer Bowser or from other similar fields. You can also use the menu behind the small triangle button on the right to assign layers or remove the element from the current layer. Show in Manager opens the Layer Manager.

Click on the small triangle to the left of Layer to show the layer properties. This gives you access to all properties that are otherwise only accessible via the Layer Manager.

Priority

You can assign a priority to each expression. This is especially useful when working with Python or XPresso Expressions that you have created yourself. Sometimes the priority is crucial for determining exactly when the expression is evaluated. The same expression can produce different results depending on whether it is executed before or after other expressions in the scene.

Don’t forget that this calculation sequence will be run through for each rendered image!

Possible priority values range from -499 to 499 and apply to the chosen category on the left: Initial, Animation, Expressions, or Generators.

When using expressions with the same priority (on the same object) the order in which they will be calculated will be in accordance with their sequence (position) in the Object Manager.

Example:

For a Project with four expressions with the following priorities:

Expression A: Animation, 10
Expression B: Animation, 0
Expression C: Animation, -1
Expression D: Expression, 5

This results in the following order of execution:

Expression C (-1 being the lowest priority value of the four expressions).
All animated objects in the scene (all animated objects in Cinema 4D have a priority of Animation, 0).
Expression B (although this has the same priority as all animated objects, animated objects are still preferred over expressions with the same priority).
Expression A
Expression D

Tip:Cinema 4D contains certain Expressions that don’t necessarily follow these simple rules. These include IK, which uses values taken from different temporal locations of the calculation sequence. Simulations also have their own priority (please ignore the priority Dynamics R11.5 - this is the first and no longer available R11.5 functionality).

The calculation sequence of various functions. Internal priorities of several functions are also displayed.

Simulations(e.g., Priority Generator +400) defines these priorities internally and these cannot be changed. For example, Expressions that point to an object deformed by Simulations require a priority of at least Generator +401.

Camera Dependent

This option defines whether the object or tag should be carried out even if only the Viewport view has changed (e.g., when navigating the scene via the Viewport).

Enable

Turns the corresponding expression on or off.

TIP:Almost all tag or Expression parameters can be animated via the right mouse button.

Expose on Object

Cinema 4D normally displays the settings of assigned tags (e.g., the Phong tag) when an object is selected in the Attribute Manager as if it were an object's own setting - however, tag tabs are marked with a small icon to the left.

Disable this option if you don't want the tag settings to be shown for the object.