Settings
If this option is enabled, the parts’ original scale defined in the file will be used (mostly millimeters). If this is not desired, simply disable this option and scale the file using the following Factor setting.
This factor can be found at numerous locations throughout Cinema 4D when importing or exporting foreign formats. Therefore, don’t be surprised if the term ,export’ is used if this factor is seen in an import function (this factor is explained as a whole here).
This factor lets you scale files upon import/export, i.e., practically all relevant numerical values saved in the file or those to be saved will be multiplied by this factor and then saved - or interpreted when loaded.
The unit at the right in turn defines how upon
- Import the numerical value saved in the file is converted to the current Cinema 4D unit. Example: if an X value of 1 is saved in the file and you define Feet, the X value will be converted to 30.48 cm in Cinema 4D (if centimeters are defined by default in Cinema 4D).
- Export numerical values are saved in the file. Example: an X value is set to 100 cm in Cinema 4D. If you define Feet for export, the exported file will save a numerical value of 3.281 (1 meter = 3.281 feet).
More information about units and scaling can be found in the Project Scale section.
A file elements that can be imported as geometry will be loaded if this option is enabled.
Use this setting to define if and how Normals should be imported.
You have the following options:
- None: no Normals saved in the CAD file will be assumed, which can often result in faulty shading
- Normal tag: the Normals saved in the CAD file will be assumed within a Normal tag. This produces the best results.
- Phong Tag Edge Breaks: using this option will convert existing Normals to a Phong tag with broken Phong edges and a Normal tag will be created. The original Phong angle cannot be restored but the geometry contains approximately the original shading and is therefore completely modifiable (which is not necessarily the case with the Normal tag).
If the CAD file contains UV files, these can be assumed in Cinema 4D via UVW tags. However, these will most often be of poor quality, which means that they will have to be edited accordingly.
CAD files also contain splines. Enable this option if you want to import splines.
CAD files often contain countless numbers of identical objects (e.g., a machine with 1000 identical screws) as instances. If these instances should also be loaded in Cinema 4D as such, you can select from the following selection options (see also Instance Mode):
- None: All instances in the CAD file will be converted to regular objects
- Instance: All instances will be loaded as instances
- Render Instance: All instances will be loaded as memory-saving render instances (for more information on the differences, see link above). This is the recommended option.
If you want to assign a material to the imported objects, this can be done here.
You have the following options:
- None: no materials will be imported.
- Original: if the CAD file contains materials, these will be converted to Cinema 4D materials (primarily, the diffuse color and specular will be assumed) and assigned to the respective objects.
- Based on Display Colors: if display colors (not materials) are assigned in the CAD file, these will be imported as materials and assigned, if necessary with the help of polygon selections. The colors’ RGB values will be assigned as material names.
- Original with Random Color: If the CAD file contains materials, Cinema 4D materials with a random color will be created and assigned to the respective objects.
Each object in Cinema 4D can have a color without having a material. These colors can be accessed in the Basic tab: Display Color. Each imported object can be assigned a color using this selection menu:
- None: no color will be assigned.
- Original: the colors assigned in the CAD file will be used.
- Random: random colors will be assigned.
If you prefer to assign colors using a material, this can be done using the Material menu below.
Here you can define how the layers in the CAD file or those created by Cinema 4D will be handled.
You have the following options:
- None: no layers will be assigned.
- Original: if the elements in the CAD file are organized in layers, these can be assumed in Cinema 4D. Random layer colors will be generated (see also Layer Manager and Layer Concept). If the file contains no layers, all elements will be placed on the same layer.
- Scale-Based Tessellation: if this option is enabled, the objects will be separated into 3 groups based on their scale. The objects will be assigned to one of the scale group layers. Note that no instances will be assigned to these layers since instances can refer to different objects with different tessellations.
Similar to Cinema 4D, elements in CAD files can be hidden. If this property is assigned in the file and this option is enabled, Cinema 4D will assume the object’s visibility using its own switches (visible in Viewport/ for rendering) in the Object Manager.
CAD files have helper objects that define a point in space or a point with an orientation. These are designed to help orient objects (e.g., during construction) but are of no use in Cinema 4D. Disabling this option will omit them from import. Otherwise they will be imported as Null objects.
If hidden objects are defined in the CAD file, enabling this option will display these in the Object Manager with the suffix _hidden. If this option is disabled, such objects will not be imported.