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Cinema 4D 2025 PSD Object Buffers Import as Channels Instead of Layers in After
I’m having a workflow issue between Cinema 4D 2025, Adobe Photoshop 2026, and After Effects 2026, and I’m hoping someone can help.
I rendered 400+ frames in Cinema 4D 2025 using the Physical Renderer with Multi-Pass enabled, including several Object Buffer passes. I exported the render as a PSD sequence.
The issue is that all of the Object Buffer passes are saved as Photoshop Channels (Alpha Channels) instead of separate layers. When I import the PSD sequence into After Effects 2026, the PSD imports as a single layer, and none of the Object Buffer channels appear as individual layers or passes.
My goal is to:
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Import the PSD sequence into After Effects.
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Access each Object Buffer separately.
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Use the Object Buffers as masks/mattes for individual objects.
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Apply different effects and color corrections to each object independently.
Is there a way to make After Effects recognize the Photoshop channels as separate layers, or is there a better export workflow from Cinema 4D 2025? Should I render the Object Buffers as separate image sequences instead of embedding them in the PSD?
Software Versions:
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Cinema 4D 2025 (Physical Renderer)
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Adobe Photoshop 2026
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Adobe After Effects 2026
Any guidance or recommended workflow would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
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1 Reply
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Do a multipass render and use the OpenEXR file format. In AE, apply the the 3D channel – EXtractoR effect to your Buffer pass, then you can access the different buffers. I made an example setup for you to examine.
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