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Ok… decided my sanity was important
If you read my post below you will understand the subject of this post. I downloaded the demo of C4D and decided there is NO WAY I could learn this program in a matter of days much less months. I’m guessing 6 to 12 months to get a good grasp.
So, I have another question or two.
I want to learn C4D… what’s the best way?
I know… play with the program. I plan to do just that, but are there any books or DVD’s that anyone can recommend specifically for C4D?Thanks, postman
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5 Replies
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You made a wise decision. 🙂
I’m not being flippant here–IMO the best way to learn the program is to read the manual front to back. It would probably help to get a few DVDs to give you some context (and more fun) too. I recommend all of the offerings at 3DFluff.com. There’s also a good beginner/intermediate book by Anne Powers, which I think was reviewed on this site. That should help you hit the ground running.
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I learned a lot by going through some of the tutorials on Maxon’s site with the demo version. It’s really not that tricky once you understand how the basics are laid out. I’ve played with Lightwave, Maya and Max many times but never learned them at all. I feel great about C4D so far.
Noah
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Thanks guys… I appreciate the input. I will check out that book and the tutorials on Maxon’s site.
Are there any DVD based training series out there for C4D? Along the lines of Total Training or DMTS.
I’ve used both and learned a lot in a short amount of time.Again, thanks for the input!
postman -
I will add my two cents…since I too am making a concerted effort to learn C4D after a couple of misstarts. How you start depends on how new you are to 3d in general or just new to C4D, but:
1. Get the Ann Powers book – by far the best book to introduce the scope of the app to a beginner
2. Start reading the manual – don’t expect to get much the first time through. Just too much there and not many examples and *lousy* index. The pdf is easy to search, but tough to read on line.
3. Do every tutorial you can find. I would start with modeling. The 3Dkiwi tutorials on C4D Cafe are numerous, mostly small in scope, and high quality. Great stuff and free.
4. Read the manual again.
5. Do a “model-a-day”. This app has incredible depth and scope. Only by using it every day will you get comfortable with the workflow, thought process, tools, etc. It isn’t a once a week thing until you get to know it cold.
6. Read all the forums every day and try out what people suggest. My scanned forum list includes: Creative Cow, C4D cafe, 3dattack, renderosity, cgtalk, postforum — these are a tremendous resource. They have challenges and contests that are fun to do and everyone seems to be willing to answer even the most newbie of questions.
7. Read the manual again and start looking at other books.
8. Patience….Rome wasn’t modeled in a day or as the first project. There are experts in these forums on modeling, types of modeling, animation, character animation, motion graphics, textures, lighting, staging, etc. It is very easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated. You can’t know everything — you are always going to be learning. It is so easy to get taken in by the stunning work produced in these forums — “….but I want to make something that looks like that!….” — and then get totally frustrated because the gap between where you are and what it takes can be huge.
9. Persistance….I am constantly thinking “I am so stupid” when trying to follow some of the models and forum threads. I just have to leave the computer and then come back and try again. I was actually up at 3am this morning trying to model something – couldn’t sleep – and actually had several epiphanies…..with about several hundred left to go!good luck…btw, sanity may be overrated ! 😉
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postman
Hang in there! As far as 3D programs go, C4D is the the most direct and usable (easiest) I have ever come across. My biggest challenge was learning how the different sections of the interface relate to each other (materials, attributes, object managers, etc), but once I got that I hardly think about it any more…..
If you are new to 3D in general, it is a bit of a leap and will take some time to wrap your head around it regardless of whatever platform you are using. Follow all the reading examples recommended here, but also take the time to look around you, in the real world, and think about what forms and shapes you see, what they are comprised of, what qualities define their surfaces. As a traditional artist would do, start with a still life – put some real things (start simple – coffee mug, book, pen..) in on front of yourself and recreate it in 3D.
Good luck
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