It has been the informal policy of this blog to steer clear of any software specific comments in the past, talking more about general industry trends and great work. I couldn’t help commenting on Maxon’s R12 release though. As a Cinema user for the last ten years (how has it been that long?!) it is great to see this piece of software, that is so close to my heart and the reason I am so enamored with the CG industry, going from strength to strength.

Many is the hour I have spent countless hours wrestling, coaxing, screaming at and cajoling various versions of C4D into doing what it was told but I have almost always found that Cinema would come up with the goods I needed at the end of the project. So as a user, although not as much these days unfortunately, it makes me obscenely happy to see the explosion these days in C4D related jobs and studios in the industry. A quick look at and jobs board these days will see an extremely healthy glut of cinema based jobs with a mix of After Effects skills. This shines a very favourable light on Maxon’s decision to get into bed with Adobe suite a few years ago.

So for all you Cinema users out there – Enjoy! Onwards and upwards!

http://www.maxon.net/news/singleview-default/article/maxon-announces-immediate-availability-of-release-12-of-acclaimed-3d-package-cinema-4d.html

Key Highlights of CINEMA 4D Release 12
(Not all features are included in every configuration. Please see the Product Comparison Chart on the MAXON web site for more info)

• Powerful New Dynamics: CINEMA 4D now includes a comprehensive and easy-to-use rigid body dynamics system based on the production-proven Bullet engine. Objects can be connected via hinges, springs and complex joints, and with a simple click, can be transformed into soft bodies.
• Enhanced Rendering Features:
  • Linear Workflow and Color Profiles: Adopting a linear workflow is now as simple as activating a checkbox. Colors and lighting are mixed in a more realistic way, resulting in higher-quality images with less effort. Color profiles are now integrated throughout CINEMA 4D for accurate color representation.
  • IES lights: It’s now possible to apply accurate light falloffs using the IES data directly from lighting manufacturers. Photometric intensities based on Lumen and Candela are also supported.
  • True Units of Measurement: CINEMA 4D now supports units, ensuring that calculations are accurate and scene scaling remains consistent. Units are automatically converted and scaling/unit information is automatically stored within each document.
  • Render Queue: Batch rendering has been streamlined with this augmented render task manager, complete with logging capability.
  • Picture Viewer: CINEMA 4D’s breakthrough picture viewer now includes full-screen playback, a histogram display and navigator.
• New Character Tools: The Inverse Kinetics (IK) system features new dynamic properties. CINEMA 4D Studio also includes a powerful, integrated pose-mixing and morphing system.
• New Deformers: Several new deformers have been added to include options for modifying objects based on a low-poly cage or within the screen space.
• Python: Extensive support for the powerful Python language is now fully integrated allowing users greater functionality to create scripts, expressions and plugins for unlimited creative workflow.
• Others: A variety of other new features include double precision, dual transforms, OpenGL 3 support, new architectural shaders, and an parametric spline L-system.