This is a video tutorial on taking vector art and importing it into Cinema 4D to create a 3D object that can be animated, textured, and manipulated in 3D space. In this tutorial, written by David from filmmakingcentral.com he shows you exactly how to do this. David was nice enough to allow us to repost this on our blog. He is using artwork from the free Vector Sample Pack from our Arsenal.
Continue reading to watch the video and read the step by step tutorial.
Tutorial: Vector Illustrations into 3D
I was cleaning out some of my files the other day and came across a folder full of stuff I grabbed at SIGGRAPH this year. I came across this great looking postcard from the gang at GoMedia. Their “Arsenal” royalty free vector art is amazing. I got inspired and thought “let’s make some cool 3D works with it!” So here we go.
The following tutorial has 17 steps but they go fast once you understand what to do. I did this in Illustrator CS3, Photoshop CS3, and Maxon Cinema 4D. You can visit adobe.com and maxon.net for demos to follow along if you like. I used one of Go Media’s Arsenal freebie downloads for the vector art.
Step 1
Open the vector sample from Go Media in Illustrator.
Step 2
Pick a graphic you like. I chose one of the “banners”.
Step 3
Select graphic then copy and paste it into a new document. You can leave all the defaults.
Step 4
Feel free to scale the graphic or not. Since its vector you can enlarge it later without any consequences.
Step 5
Save new document with a new name. Then close Illustrator.
Step 6
Open Photoshop.
Step 7
Go to File > Open > your_new_file.ai
Step 8
Command + click (Mac) in Layers tab the file to create a selection.
Step 9
Go to Paths > Make Work Path. Use a tolerance of 1.
Step 10
Go to File > Export > Paths to Illustrator. Then close Photoshop.
Step 11
Open Cinema 4D and go to File > Open > your_paths_to_illustrator_file.ai
Step 12
In the Objects Panel click on the + to expand the imported file.
Step 13
Select all the paths then right click and choose Connect.
Step 14
Click on Nurbs > Extrude Nurb to add an extrude nurb to the Object panel.
Step 15
Make your paths file a child of the extrude nurb by dragging onto extrude nurbs.
Step 16
Logo is now a 3D object! Click on render view to see.
Step 17
This file can be animated, you can add materials, lights, background, floors etc. Creativity has no bounds.
Thanks David for writing the tutorial and doing the video demonstration. Again, check out his site www.filmmakingcentral.com.
October 9th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
i didn´t know this ,its so amazing ,keep em coming
October 9th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
Really cool, Hmm, is that how the sketch and toon addon in C4D works? Of course I mean in reverse; where it takes the Rendered object and converts it to paths and vector art. Never played with C4D but I read up on it, really interesting program.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:13 am
Hi Rui, Sketch and Toon makes Cinema 4D objects look like sketches or illustrations. Lets say a client wants me to make an illustration of a building or a car etc. I can model it in C4D and apply the Sketch and Toon module. A perfect illustration will appear. It does not make paths etc. Its for a finished product. I can animate it and more!
More info here http://www.maxon.net/pages/products/modules/sketchandtoon/sketchandtoon_e.html
Cheers! David
October 19th, 2007 at 12:03 am
You can save some time, and just save the .ai file out of illustrator as version 5 or older and import it straight into Cinema 4D. No photoshop needed.
Just a thought!
Luke
October 25th, 2007 at 6:14 am
wow thanks so much for this I am new to cinema 4d and had no idea you could do that. I look forward to makeing some 3d projects for the user forum. Now if you will excuse me I have to brew some coffee and play all night with this.
October 25th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Even in PSD you can export directly path information. You do not have the need to lose data with the transformation via selection.
C4D is happy with eps 8 or ai8 (or lower), which contains every needed data.
The Origin point in Ai is the Origin point in C4D. xy=xyz=zero
The units (pica) AI = the units in C4D.
Also just a thought.
Have a good one and happy learning
3d.neerd
October 25th, 2007 at 1:48 pm
Ya, you should be able to import an .ai file directly instead of opening it in ps and saving the path. I’m curious as to why you did this- seems like there’s a possibility of losing some detail this way.
November 11th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
I tried to export *.ai from illustrator to a folder and then opened it on cinema, but it didn’t work.
Photoshop step is necessary to create a compatible working path ;^]
December 2nd, 2007 at 11:06 am
First THAT IS AN AMAZING TUTORIAL !
But in Step 16 I can’t see anything if I render it ! Why ?
In the editor I can’t see any 3D models ?! Why ?
My File:
http://rapidshare.com/files/73801502/Try.c4d.html
(Pls help me - email: bjoernschoenfeld@hotmail.de)
THX
hOpe
December 20th, 2007 at 6:34 am
Awesome - simply awesome!
Love the lighting effects (perhaps a tut on that too?)
Thanks for sharing
DM
December 21st, 2007 at 2:41 am
You can do this in many fewer steps than the tutorial states, but this is a basic, yet powerful way to make many objects.
December 29th, 2007 at 2:10 am
Thanks for all the kind words! I was stuck working on a film but will have time to do some more 3D tutorials after the holidays!
Cheers, Dave
January 5th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Right on Guillermo, I use max and illustrator on a daily basis, and importing an .ai file into max is simple and effective for what we do.
I guess I was just surprised that you couldn’t import one into c4d. Nice work thought!
February 27th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I’m brand new to Cinema 4D so bear with me. When i open the .eps file into Cinema, it appears to be “outlined” when i extrude it.
how can i “reverse” the image? is this making any sense. thanks for any help.
Bobby
May 27th, 2008 at 8:41 am
You need to save the ai file as an older format, then it will import directly. I think. Anyway, using photoshop for this seems backwards..
I would love to find out how to make rounded edges in the Z dimension after extruding - any thoughts?