Creating Animated Models in Cinema4D

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Steps to create an animated model using Cinema4D that will work with Constructive Labs software:

  1. Create a mesh model as usual in Cinema4D.
  2. Select the Front view
  3. Choose the Character->Joint tool.
    C4D2.png
  4. Hold the CTRL key and click where the base of the skeleton should be (perhaps the bottom of the spine or the bottom of the model)
  5. Keep holding the CTRL key and click at each joint location to create a linked line of bones that follow along the center of the model mesh.
  6. When you have created all the bones, release the CTRL key and click anywhere outside the mesh to stop making bones.
    C4D1.png
  7. Now you need to bind the bones to the mesh. Select all the bones (Easily done in the Object Browser by shift-clicking or ctrl-clicking on the names of the bones, so they are all selected)
  8. Hold the CTRL key and click on the name of the mesh in the Object Browser
  9. Choose Character->Bind... (now the bones are connected to the mesh.
    C4D3.png
  10. You should now be able to double-click on each bone and rotate it to form a pose.
    C4D4.png
  11. Now to record the animation, click on the Autokeying button (looks like an orange circle with parenthesis in it, located to the left of the Play button)
    C4D-icons.png
  12. Position the play-back frame indicator at frame zero and form a pose.
  13. Position the play-back frame indicator at another frame (say frame 30) and form another pose that the animation will transition to. Continue for all the poses you want in your animation.
    C4D5.png
  14. Click the Play (triangle) button and you animation should start running. The model should smoothly deform to follow the changing bone positions.
  15. When you are satisfied with your animation, do File->Export->glTF to export the file in glb format for use in Constructive Labs.