C4D

Latest revision as of 08:43, 13 May 2009

Title(s): Cinema4D, C4D

Version ID: 11.0

Date released: 2008-09-01

Date: 1989

Creator(s): Christian and Philip Losch

Contributor(s): MAXON Computer Gmbh

Relationships:

• Previous Version(s):
  • Cinema4D v10.5
  • Cinema4D v10
  • Cinema4D v9.6
  • Cinema4D v9.5
  • Cinema4D v9.0
  • Cinema4D v8.5
  • Cinema4D v8.0
  • Cinema4D v7.0
  • Cinema4D v6.0
  • Cinema4D v5.0
  • Cinema4D v4.0
  • Cinema4D v3.0
  • Cinema4D v2.0
  • Cinema4D v1.0
  • FastRay

• Contains: None

• Syntax Format(s): Uses Interchange File Format(IFF). IFF is a chunk based format that allows applications to only use the parts of the file that apply to them.

• Family Format(s): None

Description:
One file is used to store material, object, and scene information, allowing one editor to handle animation, modeling, texturing, and rendering. The file format uses the following standards:

• The format uses a left hand coordinate system, meaning that the x-axis goes from left to right, the y-axis goes from bottom to top, and the z-axis goes from front to back.
• All floating point data is stored in single precision IEEE format.
• Angles are stored in radians using the Heading/Pitch/Bank system.
• All object points are stored relative to their own axis.

The format supports the following data types:

• BOOL - 1 byte unsigned character
• CHAR - 1 byte integer
• WORD - 2 byte integer
• UWORD - 2 byte unsigned integer
• LONG - 4 byte integer
• ULONG - 4 byte unsigned integer
• Real - 4 byte float value
• Vector - { Real x,y,z } - Can be used as a vector, point, or color. Vectors must always be normalized.

The IFF chunks of data have the following format:

• A 4 character chunk identification (4 bytes)
• The size of the chunk as a LONG (4 bytes)
• The chunk data (Specified size)

A platform chunk is used to specify what platform the file was written on:

• A 4 character chunk identification (4 bytes)
• The size of the chunk as a LONG (4 bytes)
• A LONG to indicate the platform
  • Windows = 1
  • Macintosh = 2
  • Unix = 4

If the platform chunk is not included, it is assumed that the platform reading the file wrote it.

The material, object, and environment chunks are all composed of subchunks.

History:
C4D was originally created by Christian and Philip Losch as a ray-tracer program for a monthly programming contest in the magazine, Kickstart. Their program won the contest. The file format was started at this time. The program Cinema 4D was originally called FastRay and released for the Amiga in 1991. Several version of Cinema 4D were released in the mid 1990's, before being released as a production-level product in 1997. Cinema 4D is now available for Windows, Macintosh, and Linux computers. Cinema 4D has been used to create the graphics for some well known movies, including:

• Spiderman 3
• Beowulf
• Chronicles of Narnia
• War of the Worlds
• Polar Express
• and more

Example(s): Chess King

Identifier: http://www.maxon.net
Documentation: Cinema4D.pdf
File Extensions: c4d

Applications:

• Native application(s): Cinema 4D, XL-Bundle, PyroCluster, Advanced Render, MOCCA, and Thinking Particles

• Interoperable applications: None

Magic numbers: C4D uses a 12 byte header. The headers consists of:

• 4 characters for the IFF Identification (4 bytes)
• The size of the file as a LONG (4 bytes)
• 4 characters for the Cinema 4D Identification (4 bytes)

Format(s): application/octet-stream

Rights: Proprietary License

Sustainability Factors:

• Standardization:
  • The formats complies with:
    • IFF Specification
    • IEEE Floating Point Specification

• Adoption: None

• Licensing and patent claims: None

• Self-documentation: None
• External dependencies: None

• Technical protection considerations: None

Typical use: CAD, Modeling, Rendering, Texturing, Animation

File classification: - Specific properties that pertain to this engineering format.

• Type {Binary, Text}: Binary
• Raster data:
  • Raster data 2D:
    • Is Supported: No
    • Description: C4D does not use raster data, but can export a raster format.
  • Raster data 3D:
    • Is Supported:No
    • Description: C4D does not use raster data, but can export a raster format.
• Geometric representation:
  • Implicit representation:
    • Implicit surfaces:
      • Is Supported: No
      • Description: C4D uses parametric representation.
    • Implicit curves:
      • Is Supported: No
      • Description: C4D uses parametric representation.
      • Point set:
      • Is Supported: Yes
      • Description: C4D can represent point sets.
  • Mesh:
    • Manifold surface meshes:
      • Is Supported:Yes
      • Description: C4D can create manifold surface meshes.
    • Manifold volume meshes:
      • Is Supported: Yes
      • Description: C4D can create manifold volume meshes.
    • Non-manifold meshes:
      • Is Supported: Unknown
      • Description: Could not find information about non-manifold meshes for C4D.
  • Parametric representation:
    • Parametric surfaces:
      • Is Supported: Yes
      • Description: C4D uses parametric representation for surfaces.
    • Parametric curves:
      • Is Supported: Yes
      • Description: C4D uses parametric representation for volumes.
  • Contour sets:
    • Is Supported: Yes
    • Description: C4D is able to use contour sets.
  • NURBS:
    • Is Supported: Yes
    • Description: C4D supports the use of NURBS.
• Multi-resolution models:
  • Is Supported: Yes
  • Description: C4D allows for multiple resolutions.
• Dynamics:
  • Kinematics:
    • Is Supported: Yes
    • Description: C4D allows rotations of models.
  • Assembly:
    • Is Supported: Unknown
    • Description: No information about assembly support for C4D.
  • Force(s):
    • Is Supported: Yes
    • Description: C4D allows for forces and collisions.
• Boundary representation
  • Manifold surface boundary representations:
    • Is Supported: Unknown
    • Description: No information about the type of boundary representations used by C4D.
  • Manifold volume boundary representations:
    • Is Supported: Unknown
    • Description: No information about the type of boundary representations used by C4D.
  • Non-manifold boundary representations:
    • Is Supported: Unknown
    • Description: No information about the type of boundary representations used by C4D.
• Material transparency:
  • Is Supported: Yes
  • Description: C4D allows for transparent materials.

References: Cinema4D.pdf, MAXON, Cinema4D Wikipedia