For normal users, the core of a software programme processes the function calls in a rather hidden manner. These can be modelling functions, rendering algorithms or import and export functionalities, but the core not only has a major influence on the performance of a software but also on the options for growth. A flexible and modern programmed core makes it easier to implement new functions, port to different hardware platforms and generally maintain the software.
Alembic
The Alembic format is certainly the most interesting new format. If a file only contains packets for each frame, a new option enables the interpolation of intermediate images in order to be able to display motion blur correctly during rendering. Information such as speeds, colours or other vectors that could not previously be interpreted directly by Cinema 4D from the Alembic file can now be imported as vertex map tags so that they are not lost when transferred to third-party programs.
Less is often more
Photogrammetry is on everyone’s lips and is also making its way into Cinema 4D through the back door of the Motion Tracker, as we will see in a moment. As fascinating as the resulting geometries can be, their meshes are also complex and often unnecessarily dense. Whenever a re-topology is not worthwhile, e.g. because no deformation is required, a moderate reduction in polygon density is often sufficient. A deformer was previously available for this purpose. This has been replaced by a generator in Release 19, which has several advantages. For example, several objects can now be reduced simultaneously as a group or merged into one geometry. In addition, the algorithm has been modified in such a way that in many cases only a pre-calculation needs to be waited for. Once this has been completed, the intensity of the reduction can be controlled in real time using a strength controller or specific specifications for the number of points or polygons
Spherical camera
A small but useful extension to the camera now also enables the rendering of full spheres, domes or partial spheres. Full-spherical images of an environment can be used for baking an environment texture or an HDRI. However, they will certainly be used even more frequently in VR applications, where both still images, animations and stereoscopic renderings can be created.
Short and sweet
Certainly a highlight of Release 19 is the expansion of the Voronoi break function, with which any object can be broken down into fragments. New modes allow, for example, the gaps between fragments to be filled with geometry and the actual fragments to be hidden. This results in a mesh structure that can either run through the object in three dimensions or just cover its surface. The Voronoi structure of the surface can also be thickened by extrusion.
Completely new fragment shapes are made possible by the fact that the scaling of the fracture cells can be scaled along any axial direction. This allows, for example, the typical splinters of bursting wood to be realised.
Everything dances to my tune
The sound effector has been completely redesigned and offers new graphical user interfaces for processing and visualising frequencies and volumes. Any sections of the frequency band can be marked with frames and read out, and a completely new noise falloff function is now available to all effectors.
Every step of the way
The Motion Tracker and the Object Tracker have been with us for several versions. Release 19 also brings improvements in the evaluation of footage in this area, as from now on not only the brightness contrast, but also any colour component can be used for manual tracks. The shape of the areas responsible for pattern recognition can also be created in a circle. This is practical if, for example, spheres are used as tracking markers.
New territory and outlook
Even before the release of Release 19, an innovation was publicised: the new ProRender render engine is also able to use the GPU for rendering. A novelty for Cinema 4D users, apart from the possibility of using external GPU renderers such as Octane or Cycles.
ProRender is under continuous development by Radeon, so it is not a tool programmed by MAXON itself and is therefore also available for other 3D applications. In addition, this renderer is OpenCL-based, so it does not necessarily require a CUDA-capable graphics card.
In order to fully utilise the potential of ProRender, care should be taken to ensure that the scale of the objects and the scene is realistic and that the materials and lights have realistic properties. Release 19 therefore comes with a new physical material and a physical light source that can be used directly as a basis.
A list of all new features can be found here Release 19.
