C4D QuickTip : MoSpline 01 By Ko Maruyama MAXON's CINEMA 4D R11.5 is full of new features, including several new tools that you'll find in Mograph. In addition to the spline tools that were introduced earlier, MoSpline is a dynamic way of introducing creative spline data to your scene. For some projects, a little tweeking may be necessary. Here's how... ...Read More »

Basic Training for LightWave v9: Animating the spaceship By Jarrod Davis In this clip, host Jarrod Davis finishes up on the texture and then begins to animate. He shows how to animate the spaceship to fly along, deploy its wings and bank away from the camera. He then shows how to work in camera view in LightWave, and how to position the model, and how to set up your workspace to prepare for animating. ...Read More »

C4D4AE: A simple graphic element with mograph By Ko Maruyama There are many ways to create some little elements that go into radar screens and control panels, but when you need to design something that matches a defined or described function - then you might find some really simple solutions in CINEMA4D's mograph tools. This 5min video tutorial walks you through the basics. What you do with those tools can take a little longer. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Creasing By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses how to create more manufacturing or hard edged surfaces by adding creasing to your models. He adds lower levels of subdivisions and turns on frame mode so you can see the changes. When he makes a crease, it creases the outside edge of whatever is visible on the canvas. He shows how to use the crease button, and shows the dotted line to indicate the crease line on the edge. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Edge Loops By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses how to use Edge Loops to make an extrusion to a model, which helps you to add geometry to a model. He uses a polysphere to demonstrate this. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Polygroups By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses how to isolate the lower lip from the upper lip on a model. He lowers the geometry resolution to make the polygons a bit more obvious. He also turns on the frame button to see how the model is organized. He then shows how to create a polygroup, which enables you to organize part of the model, which is always there for you to isolate. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Isolation By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses isolating parts of a model while working on it so that you can focus on key details of one section of the model. He shows how to isolate certain parts of the model by making a selection so you can easily work on that particular section without worrying about the other elements of the model getting changed inadvertently. ...Read More »

KILLING LIGHTS in CINEMA4D By Ko Maruyama If you're familiar with CINEMA 4D's ability to export to Adobe After Effects, you know that all of the camera and light data can be saved in a single file - for use within a 3D composition in AE. However, sometimes unnecessary light animation and 3D data makes that AEC file heavy. Here's how to clean up your export file. ...Read More »

Google SketchUp Essential Training: Smoothing edges By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri takes a look at smoothing or softening the edges of objects in SketchUp. George creates a a 12 sided circle and a polygon to show how to smooth the edges of the objects, to show how to smooth them. ...Read More »

Google SketchUp Essential Training: Text Tools By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri takes a look at some of the text options in SketchUp and discusses the tools available to work with text, starting with the Text Tool and the 3D Text Tool. They are different in the way that they work and George goes over some of the differences. ...Read More »

Google SketchUp Essential Training: Rectangle Tool By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri takes a look at the Rectangle Tool. He shows how to draw a rectangle, shows how to draw a vertical rectangle, use the snapping tool, sizing the rectangle, and discusses the golden section, an 8 to 5 rectangle. He also shows how to make custom sized rectangles. ...Read More »

Google SketchUp Essential Training: Line Tool 3D By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri continues discussion with the pencil tool and shows how to snap to faces and edges, covers the end point, the mid point, snapping to the midpoint, using the pencil tool to draw lines onto faces to create a continuous object. He also shows how to make a vertical extension, to add on to what you've created whatever sort of 3D shape that you want. ...Read More »

Google SketchUp Essential Training: The Line Tool By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri talks about modeling, creating objects from scratch in SketchUp. He begins with the Line tool, and shows how the Line tool works and creates a face, which is the start of the 3D modeling process. He also covers the snapping tools. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Basic Masking By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses how to apply a mask to a model. When starting to add detail to a model, there will be times when you want to apply a mask to the model. Eric shows you how to apply masks to a 3D model. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Subdivisions By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller covers the ability to move between levels of subdivisions in a sculpture. He shows how to subdivide the model using the subdivision controls in the tool palette; shows how to add a level of subdivision to the model, which quadruples the level of subdivision in the model; and shows how to move between levels of subdivision as well. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Z Spheres By Eric Keller Once you have your basic 3 ZSphere arrangement, you are ready to start adding to the armature to create more of a figure like shape, and Eric shows you how to do so in this clip. He also shows how to add another ZSphere, scale it down, add arms via the Draw tool and also add shoulders, and more. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: ZSpheres By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller covers the ZSpheres, which are used to create armatures for digital sculptures. The basic idea is to create a starting point to create a geometry, and Eric details how to use ZSpheres to create that starting point so you can build and pose your own armatures. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Symmetry By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses the Symmetry tool in ZBrush, which enables you to work on both sides of a model at the same time, which is an advantage over working with clay in the real world. It is a huge timesaver and Eric explains how to use it. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Deformers By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses another way to get started with your 3D sculptures in ZBrush is to use the deformations sub-palette in the tool palette. You can apply a number of deformers to the 3D tool to come up with your own unique shapes. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Startup Meshes By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller explains that when you are ready to start working with a 3D sculpture in ZBrush, you can start by using one of the aptly named 3D startup meshes that are found in the tool palette. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Sculpting Controls By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses ZBrush's Sculpting Controls. When you are working with a 3D digital sculpture in ZBrush, you will need to constantly rotate and reposition the 3D object while you are sculpting on it. Eric covers the tools to sufficiently sculpt on the ZBrush canvas. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Layout Preferences By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller discusses the Zbrush interface and how you can cutomize it to fit your own working style. He shows how to rearrange things on the interface so that you can focus just on the sculpting. He shows how to use the presets to move through the various interface arrangements that you can choose to work with. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Memory settings By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller talks about memory and how ZBrush uses a lot of memory when working with dense models. He shows how to tune or set the memory controls in the preference menus, setting the compact mem slider to optimize the memory parameters. ...Read More »

ZBrush 3 for Windows Essential Training: Layout Preferences By Eric Keller In this clip, Lynda.com host Eric Keller covers the customization process of the ZBrush interface. He shows how to rearrange the interface to your work style. He details the presets that are built into ZBrush. He shows where to find the presets, and what each of the presets are used for. If you just want to work on the model itself without some of the other controls, you can set the interface accordingly. ...Read More »

C4D QuickTip #03 By Ko Maruyama Many Adobe After Effects users expect other applications to set keyframes automatically for them each time they make changes to parameters. With 3D applications, that can involve creating multiple keyframes every time you click which could be terrible. But, there are some good ways to use Autokeyframe... some. ...Read More »

C4D QuickTip #04 By Ko Maruyama You know there are many different ways to use your materials, many different ways to create materials - well here are some easy ways to not only get your bitmap textures in, copy them to multiple channels, but also turn texture tags on and off without removing them! THREE TUTORIAL VIDEOS one quick tip each ...Read More »

R11 C4D QuickTip #02 By Ko Maruyama You don't have to rely on the F9 key, or the attributes window to set keyframes. You can set keyframes directly in the editor window. Sure you can... ...Read More »

R11 C4D QuickTip #01 By Ko Maruyama In this QuickTip, I'll show you how easy it is to navigate your scene with R11. Of course, you could create something similar in earlier version, but it was never this easy. ...Read More »

Character Rigging in 3ds max: Animate in IK By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri discusses how to animate with IK and how to switch between IK and forward kinematics. First up is to create a bone chain via the Bones tool, turn on the IK chain assignment to create a two bone chain. He then shows how to animate the bone chain using the IK goal by turning on auto key and setting some keys. He then shows how to animate via forward kinematics. ...Read More »

Character Rigging in 3ds max By George Maestri In this clip, Lynda.com host George Maestri discusses IK, or inverse kinematics, which allows bones to rotate automatically so the ends of the bones stay at the same position in space, which is particularly important for things like the legs and feet, so that you can keep your character's feet planted on the ground when they walk, and on the arms. He shows how IK works, and how you set it up in 3ds max. ...Read More »

Shortcuts for CINEMA4D: Creating Relationships By Ko Maruyama Creating new hierarchies in MAXON's CINEMA4D is a snap. It's as easy as dragging one object to another, or sometimes even easier. The quick pace of broadcast graphics means that you need to have shortcuts at your disposal to keep up. Here are a couple that will make your object management much more streamlined ...Read More »

CINEMA 4D multiple passes By Ko Maruyama Adam Swaab has come up with a new version of his object manager for all CINEMA 4D's R11 software. This plug-in called " Render Elements" is an excellent way to easily manage objects within your scene for different render passes. Although the most recent versions of CINEMA 4D allow for easy management of multiple objects with the later browser, Adams plug-in is a simple and straightforward solution. ...Read More »

Tips to Slim Down (your project) in 2009 By Ko Maruyama It's time for those New Years resolutions to start piling up. You know the ones: I'm going to eat healthy food. I won't slouch at my desk. I'll spend less time on Facebook, Twitter and (insert your own)... I'M GOING TO SLIM DOWN. Well how about some slimming tips you might actually stick to? Here are some ways to slim down your animation projects in 2009.... ...Read More »

iPod Video from MAXON's C4D R11 By Ko Maruyama There are many great new features in the latest release from MAXON in their CINEMA 4D R11 package. One simple, yet time saving features is the redesigned Render Setting menu. In the render setting preferences, C4D comes with a bunch of video presets you use often, including Apple's ipod video 4x3 format. ...Read More »

Halloween Hats By Ko Maruyama It's that time again. Time for some more 3D Photoshop files. Here is a simple file, actually three for you to play around with. In Photoshop CS3 Extended, you can jump into the 3D texture and modify the UV material to customize your 3D model. Of course you can also use clipping layers to do some really simple color modification as well. ...Read More »

See CMI's CINEMA4D R11 By Ko Maruyama They're launching their 7th training video for Maxon's Cinema 4d R11 3D application, but this time it will include the extensive use of the new tools Doodle, BodyPaint 4, and Projection Man. Content for this show was created in partnership with Chris Maynard, Michael Marcondes and Saizen Media for the commercial group cmi-saizen studios. The product series has been in development for nearly a year, and is fine tuned to work with a variety of different skill leveled users. ...Read More »