Cinema 4D R20 SP2 Released
MAXON released service pack 2 (SP2, version 20.057) for Cinema 4D R20. For details on bugfixes and changes see the announcement on our homepage.
In parallel we updated the SDK documentation for C++ and Python.
C++:
Python:
Melange SDK V20.004 Release (Build #259890)
The Melange SDK for Cinema 4D R20 has been released.
Main changes (see full changelist):
- Added: Instance Object can be created and tweaked. Its matrix and color arrays can be set for multi-instance mode. See InstanceObjectData.
- Added: Read/Copy/Write data support for:
- Fields: FieldLayer, FieldList, iFieldCustomDatatype
- Volume Builder and Group: VolumeBuilderData, VolumeGroupData
- Change: Added read/copy/write data support for:
- Fracture Voronoi and Point Generator: MoGraphFractureVoronoiObject, PointGenerator
- XPresso Tag and Node Operators: GvExpressionData, GvOperatorData
- Change: Node-based materials: While Melange 20 SDK does not give access to the node-based materials API nor provides means to create node materials, the data will be preserved as good as possible upon loading and saving scene files.
DevKitchen 2018 Aftermath
Hello everybody,
first of all, we would like to thank everybody, who attended DevKitchen 2018. It was really nice to meet you all in person. And we hope, you liked the meal we served.
It was the largest DevKitchen we have had so far. Unfortunately we even had to turn down some developers, due to the room being full. Thanks for the amount of interest.
The good news, with all this interest, you can probably expect another DevKitchen next year.
For all those who were not able to attend, here are the slides of our presentations (see announcement with timetable here):
- DevKitchen 2018 – Introduction
- DevKitchen 2018 – Porting a Plugin from R19 to R20
- DevKitchen 2018 – MAXON API – General Concepts
- DevKitchen 2018 – MAXON API – Basic Tools
- DevKitchen 2018 – Python in Cinema 4D R20
- DevKitchen 2018 – Programming Cinema 4D R20 Features
The source code used during the presentations can be found on GitHub.
We are aware, slides without the accompanying talk are like Cinema without 4D. We are currently evaluating in what way, we can improve this situation.
The DevKitchen was one day packed with information, maybe even a bit too much for a single day. We are thinking about splitting future DevKitchens in two half days.
Cheers,
Andreas, in the name of the entire SDK Team
Updated c4dpy for Cinema 4D R20 SP1 Hotfix (20.030)
Today MAXON released a Hotfix for Cinema 4D R20. The accompanying c4dpy executable has been uploaded and is available on the Downloads page.
DevKitchen 2018
Dear Developer Community,
thanks to everybody who pre-registered for our DevKitchen. This really helped us in planning the event.
The DevKitchen 2018 will take place as part of the Cinema 4D Supermeet in Frankfurt am Main on November 1st and 2nd, 2018.
The talks will be held on day one of the Supermeet (November 1st, 2018).
The Menu
| Time | Chef | Course |
|---|---|---|
| 09:00 | Doors open | |
| 09:30 – 09:45(*) | Entremètier Andreas Block |
Amuse-Gueule Introduction and Welcome |
| 09:45 – 10:45 | Garde-manger Riccardo Gigante |
Potages Demo Porting a Plugin from Cinema 4D R19 to R20 |
| 10:45 – 11:00 | Coffee Break | |
| 11:00 – 12:15 | Garde-manger Riccardo Gigante |
Hors d’œuvre MAXON API – General Concepts The new way to develop plugins
|
| 12:15 – 13:15 | Lunch Break | |
| 13:15 – 14:45 | Entremètier Andreas Block |
Poissons MAXON API – Basic Tools
|
| 14:45 – 15:15 | Coffee Break | |
| 15:15 – 16:15 | Rôtisseur Maxime Adam and Saucier Yannick Puech |
Grosses Pièces Python in Cinema 4D R20
|
| 16:15 – 17:30 | Pâtissier Sebastian Bach |
Petits Fours Features of Cinema 4D R20 and Their APIs
|
(*) Please note: We are starting half an hour earlier than the Supermeet.
The entire SDK Team will be there, leading you through the day. Of course we are available for discussions and Q&A during both days of the Supermeet.
DevKitchen itself is free. As a DevKitchen attendee you will get free access to the entire Supermeet, including food, drinks and the party in the evening of day one. Being registered for DevKitchen, you do not need to acquire a separate ticket for the Supermeet.
By now DevKitchen is fully booked. We are not able to accept any additional registrations. Sorry.
For details on location and how to get there, please see the Cinema 4D Supermeet page.
There’s another interesting option:
As a plugin developer you may want to present your plugin to our users. Actually all islands on our “playground” are booked by now. But there will also be an “open stage”, where you could still reserve a time slot to present your plugins during day two of the Supermeet. If this sounds interesting to you, please contact us for further discussion.
Looking forward to meet you,
your SDK Team
first time around?
Pick the right API for the right job
The very first thing you will need to do is choose which API will suit your needs.
Cinema 4D has… three APIs, the first two may be used to add functionality and are part of the product’s distribution:
- C++
The C++ SDK is what is used internally by the development team to write all our product’s functionalities. It is robust reliable and the obvious choice for commercial plugins. The C++ SDK offers the most extended capabilities of all APIs. Yet, if you are new in software development the learning curve may be a bit too steep. Then you probably want to have a look at the scripting languages. - Python
Python is a scripting languages. It is a good choice for TDs, easier, more flexible to use than the C++ API, but the feature set exposed is a bit less extended. In general Python provides the means for very rapid development. On the other hand your sources are harder to protect in Python, your algorithms are easily exposed to all for reading. - Mélange
Mélange is a bit different, as it provides means to exchange data with the “outside world”. It can be downloaded on this site.
Find information
All APIs have their own documentation which can be downloaded from this website. That documentation contains two things: articles explaining concepts and a functional documentation of the header files. The later is generated directly from our sources and is written by our development team. We publish relevant articles on our plugin development blog. These articles eventually find their way into the API documentation.
The first place to look is on your chosen API’s page. We will explain how to setup your development environment and get results fast.
Find help
We all need help once in a while. For this we have the Plugin Café forum where all are invited to ask questions and provide answers. Our support engineers will do their best to provide a solution to your problem.