Manuals

Cinema 4D 2024.4.0 uses a version 3.11 CPython interpreter to run its Python code. Visit the official CPython documentation for more information about Python.

Python Environment

These manuals provide an overview of how to setup and configure the Cinema 4D Python environment.

Python in Cinema 4D Manual	Provides an introduction into the Cinema 4D Python API.
Python Console Manual	Describes the development functionalities of the Cinema 4D console.
Python Libraries Manual	Describes how third party Python libraries can be installed for Cinema 4D instances.
Visual Studio Code Integration Manual	Describes how to use Visual Studio Code to enhance your Cinema 4D Python API scripting experience.
c4dpy Manual	Describes how use the standalone Python interpreter shipped with Cinema 4D.
Python Resources	Lists out additional general and Cinema 4D specific Python resources.
Symbols Manual	Describes details of the mxutils.ImportSymbols symbol parsing.

API

These manuals describe types, frameworks, or concepts in the classic or maxon API.

Matrix Manual	Explains the concept of transforms and how they are represented by the type c4d.Matrix.
Threading Manual	Explains the restrictions of the classic API threading system.
Message System Manual	Describes the classic API message system used to convey information within the application.
Descriptions in Cinema 4D	Describes handling object parameters in Cinema 4D.
Input Events	Describes handling keyboard and mouse inputs.
Plugin Structure	Describes the directory structure of plugins and the boot-sequence of Cinema 4D.
NodeData Manual	Describes the base class of all plugins that implement a node such as objects, tags, and shaders.
ObjectData Manual	Describes the base class of all plugins that implement an object, such as polygon generators, spline generators, and deformers.
PolygonObject Manual	Describes the class with which polygonal geometry is represented in the classic API.
LodObject Manual	Describes the LodObject type for managing levels of detail for geometry.
BaseTime Manual	Describes how time is represented in Cinema 4D with the type c4d.BaseTime.
Color Profiles	Describes how Cinema 4D uses color profiles to manage color spaces.
Document Animation Manual	Showcases how to manually animate a document.
Writing delta time plugins	Describes writing delta time plugin.
MAXON API Manual	Provides an introduction into the maxon API.
Asset API Manual	Provide content as reusable assets served with the Cinema 4D Asset Browser.
Graph Description Manual	Learn how write scripts that generate and update node materials using the graph description syntax.

Script Manager & Scripting Objects

These manuals describe the various scripting elements that can be found inside Cinema 4D such as Script Manager scripts or the Python Generator object.

Python Script Manager Manual	Describes how to use the Script Manager and the special module attributes of Script Manager scripts.
Python Generator Object Manual	Describes the Python Generator object and its special module attributes.
Python Programming Tag Manual	Describes the Python Programming tag and its special module attributes.
Python Effector Object Manual	Describes the Python Effector object and its special module attributes.
Python Field Object and Layer Manual	Describes the Python Field object and its special module attributes.
Python Xpresso Node Manual	Describes the Python Xpresso node and its special module attributes.
Python Character Component Tag Manual	Describes the Python Character tag and its special module attributes.
Python Interaction Tag Manual	Describes the Python Interaction tag and its special module attributes.
Python Visual Selector Tag Manual	Describes the Python Visual Selector tag and its special module attributes.
Python Sketch and Toon Material Manual	Describes the Sketch and Toon Material Python parameter and its special module attributes.