Adobe After Effects

The Cinema 4D Renderer

So far, everything we’ve been working with has utilized After Effect’s default Classic 3D renderer, and we’ve reached the end of its list of features.

However, there is another renderer—that is, a different algorithm for producing 3D—than the Classic 3D. It’s called the Cinema 4D renderer, because it uses the same rendering algorithm as the 3D software with the same name. There’s a lot that it can do, but there’s also quite a bit it can’t do. Understanding the differences between the renderers is key to producing the 3D look you want.

Switch renderers with the drop-down in the lower-right of the Composition panel, or in Composition > Composition Settings > 3D Renderer. For the remainder of this chapter, we’ll look at features ...