Issue link: http://digital.copcomm.com/i/1474486
j u ly • a u g u s t • s e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 2 c g w 2 3 I was excited for the opportunity to share a technique when Maxon approached me for 3DMS, and got the impression they were looking for something more introductory in nature. I ended up choosing my Skulleidoscope project, as it's a great way to showcase that C4D allows you to quickly create something visually interesting using only a few very basic MoGraph components. I started the presentation by walking through several of the Skul- leidoscopes I'd already put together, how I assembled the scene, and why I made the choices I did. Then I broke down how to create one yourself using any asset at your disposal (in this example I used a 3D model of Beeple's head) which I would say covers the founda- tions of a MoGraph workflow. Starting with a Voronoi Fracture and a Matrix Object, the asset is first prepared by slicing it, a step highly modifiable to suit your needs. Aer some cleanup the asset will be divided into however many sliced elements you settled on, all of which should then be placed into a group with a plain effector. Make sure the plain is set to Object mode in the effector's Deformer tab. Once that's done, navigate to the effector's Falloff tab, where you will be able to tie its influence to a Field. In my example I used a Linear Field to keep things straightforward. Once that's been done, the field can be keyframed to distribute the effector's influence however you see fit. Finally, throw the group into a Cloner set to Radial mode and you're done! I love simple techniques like this because of how they can act as a blank canvas, allowing any artist following along to insert their own flair into the mix at any point in the process. I certainly appreciate when more advanced approaches are shared as well, but feel they can be too prescriptive in some cases. I sometimes have a hard time following many tutorials to the end because they'll show me something new at some point in the process which leads me off on a tangent to push the boundaries of that one little piece. How do you utilize Maxon's suite of creative tools for your projects and workflow management? Cinema4D is a piece of soware that forms the basis of my entire workflow, and I use it even in situations where it may not be con- ventionally appropriate, such as the creation of 2D graphics. I am a 3D maximalist, and am most comfortable using it above all else. Comfort in the soware I'm using is such an important part of my creative process, as I produce my best work while in the flow of cre- ation. This is an ethereal state where the physical world, time, and the self are completely subsumed by the force of creation. It is an extremely powerful state where one must continue moving to per- sist, driven purely by instinct. If you need to stop to look something up, it dies. If you hesitate, it dies. If you stop, you die. To achieve this state requires absolute familiarity with the tools you're using and this is something I've managed to reach in some of the C4D workflows I use daily. This is aided in no small part by GPU renderers such as Octane or Redshi, whose instant feedback allow an uninterrupted flow of creation, modification, and manifes- tation of vision. Do you have any advice for up-and-coming digital artists? Strive for familiarity with your tools. Use them when you need to, and when you don't. Make whatever crap floats into your head that day. Do dailies. Whatever it takes to get time in the soware. Start with following tutorials step by step, but branch out when you're ready to. This is the only means I've found to build familiarity and comfort in the tools I use. Embrace the community before you. During my time in the MoGraph community I've met some of the kindest and most helpful Ross Morris