StretchLearn Course

Learn Cinema 4D the way motion designers actually use it

Interface, spline modelling, MoGraph, and Redshift rendering, finished with a clean After Effects handoff.

Beginner9 hrSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This beginner course teaches the core of Maxon Cinema 4D the way motion designers actually use it. You will navigate the interface and Object Manager, build geometry from primitives and NURBS-style spline generators, drive instant motion with the MoGraph Cloner and effectors, and light and render with both the built-in Standard renderer and Redshift. By the end you can render a multi-pass beauty plus an alpha and depth pass and composite the result in After Effects.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Navigate the Cinema 4D interface, viewport, and Object Manager hierarchy with confidence

Model objects using parametric primitives and spline-driven generators such as Extrude and Sweep

Build and animate scatter and array setups with the MoGraph Cloner and effectors

Light a scene and assign materials for both the Standard and Redshift render engines

Configure render settings and output a multi-pass render with alpha and depth

Export an image sequence and camera data that drops straight into After Effects compositing

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: The Cinema 4D Interface and Scene Structure

Get oriented in the Cinema 4D workspace, learn to navigate the viewport, and understand how objects, tags, and hierarchy build a scene in the Object Manager.

3 lessons

Touring the Interface and Viewport NavigationContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

The Object Manager and Scene HierarchyContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Objects, Generators, and Staying Non-DestructiveContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Modelling with Primitives and Splines

Build real geometry by combining parametric primitives and by turning 2D splines into 3D objects with generators like Extrude, Lathe, and Sweep.

3 lessons

Building with Parametric Primitives and DeformersContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Drawing and Editing SplinesContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Spline Generators: Extrude, Lathe, Sweep, and LoftContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Motion with MoGraph: Cloners and Effectors

Use the MoGraph toolset, the feature Cinema 4D is most famous for, to clone objects into arrays and animate them with effectors and fields.

3 lessons

The MoGraph ClonerContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Effectors and FieldsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Keyframe Animation and a MoGraph BuildContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Lighting, Rendering, and the After Effects Handoff

Light and texture the scene, render with the Standard renderer or Redshift, and export a multi-pass sequence with alpha and depth that drops straight into After Effects.

3 lessons

Lighting and Materials for Standard and RedshiftContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Render Settings and Multi-Pass OutputContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Exporting and Compositing in After EffectsContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

Cinema 4DMoGraphspline modellingRedshift renderermotion graphics3D renderingAfter Effects compositingMaxon