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    Help needed: Export Cinema 4D animation Scene Node network to Unity

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    • V
      visual-summer last edited by

      I have a scene node network which represents an animation, but I need help to export this network from Cinema 4D to Unity. Since neither as .fbx or .alembic file the animation can be activated in Unity. Can anyone help me with this? If necessary, I can also send the network for viewing.

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      • Dr. Sassi
        Dr. Sassi last edited by

        Hi visual-summer,

        I have not worked with the Game Engine / Scene Node combination. Otherwise, I might have found that the "Current State To Classic" misses the animation and would not have spent much time exploring this.
        To avoid missing something, I asked around, but in the end, I filled out a report.

        You might check with tech support regarding your current setup, as all I could do was set something up on my own that might not match your setup.
        https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

        Sorry to have no better news for you.

        Cheers

        Dr. Sassi Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
        Senior Trainer, Maxon Master Trainer, L&D - Strategist
        Cinema 4D mentor since 2004, Member of VES, DCS.

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        • V
          visual-summer last edited by

          Hi Dr. Sassi,

          thank you very much for your quick reply.

          The main problem is that this Scene Node network has only been set up in the Scene Node environment, so there is no object in the object manager, but the content/scene/animation is visible in the editor.

          However, this Scene Node network cannot be converted into static objects/animation. ‘Current State To Classic’.

          This means that no keys appear on the timeline if you want to output the scene as an .fbx or alembic file. This seems to be the actual problem, so that a successful transfer to Unity is not possible.

          How to activate .fbx or alembic animations directly in Unity is known so far.

          Best regards.

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          • Dr. Sassi
            Dr. Sassi last edited by

            Hi visual-summer,

            Yes, that is a nice summary of my reply above. If there are not a lot of objects, and the animation is Keyframe-based in the Node Editor, they appear in the Timeline Editor and can copied to the Current State to Classic. I fear the set-up of yours is not that simple.

            If there is any chance that it can be done with MoGrpah or particles, I'm happy to look into it.

            In case you send a file, I strictly open only from Dropbox, Wetransfer, Google, Adobe, or Apple, no zips or rar, no Tiny URLs. Thank you.

            As I wrote, I have written a report, and I hope it will be taken care of. How fast - is not up to me, Sorry.

            Enjoy your weekend

            Dr. Sassi Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
            Senior Trainer, Maxon Master Trainer, L&D - Strategist
            Cinema 4D mentor since 2004, Member of VES, DCS.

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            • V
              visual-summer last edited by

              Here you can find the Wetransfer Link https://we.tl/t-jgk6xwMZZz

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              • Dr. Sassi
                Dr. Sassi last edited by Dr. Sassi

                Hi visual-summer,

                Thank you very much for the file, and using Wetransfer!

                Practically, this is the set up, but done "the classic way".
                Is that helping to get things going towards Unity?
                (I do not have Unity installed here.)

                CV4_2025_drs_24_PArg_01.c4d

                All the best

                Dr. Sassi Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
                Senior Trainer, Maxon Master Trainer, L&D - Strategist
                Cinema 4D mentor since 2004, Member of VES, DCS.

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                • V
                  visual-summer last edited by

                  The export from Cinema4D and import into Unity works with the Alembic file format at the moment so far that the particles are visible in Unity and also move, I assume through the Mograph effector turbulence. Unfortunately, the structure along the spline is not exported at the moment. Do you have any tips for me in this regard?

                  I have the impression that this is actually a very complex way to get data from Cinema4D into Unity. I am considering whether it would be more worthwhile to deal directly with Unity's own particle system.

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                  • Dr. Sassi
                    Dr. Sassi last edited by

                    Hi visual-summer,

                    Splines can be exported via Alembic. Please note: Bezier will be converted to Linear, for example. This means the interplate settings become important.

                    When you cache the new Particle System, it uses Alembic as a format. Have you tried this route?

                    If you have questions about Unity, that would be best in the Unity Forum, or as I did, I googled it, and it tells me that Unity can use Alembic Particle data to feed into their particle system. I have not done it, so please check with Unity Documentation or the usual forums, as I have not. When I answer, typically, I have done it with the current installations as things change, and answering from memory has not shown a winning strategy over the past decades. Hence, my suggestion is to ask artists who do this daily.

                    If we get more questions from more artists about Unity, I'm sure the tutorial content can be updated faster. There have been very few requests lately about Unity, even though we introduced the Cineware plug-in four years ago.
                    https://www.maxon.net/en/article/maxon-announces-cineware-by-maxon-plug-in-for-unity-technologies
                    The industry uses Unreal, especially since the strong rise of LED Studio productions.

                    You have an educational version; what is your department's support of this project?

                    All the best

                    Dr. Sassi Sassmannshausen Ph.D.
                    Senior Trainer, Maxon Master Trainer, L&D - Strategist
                    Cinema 4D mentor since 2004, Member of VES, DCS.

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