Hi supermarket-doubt,

The file was not uploaded. For security reasons, zip (or any compressed file) is disabled. Cinema 4D as c4d files and max 1MB work. If larger, please use Dropbox, WeTransfer, Apple, Adobe, or Google Cloud services only. Please use no zip, rar, etc., during upload, and paste the URL for the file in the text; do not include an HTML wrapper or a Tiny URL. Thank you, and I apologize for the lengthy text.
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The Softbody takes over, and the Skin Deformer is no longer in use. If you take other Simulations, the result is different, but the Hierarchy drives the trouble.

My suggestion #1, use a PoseMorph.

Here, you can use a Collision Deformer result, which can be applied after disabling the Skin deformer. Which might lead to a T-Pose. So, you might want to take a copy and, in the sitting position, set the Binding Pose to new.

Now switch the Skin Deformer off and apply the Collision Deformer to the Character. (If you like to show some impact on Character.) The seat must be positioned within the Collision field of the Deformer.

If the deformation looks right, use the Object Manager > Object > Current State to Object (CSTO) to create a deformed copy. If needed, use the Magnet or Iron Tool to shape the Character's details that come in contact with the chair.

Now, you can switch off the Collision Deformer or delete it. The result of the CSTO can now be used in a PoseMorph. Apply the PoseMorph to the Character mesh and set it to Point mode.

Drag the CSTO result into the field of the Poses. I suggest to use "no" for the Alert. Set the Pose Morph to animation and the Pose slider to zero. Switch the Skin Deformer back on.

Now, you can add the impact of the chair to the Character by animating or just adjusting the slider.
Example:
CV4_2025_drs_25_CAdf_01.c4d

My suggestion #2: Do the opposite. Deform the Chair Cushion. Typically, the Barcelona Chair is not very soft, but the impact might be visible.
That means the Character becomes the Collision, and the Chair Cushion becomes the Collision Deformer. Explore the Object>Restore Slider value of the Collision Deformer.
Example:
CV4_2025_drs_25_ANdf_01.c4d

Or, a suggestion combining #1 and #2: Of course, for a close-up, perhaps a little bit of example 1 and much more of example 2 might be a good balance. For the quick Solution, use a CSTO of the cushion and sculpt the contact area into the mesh. For animation, use the PoseMorph options. I leave that to you to explore, no example.

All the best

Hi MV,

You're absolutely on the right track—your analogy between raster and vector graphics is a helpful comparison. Many CAD modelers are built on mathematical definitions for shapes, allowing for anything from rough approximations to extremely high precision. Engines like ACIS (developed by Spatial Technologies in the 1980s) exemplify how far this can go: they define geometry at a near-perfect level and are widely used in various industries.

The translation of those mathematically precise models into polygons is a critical step. It's where one must balance smoothness, performance, and data size. What works brilliantly in machine tooling, for example, can become impractical in character animation—context always matters.
Your mention of IK (and FK) brings this point home again. Here, FK is often underrated, and when people lean too heavily on automation, it's sometimes a sign they haven't fully mastered the manual approach. I speak from experience—while I have a full motion capture setup, for smaller tasks like animating just a finger, I always go manual. Starting the whole setup while knowing that cleaning up work is needed makes that an easy decision. It's quicker, more direct, and often gives me the control I need without the overhead.

The same principle applies to Dynamics and Simulation. I used the first Maxon Dynamics Module released around 2002, and while it opened new possibilities, it also changed the nature of the questions I received. Many artists hoped dynamics would replace the need to learn animation fundamentals. But dynamics has no understanding of artistic intent—it's physics, not storytelling. This became even clearer when the Bullet system replaced the earlier module. The ability to throw something into a simulation was seductive, but the results often needed art direction—and that's where limitations surfaced.

Cinema 4D is not a game engine in my book; it's built for artists. So, over the years, we developed tricks and workarounds to regain expression control over simulation results. Ironically, bending dynamics to follow an artistic vision can take longer than simply animating things manually. That trade-off between control and automation is always present.

So, thank you for bringing up the raster–vector analogy. Once precision is translated into polygons (with inherently straight edges), we rely on smoothing methods to hide the loss. But the process is rarely reversible—you can't easily turn polygons back into their original mathematical perfection that the formula had.

As for robot arms and advanced rigs, I've tested many versions over the years, including complex constraint-based systems. Our team even ran internal challenges to find the best approaches, and problems, some of which led to improvements in the software. Here's one example from that period:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dNmL-NpU_w

But challenges remain. For example, dynamic or simulation systems have no built-in understanding of problems like gimbal lock or Euler angle issues (see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Euler_angles). Connectors and joints work well to a point, but there are limitations.

That said, I won't discourage you. Quite the opposite—I'm glad you're exploring this. If anyone finds a novel solution, it might just be someone like you who's willing to dive deep into a problem others have walked past. Just keep asking: what's the actual goal? Is it a render, an animation system, or something else?

You might find useful insights in academic research—there are papers exploring joint systems with up to 20 degrees of freedom, sometimes even with shared code examples. For those cases, I'd recommend visiting the Developer Café, as our current forum doesn't support code sharing due to security policies.

Whatever direction you choose, I wish you the best. Choose your goals with care, and go deep. That's where the breakthroughs happen.

My best wishes

P.S.: CV4_2025_drs_25_CAsd_41.c4d
___ .CV4_2025_drs_25_CAsd_51.c4d

Hi relationship-developement,

This is difficult to tell from an image. I work from Project files. Those work or not. Images typically require lots of questions* and perhaps even more questions.

*Example (not that I ask for answers to that; I need a file): Is the scale matching the Simulation scale. Are the iterations (etc.) enough to handle it, the distance (Search Radius), and the collision Shapes. Have you tried to use simplified tires? What is the Draw Mode telling you? All of those questions can be avoided with a file.

I can take a look at it., but if you share a file (and it looks larger than 1MB, then please only use DropBox, Wetransfer, Apple, Adobe, or Google Cloud services. Please upload the file uncompressed (no zip and surely not rar). Also, share the URL as is, not shortened or in an HTML wrapper. Just paste in the text. Sorry for the long request text, but safety first.

All the best

Hi hurt-valuable,

Why not use PolyFX?

Please have a look at the example below. Place your image sequence in the material.

CV4_2025_drs_25_MGpx_01.c4d

Is this working for you?

All the best

Hi Dave,

Thanks for the reply. It sounds easy for you to decide then.

As a side note, if you need some versions back, keep an eye on this link.
https://www.maxon.net/en/downloads
All the best

Hi MV,

Yes, it would be great to set the object axis, define their freedom, and anything else is handled, with no upper limit of complexity.

Please allow me for anyone reading along to put the idea of comparing these apps in perspective. (Yes, I'm naturally biased here, no argument)

To compare Solid Works with Cinema 4D might have some problems. Given that it has no 6 axis IK toolset to begin with, going by search results, at least nothing that would allow for the required precision.

From my search, not all versions can handle 4 or 5 axes, and depending on the version you use, it costs 3 to 4 times more as a subscription per year. Whereas the Standard version can't provide that amount of axis. So, that brings the price point to four times. Sure, it is a completely different app. Hence, I presume they work great as a pipeline for these workflows.

Typically any number give, so far my search and understanding, is not a 6 single with each used on a different element. Higher learning and massive computing is currently explored to solve more, but there is no sign so far that it can be solved with over the counter computers. Hence it needs some tricks, typically done with a major movement of one and a connected smaller IK.

The IK system in Cinema 4D is developed for character animation, and the few times that was not enough, going by the questions I have gotten over the past two decades, is slim.

If you need something like this and others request the same, perhaps at one point, something complex like 6+ axis IK and 3D support will show up.

Please Share Your Idea here:
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

I had to test the rig of course, with an endless Loop

https://projectfiles.maxon.net/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2025_PROJECTS_DRS/20250610_CV4_2025_drs_25_CAsd_11.c4d.zip

Edit: I add this file to showcase how a 3D IK with Limits would react. While it is not even complete.
CV4_2025_drs_25_CAsd_31.c4d

All the best

Thank you, MV, for the reply.

From experience, I know that will not fly. But as usual, I checked if some of the newer features support overcoming those limitations.

There is no 3D setup with many joints (2+) that allows for single or double-axis freedom only (meaning all other axes are locked).

The only example that I could suggest to come close (NOT MATCHING!) to the target is to split the IK and have either a shared Goal or Base.

Example.
CV4_2025_drs_25_CAra_01.c4d
I have no idea, nor have I seen, that this is possible with the IK Tag when a Robot arm precision is required.

Sorry

All the best

Hi _carsonjones,

I'm not aware of a shortcut solution or any workflow that would prevent the steps you mentioned.

You might voice your idea here ("Share Your Ideas")
https://www.maxon.net/en/support-center

All the best

Hi _carsonjones,

I have not installed them in a while, and only if I have a question if it works in a newer version. Which is not easy to answer, as I can't stress test each for a day or so. So, I try to see them as EOL.

Sorry for the delay, but I had to ask.

You can download and install these manually, but there is no support anymore, e.g., no updates as far as I got it.

If the Python source is Python v2, it might cause trouble.

Sorry, I have no better news.

All the best

Hi Dave,

I have not found a problem deleting older versions.

Keep in mind that some 3rd party plug-ins might have no update for future versions. If you need to open an older project that relies on those, you might be without luck.
If I run into those things, I take the App folder and zip it, and then I delete the original. Given the zip-compression works, that should provide some security. (Of course, keep the De/Compression app on file in the same way. I had compressed videos in archive segments, and those can't be read with newer versions.

There are even artists (The Meyers/Ae books) who suggested storing older computers to open up old projects, which I do with laptops. Typically, sometimes those are life savers.

Cheers

Hi MV,

Thanks for the file, I love having something to work with!

Here is the simplest way to animate this arm, as far as I can think about it. Anything simpler would be just a User Data mixer that controls the 6 axes, while the objects would be set up in a Hierarchy.

I hope this tiny IK setup drives most of the motion.

I have placed behind the "Circles" the Rotation parameter name (e.g., R.H) so you don't have to memorize it.

Additionally, when you set up Circles as a Group Parent, consider having the axis Z point in the arms' direction; it makes life easier. Joints are not mandatory in the Z direction, as most tools in Cinema, 4D, work with the assumption that Z is used.

I have animated the rig, but I also used the default position's Freeze option to quickly reset everything.

It is my firm belief that a proper arm aligns as much as possible on each axis, so when one arm higher in the hierarchy has to rotate to avoid perhaps an Euler problem, the Tool on the tip doesn't move in circles. I hope I found the sweet spot in this model as well.

Here is the file back.
https://projectfiles.maxon.net/Cineversity_Forum_Support/2025_PROJECTS_DRS/20250609_CV4_2025_drs_25_CAsd_03.c4d.zip

All the best

Hi Blake,

If an MRI slice works for you (excellent idea), then please check out this file if this goes along with your idea.

CV4_2025_drs_25_RSbf_01.c4d

All the best

Hi Blake,

Motion blur is based on the points of an object, and the points can move differently than the object axis, e.g., in character animation.

Boole creates new points and amount of points. Which destroys the idea of Motion Blur.

The Error message is
Warning: Object: "Placeholder" contains inconsistent topology. Deformation Blur output will be inconsistent.

In some cases, a merged Motion Vector pass will work in Post, but the chances are rare that it fits, or if so, how much work that might be to create all needed masks, etc.

Sorry to have no better solution.

My best wishes

The Error is from the c4d file, over 1MB*
*If the C4D file is above 1MB and can't be uploaded here as is, please use only DropBox, Google, WeTransfer, Adobe, or Apple Cloud services. Please upload the file as is, no rar or zip. Paste the URL as is (no tiny url or HTML wrapper). Sorry for the long instruction, but safety first. Yes, I will not touch anything else. But please note, I have no solution for Redshift changing point amount, etc., Motion Blur.

All the best

Hi MV,

Here is an upload link. I will leave it here for a short time.
(…)

I need only the model. No IK.

Cheers

Hi MarcusVirtus,

Find the three points/single parallel axis for the main arm and ignore the shapes of the arm. Try to see your previous model in it; perhaps it helps to imagine the green part mirrored as well to the right side.

These three points do not end in the head of the Lilac part. Use the horizontal axis of the red base part, then the one of the small blue part, and the goal is the "end" of the blue part. Anything else will distort the rotation.

I can't see an IK setup that goes from the base to the last part of the "tool" head.

This is all I can say based on images. Please note that I prefer always to get a project file*; images tell me only a little bit.

*If the C4D file is above 1MB and can't be uploaded here as is, please use only DropBox, Google, WeTransfer, Adobe, or Apple Cloud services. Please upload the file as is, no rar or zip. Paste the URL as is (no tiny url or HTML wrapper). Sorry for the long instruction, but safety first. Yes, I will not touch anything else.

Cheers

OFF TOPIC

You're welcome, MV

My best wishes

Hi eat-spot,

As mentioned before, please use this forum only for problems with site issues.

Like: "I can't access the Q&A forum." This will let the Admins know that you have a problem.
I can't see that kind of request from you.
If you have a Maxon-One subscription, you typically have access to the correct forum.

Please do not use this forum for Q&A questions.

Cheers

Hi Dutchbird,

The texture is empty if you don't put the file in the folder that I had sent previously (post #2). So it can find the tex folder.

Please have a look here:
CV4_2025_drs_25_RSls_21.c4d

Also, here, I do not send all-time textures again; you need to place the file into the folder from post #2, my first reply. If that is not in that folder, then you have to connect it manually.

I have no problems seeing the Bump effect in the viewport; even IPR is off. (M1 max)

Let me know how it goes.

All the best

Thank you, poem-expert,

Yes, many of the videos are on different YouTube sites, the same as on Cineversity.
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaxonTrainingTeam
https://www.youtube.com/c/MaxonVFX
https://www.youtube.com/c/Redgiant
https://www.youtube.com/c/PixologicZBrush
All Forger Videos are accessible from inside the application.

All the best