Issue: Volume: 23 Issue: 6 (June 2000)

SPOTLIGHT: Cinema 4D Adds Professional-Level Tools



Also new to Version 6 are a non-linear construction hierarchy, multi-threaded background rendering, a customizable, integrated interface, more than 50 new parametric primitives and splines, freehand drawing of curves, hyper NURBS (subdivision surfaces), metaballs, improved material management and lighting systems, and a host of additional upgrades and new features.

Jeff Johnson, a freelance medical illustrator and animator based in Minneapolis, and a previous user of 5.X versions of Cinema 4D, has been using Version 6 on a beta basis for the past several months. He used the software to create a field of neurons for a self-promotion project, of which he says, "I wouldn't have done without Version 6, because of the hyper NURBS and the speed of the interface. Everything about the product now is faster, cleaner."

Cinema 4D XL 6 began shipping this spring at a list price of $2195. The software requires a 133mhz processor and runs on a recommended 64mb of RAM. (Maxon Computer; Thousand Oaks, CA; 805-494-0718; www.maxoncomputer.com)-JD