Our new course, Interdisciplinary Building Blocks in Cinema 4D, combines different aspects of the popular 3D design application within one course. Taught by Michael Szabo, the goal of the course is to create a well-designed and conceptualized project, akin to a rig or a template that allows you to build 3D objects out of toy blocks. The individual pieces are simple on their own, but when combined together they can form a complex shape or object with a completely modular setup.

The process starts with proper 3D modeling of the blocks, using subdivision techniques to get good looking geometry, rather than just crashing and intersecting primitives into each other. From there, a user data control panel is required to help control every necessary option of the individual blocks, from their size, orientation and color. This is rigged together with XPresso to make the properties for each block interchangeable and functional. After the blocks have been created, they can be formed into a 3D object.

Szabo is a motion designer who lives in Miami, Florida. He is an avid Cinema 4D artist and has a passion for education as a motion design professor. He organizes Miami MoGraph, a animation user community in South Florida.