MAXON Computer Cinema 4D Tutorials: Creating a Stained Glass Window

Tips & Techniques - Lighting

Lighting:
Creating a Stained Glass Window
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Project Works with:
XL Requires:
Version 6+

This tutorial will take you through the process of creating a stained glass window using the Vectorizer in CINEMA 4D XL.

Step 1: In Photoshop, or a similar 2D graphics package, create a black and white image of a stained glass window. The image must be solid black and white or the Vectorizer will not work properly. Save it out as a tiff file.

Step 2: In CINEMA, create a Vectorizer Object (Objects=>Spline Primitive=>Vectorizer). Double click on the icon in the Object Manager. Click on 'Image' and locate your black and white glass file. Change the Intermediate Points to Natural and Number to 4.

Step 3: Create an Extrude NURBS Object. Drop the Vectorizer into it. Double click on the Extrude NURBS Object to open the attributes. Set the Z Movement to 5m. Also set Start and End to 'Cap and Rounding'. Click the Details tab and change the 'Start' and 'End' Radius to 1.5m. Rename it 'Frame'. It's possible that if your image is not a solid black and white, you will get strange capping effects. You can decrease the tolerance setting in the Vectorizer dialog to remedy this, but the best fix would be correct your image.

Step 4: Back in your 2D package, fill in the black with color. Again, save it out as a tiff file.

Step 5: In CINEMA, create a Plane (Objects=>Primitive=>Plane). In the Object Manager, double click the Plane icon. Set the Orientation to +Z. You will need to change the size of the Plane depending on the size of your window tiff. It should be dead center within the frame.

Step 6: Create a New Material. In the Color, Transparency, and Luminance channels, load your image. Also add a Bump and apply a Noise shader. Click the Edit button. Change U Frequency to 8 and V Frequency to 0.06. Set the Bump Strength to 10%. This will add some imperfections in the surface. In the Luminance channel, set the Mix to 25% and Subtract. Set the Specular Width to 40% and the Height to 50%. Name the material 'Glass'.

Step 7: Create another material. Change the Color channel's RGB values to 100%,0%,0%, respectively, with a Brightness of 10%. Add a Reflection channel and make the Color values R=10% G=10% B=0% Br=20%. Load a Noise Shader into the channel. Change the Mix to 50. Finally, activate the Bump channel to the material. Again, load a Noise Shader and set the Strength to -30%. Name the material 'Frame'.

Step 8: Drag and drop the materials to their respective objects. The default texture settings are fine for the frame. For the glass, set the Projection to Flat, then go to Texture=>Fit to Object in the Object Manager to fit the glass into place.

Step 9: Add a Light (Objects=>Scene=>Light). Name it 'Beams'. In the Coordinates Mangaer, set Y=230m, Z=330m, H=180 degrees, and P=-30 degrees. Double click on the Light icon in the Object Manager. Make the Light a Round Spotlight and set Shadows to Soft. To get colored light rays coming through the window, turn on Inverse Volumetric lighting in the Visible Light tab. This will bog the render but makes for some nice effects. Also set Noise to Visibility. Click the Details tab and change the Outer Angle to 90. In the Visible Light settings, change Outer Distance to 800m, Brightness to 250%, Dust to 30%, and deselect Adapt Brightness. In the Noise tab, set the Scale to 50m for all the Axis.

Step 10: Add another Light. This will illuminate the rest of the scene. Change the Light's Brightness to 50%. In the Coordinates Manager, make Y=110m and Z=-100m. Name it 'Lum Light'.

Step 11: Add a Floor Object (Objects=>Scene=>Floor). Move it to -200m on the Y Axis. The Floor texture is included in the project file. Use it in the Color channel and in the Bump channel. Set the Bump Strength to 50%. Rename the material 'Floor'. Drag the material to the Floor Object. The default settings will work fine.

Step 12: Render the scene. The light rays might be difficult to see. If they are, turn off the Floor Object.