MAXON Computer Cinema 4D Tutorials: Building a Jack-o'-lantern

Project Based Tutorials - Halloween

Halloween:
Building a Jack-o'-lantern
Download:
PDF / Project Works with:
GO,SE,XL Requires:
Version 5.3

Description: In this tutorial, we will model a pumpkin using the lofting technique. Afterwards, we will carve the pumpkin into a jack-o'-lantern and light it. Throughout this process, we will be creating effective textures and lighting for our scene.

Click for a QuickTime movie

Step 1: To create the ridged shape of the pumpkin, we will start out with one of the built-in splines in CINEMA 4D; the flower spline. Create a flower spline by selecting under the file menu Objects=>Splines=>Profiles=>Flower. You can experiment with different settings in the dialog. The setting we chose was: Inner Radius = 30, Outer Radius = 60, Petals = 16. Click OK. Then, set the spline type to B-Spline. Granted, the ridges of the flower spline do not look much like the sort of ridges you would find lining the edges of a pumpkin, but we're going to change that.

Step 2: After making sure the object tool is active, change the spline's direction value to P = 90 using the Coordinates Manager. Then, select the axis tool and set the axis direction to P = 0. This way, your spline is positioned ideally for future use in vertical modeling.

Step 3: Activate the Points Tool and select all the inner points of the flower spline by holding down the Shift key and clicking them individually. Then, after making sure XY and Z axes are turned on, use the scale tool to bring the inner points very close to the outer points as shown. Since we are trying to achieve an organic looking, non-linear pumpkin, you can use CINEMA 4D's Crumple Tool from the Tools Menu to randomize the placement of the ridges. In the Crumple Tool dialog, we chose the settings X = .5, Y = .2, and Z = .5. Click OK to close the dialog.

Step 4: Replicate the flower spline along the Y axis by using the Duplicate Tool (Tools=>Duplicate). In the Duplicate dialog, set copies to 15 and Move Y to 45. Click OK. This places the duplicates evenly spaced above the original spline. In the XY view, you can adjust the placement of the individual splines along the Y axis and resize them along the X and Z axes until you get the pumpkin shape you desire. As a rule of thumb, pumpkins tend to bulge out in the middle and have dips at the center of their tops and bottoms as shown. Depending upon how you want your pumpkin to look, you can add or subtract splines from the pumpkin loft.

Step 5: To combine these splines together in a loft, you can either make a Spline Loft Object (CINEMA 4D GO and SE), or, if you can use Loft NURBS (CINEMA 4D XL only).

If you have the ability use Loft NURBS, simply select Objects=>NURBS=>Loft NURBS. Drag and drop your splines into the NURBS object in the Object Manager. Lastly, to increase the resolution of the NURBS object, double click the NURBS icon next to your object in the Object manager window. We chose a setting of 150. You can always go back and change this for the results you want.

If you are working in CINEMA 4D GO or SE, make a Spline Loft Object. First, group all the splines together in the Object Manager (Functions=>Group Objects). While your group object is selected, select Object=>:Spline Object=>Loft Object from the menu.

Step 6: Test render and continue to experiment with resizing and moving splines until you are satisfied with the form of your pumpkin. To cap off the bottom of the loft, select the spline you wish to cap and select Objects=>Spline Object=>Skin Object. Do not cap the top of the pumpkin.

Step 7: At this point, we are going to create a material for the pumpkin skin. First, we will set the color of the pumpkin. Next we will use the bump channel to add imperfections (dents and dings) to make the skin look more realisic. Lastly, we will use the highlight or specular channel to give the pumpkin a natural shininess.

Create a new material for the pumpkin by selecting File=>New Material in the Materials Manager. Double click on your new material. In the Edit Material Dialog, activate the checkboxes for color, bump, highlight, and highlight color. You can experiment with the color settings until you achieve the results you want. The settings we used were R = 100%, G = 42%, B = 0%, and S = 100%.

Next, go to the Bump channel dialog. Apply the Turbulence.shc texture that comes with CINEMA 4D. You will find it in the 2D-Shader directory. Bump mapping works so that the darker a pixel is on the bump texture, the more strongly it is indented. Click on the Edit button under it's preview window and set U-Frequency to 5.5, V-Frequency to 5, and Steps to 1. Of course, you can play with these settings to get a smoother or more craggy looking pumpkin. Set the strength of the bump texture. For slight imperfections you do not need much strength to simulate the imperfections of pumpkin skin. In our example, we set the strength to 7%. Though these settings should get you in the ballpark for what kind look you want for your pumpkin. By all means, experiment with the settings until the pumpkin texture looks perfect to you.

To simulate a pumpkin's shininess, we will move on the the highlight channel. You will notice that a real pumpkin reflects light in such a way that is more wide than tall. Likewise, set the Width value to be more than the Height (such as W = 50%, H = 25%).

In addition, we have found that any highlight color other than white adds to the realistic appeance of a material. Move to the highlight color page. We chose a light orange highlight with R set to 100% G to 85%, B to 50%, and strength to 100%. Once you have finished crafting this new material, drag and drop it unto the pumpkin object.

Step 8: To model the pumpkin's stem, click on the spline at the top center of your pumpkin. The size and position of this spline will determine where the base of your pumpkin's stem will be and its thickness. Reposition the points of the spline to create a suitable stem base. Once you are satisfied with the shape, copy the base spline twice. Leave the original alone as part of the pumpkin loft, but the two copies become the stem loft. One copy will be the base of the stem, the other will be the top. Therefore, leave one of the copies alone as the base. Resize/reposition/rotate the spline intended to be the top of your stem until you are satisfied with the stem's shape. Segregate the stem and make it into a separate loft.

NOTE: Especially when working without the convinance of NURBS, consider frequent use of display tags to toggle objects between invisible and visible (in the Object Manager Function=>New Property=>Display). Due to the close proximity of many splines in this project, these tags will come in handy when you wish to discern between different objects while editing.

Step 9: Create a new material for the stem. Most times, the pumpkin's stem is jagged and dried out by the time the pumpkin is sold. For this reason, we chose a light, off white, brown for its colour with the values R = 77%, G = 75%, B = 60%, S = 84%. To express the stem's jaggedness, we chose to use one of the textures that comes with CINEMA 4D, bump13.tif in the Textures=>Basics=>Directory. We used a setting of 37% Strength. Then, we added a bump property by activating the Bump channel. On its page, we also used bump13.tif texture and set its bump strength "off the scale" to 175% by typing that value into the dialogue (you can do this in almost any similar dialog within CINEMA 4D). Once, you have completed this texture, apply it to the stem and its cap. Apply the materials to the stem and its skin object. Double click on their your stem's new materials in the Object Manager and try experimenting with different texture mapping settings. We chose to map the stem cylindrically and the cap spherically.

Congratulations! You have completed the pumpkin model. In the following steps we will continue towards a Jack-o'-lantern scene.

Step 10: Choose the the splines that you wish to separate from the pumpkin as the jack-o'-lantern's lid. Copy the lowest spline you wish to have in your lid. If you have not organized yourself in the Object Manager, at the very least, rename the original of this spline to "pumpkin rim" for future reference. It will continue to be a part of the base pumpkin loft, but you can use the copy as part of the lid loft. Separate your copy and all of the other lid splines into their own loft object.

NOTE: If you're using CINEMA 4D GO or SE, you will have to delete your first pumpkin loft object and use your modified splines to make a new pumpkin and lid Spline Loft Object.

After you have created the lid loft, use the object manager to make the stem and its skin object a sub-object of the lid by dragging and dropping it onto the lid object in the Object Manager. This way, when you move the lid, the stem will not be left hovering behind.

Step 11: Starting with the lid, we will add thickness to the pumpkin with another series of lofts. This way when we cut the face elements out of the pumpkin, it will appear to have thick skin. Select the lowest spline from the lid loft and duplicate it twice. Scale one of the duplicates down a bit and lower it as shown. The further down you reposition this spline, the more thickness you will add. Once you are satisfied with its thickness and shape, make it into a separate loft.

Step 12: To begin adding thickness to the base pumpkin, duplicate the loft you made as the thickness for the lid. Turn on the axis tool and align the axis of the duplicate object with the lid's lowest spline in the coordinates manager. Then, use the align tool in the tools menu and align your new thickness loft with the pumpkin's rim spline. Continue making the inside of the pumpkin by duplicating related splines and resizing/repositioning them until you complete the inner layer of the pumpkin's skin.

Step 13: For the material of the inner pumpkin layer, we are looking for a moist, organic sort of feel. Create a new material and activate Color, Highlight, and Highlight Color. On the color page, we chose an off white color with a bit of green and brown. First, we set the color values to R = 100%, G = 100%, B = 25%, S = 50%. To achieve some variance, we chose to texture the material with the cork.tif that comes with CINEMA 4D (Tex:Basics directory) and kept the strength at 100%. Then, we set the Highlight to Width = 50%, Height = 20% and the Highlight color to B = 90% for a wet, gooey shininess. Again, if you like, go ahead and try plugging in your own values and textures to make an even better material! Once you finish, click OK and apply the new texture to the inner lofts and the thickness lofts.

Step 14: Now, we will model the face of the jack-o'-lantern. The first step in this process is to create four empty splines (Objects=>Empty=>Spline); two for the eyes, one for the nose, and one for the mouth. To draw these, begin by selecting one of the four empty splines you made in the Object manager. Then, with the Point Tool active, CNTRL+click to set the spline points and draw the parts of the face. Once you have finished the face elements, create an extrude object with caps for each individual spline. Select Objects=>Spline Object=>Extrude Object. Group your face element extrude objects and rename the group: Face Group. Now resize/reposition them into your pumpkin so that they completely penetrate the inner pumpkin layer without any edges sticking out.

Now we'll cut the face elements out of the pumpkin. First, make sure to apply the inner pumpkin texture to the Face Group (in CINEMA 4D the object doing the cutting leaves its texture behind). To cut the holes, select Tools=>Boolean and use A minus B mode to subtract the face elements from the pumpkin. That is Pumpkin minus Face Group.

Step 15: In order to light this scene, we will use four light sources: a volumentric light in the centre of the pumpkin, a key light, a fill light, and a backlight. However, before you start lighting, create a floor object, so that shadows can be cast upon it (Objects=>Scene Objects=>Floor).

Make your first light by clicking Objects=>Scene Object=> Light. This light will be our backlight. Position it in the Coordinates manager. Set it's position to Y=100, X=300. Go into your light's dialog by double clicking the light bulb next to it in the Object Manager. Teh color settings we chose are R=48%, G=48%, B=80% and S=100%. This gives the scene a dark, nocturnal looking blue light source that slightly outlines the sides of the pumpkin.

Step 16: Now, we will create the key lighting for the scene. The key light serves as the main light source. This light will be a lighter shade of blue than our backlight, the values being: R=45%, G=45%, B=65%, S=60%. Set its position coordinates so that X=30, Y=150, and Z=900.

Next we'll add a fill light. The fill light is meant to complement the key light by lighting the other side of the object so that the scene is not too stark. Modify this light's color values so that R=95%, G=85%, B=100%, and S=50%. Postion the fill light in the Coordinates Manager so that X=30, Y=150, Z=-900.

Step 17: Now that the scene is well lit, we will add a light inside the jack-o'-lantern to simulate a flickering candle. Create a new light then modify its color values so that G=80%, B=25%. Click over to the Visible Light page and modify the setting so that its brightness is set to 100%, dust is set to 65%, and the sample distance to 10m. The dust value determines how much black is in the visible light. Instead of adding brightness, this subtracts light. The sample distance value determines how accurately the light shadow will be calculated.

Step 18: After positioning your light inside the pumpkin, create a kite profile spline (Objects=>Splines=>Profiles=>Kite). To create the effect of a flickering light, we will atach the volumetric light to the kite spline and assign to it some random movement along the kite. Use the coordinates manager to position the kite spline where your jack-o'-lantern light is and resize your kite spline so that it is very tiny (X=2, Y=2).

Step 19: To attach the light to the kite spline, open the up Time Line (Window=>Timeline). Click Function=>New Track=>Geometry=>Spline. Then click Function=>New Sequence. Set the start and finish points for this sequence, depending upon how long you want it to be. In the timeline, set a key frame on the first frame of your sequence by CNTRL-clicking on the sequence. Type the name of your kite spline into the ensuing dialog. This will attach the volumetric light to the kite spline path. Important: This is for CINEMA 4D SE and XL uasers only.

CINEMA 4D GO users, you will have to animate the light flickering by hand as GO does not include Spline Tracks. Create a position track of 30 frames and loop the sequence for as long as you want the animation. Move the light only slightly and create a few keyframes.

Step 20: To randomize the movement, open up the Time Control (Window=>Time Control CINEMA 4D XL only), make sure you are in path mode and CNTRL-click randomly to on the graph to define the movements of your volumetric light. The light will appear to flicker. By pushing the play button in the Time Manager you can get a preview of how the light will move. Make adjustments as needed.

Step 21: The final step is to render out our work. Click (File:Preferences:Render). Set your Render preferences to whatever you like, but here are some guidelines you can use if you choose. On the General page set Render to Raytracer, Antialiasing to 1.5 Edge & Colour, Oversampling to 3x3, and Shadow to Soft Only. Click over to the Output page, and choose a resolution and film format. Make sure that if you want to render out the animation to select All Frames on the Frames tab. Lastly, go to the frames page a choose your file compression and path name. Push the render button in the view palet to begin the render.