MAXON Computer Cinema 4D Tutorials: Building A File Cabinet

Project Based Tutorials - Office

Office:
Building A File Cabinet
Download:
Project Works with:
GO,SE,XL Requires:
Version 5+

In this tutorial, you will model the exterior of a file cabinet. You will also create some surfaces for the model and create labels for the drawers.

Note: The units given in this tutorial are in Millimeters. The same measurements may be used with a different unit, but the final product will not be actual size. To model the file cabinet in actual size, you will first set CINEMA 4D's basic units to Millimeters. Under the File menu, select Preferences=>General. Select 'Millimetre' from the pop-up menu that appears next to Basic Units. Click OK. Next, under the File menu, choose Save Preferences.

Also note that all figures given for the Coordinates Manager are given in relation to Object, NOT World coordinates (you can change this in the pop-up menu under the Position column).

Click here for a larger version of the image on the right.

Step 1: First, you will model the front of the file cabinet drawer. You will do this by Skinning a group of splines. Create a Rectangle Spline by selecting Objects=>Splines=>Polygons=>Rectangle. Give the Rectangle a Width of 315mm and a Height of 280mm. Click OK.

Now, make a copy of this spline (Copy and Paste from the Edit menu). Using the Coordinates Manager, make the following changes to the copy:
Z Position = 0.5mm
X Size = 319mm
Y Size = 284mm
(make sure the drop down is set to Size). Click Apply.

You will need to make 3 more copies before you Skin the object. Use the method described above with the following data.
Copy 2: Z Pos = 2mm, X Size = 320mm, Y Size = 285mm
Copy 3: Z Pos = 6mm, X Size = 319mm, Y Size = 284mm
Copy 4: Z Pos = 10mm, X Size = 316mm, Y Size = 281mm

Step 2: While in the Object Manager, choose Group Objects from the Function menu. Your cursor changes to a crosshair. Drag a box around all 5 of the Rectangle Objects you just created.

Go back to the main window and make sure your object group is still selected. From the Objects menu, choose Spline Object=>Skin Object. Click the right arrow to go to the Caps screen, and check Close under both Start and Finish. Click OK.

Step 3: Now you need to make the spline path for the handle. Under the Objects menu, select Splines=>Polygons=>Rectangles. Set the Width to 25mm and the Height to 100mm. Go to the Object Manager and double-click the icon for Rectangle (the spline object you just created). Use the pull-down menu to change the Type to Hermite, Un-check the Close Spline option, and choose Adaptive from the pull-down menu next to Intermediate. In the Coordinates Manager, enter 90 in the H and P Direction fields and click Apply.

Under the Tools menu, choose Action=>Move and then from the Tools menu again, choose Options=>Points. Using the Top View, double click the upper left point of the spline. Make sure the Left and Right Tangent columns contain all zeros, and click OK. Repeat this for the upper right point.

Double click the bottom-left point of the spline. Set the X value to -2.5mm, the Y value to -50mm, and the Z value to 0mm. Set all the Left and Right Tangent fields to zero except for the X Left Tangent, which should be -4mm. Repeat this procedure for the lower right point, setting the X value to -2.5mm, the Y value to 50mm and setting all the Tangent values to zero except for the X Right Tangent value which should be set to -4mm.

Now Option+click (PC-Ctrl+click) the bottom side of the spline to add a new point. Double click this point. Set the X value to -12.5mm, Y value to -40mm, Y Right Tangent to -4mm, and all other values 0. Repeat this by adding another point with the same X value and changing the Y value to 40mm, Y Left Tangent to 4mm, and Y Right Tangent to 0. Under the Tools menu, choose Options=>Object Axis. In the Coordinates Manager, reset the H and P values to 0.

Step 4: Next, you need to make the spline that will follow the path. Under the Objects menu, select Splines=>Circle Elements=>Circle. Set the Radius to 10mm and click OK. Double click the Circle's icon in the Object Manager and make it a Hermite Spline with Adaptive Interpolation. Under the Tools menu, choose Options=>Points. Delete points from the circle until you end up with a spline looking like the figure at left (using the Front View).

Starting with the point on the X Axis and going clockwise around the spline, here are the values for all the points (if a value is not specified, it should be set to 0).
1: X value=10mm, Y Left Tangent=-6mm, Y Right Tangent=6mm
2: X value=1mm, Y value=-8mm
3: Y value=-7mm, Y Right Tangent=-0.75mm
4: Y value=7mm, Y Left Tangent=0.75mm
5: X value=1mm, Y value=8mm

Step 5: Now you will use the two splines you just made to make the handle. With the Circle Spline still selected, from under the Objects menu, choose Spline Object=>Path Object. In the 'Search For' field, enter Rectangle and click OK. With the newly created Path Object selected in the Object Manager, go to the Coordinates Manager, change the Y Position to -20mm and the Z Position to -12mm, and click Apply.

Step 6: Now you need to make the label holder. You will use an approach similar to the creation of the front of the drawer -- you will Skin a group of Rectangle Splines. Below there is a table of values for the Rectangles.

	Y Position	Z Position	X Size	Y Size
Rectangle.1	52.5	-4.75	85	50
Rectangle.2	52.5	-8.75	80	43
Rectangle.3	52.5	-8.75	70	33
Rectangle.4	52.5	-6.75	66	29
Rectangle.5	52.5	-6.75	68	31
Rectangle.6	52.5	-7.75	72	35
Rectangle.7	52.5	-7.75	78	41
Rectangle.8	52.5	-4.75	83	48

Now use the Group Objects command to group the 8 Rectangle Splines you just created together. Under the Objects menu, choose Spline Object=>Loft Object. Change the Subdivisions to 20 and make sure the Interpolation is set to Hermite. Click OK. Back in the Object Manager, double click the Smoothing icon for the Loft Object. Leave Angle Limit checked but change the degree setting to 26 and click OK.

Step 7: Next you need to make the slot in the top of the holder. First, under the Objects menu, choose 3D-Object=>Cuboid. Set the dimensions to X=81mm Y=10mm Z=2mm. In the Coordinates Manager, change the Y Position to 77mm and the Z Position to -5mm. Now, under the Tools menu, choose Boolean. Make sure the mode is set to A Minus B. Then make the A field Loft Object, and the B field Cuboid.1.

You should now have an object called 'Loft Object-Cuboid.1' that looks like the object pictured above. In the Coordinates Manager, make sure the Y Position of this object is still 52.5mm, and then change the Z Position to -2mm. For the actual label, create another Cuboid with the dimensions X=80mm Y=45mm Z=0.5mm and make its Y Position 52mm and Z Position -0.5mm (it might be helpful to rename this object 'Label' since you may be adding a texture to it later).

Step 8: Now you will create some textures before you continue modeling. While in the Material Manager, go to the File menu and select New Material. Double click the icon to the material you just created. First you need to give it a color. You can use whatever values you like, but here is an idea to get you started:
R=89% G=88% B=74% S=90%
Next, make sure you check the boxes to turn on Reflections and Highlight. Now switch to the Reflection pane and change the S value to 10%. Now switch to the Highlight pane, make the Width 15%, the Height 30%, and click OK.

Now find 'Skin Object' in the Object Manager (it should be close to the bottom of the list). Drag the icon of the texture you just created onto the name of this object. In the dialog that pops up, change the Projection to Cubic and click OK.

Step 9: Now you need to create another texture. Create a New Material and this time, for the Color, make S=74%. In the text field next to File: type 'noise.shc' and then change the S value beneath this to 35%. Click the Edit button under the file preview and change the U-Frequency to 0.1 and the V-Frequency to 40. Next, check the boxes to turn on Reflections, Highlight, and Highlight Color. Switch to the Reflection pane and change the S value to 23%. In the Highlight pane, make the Width 90% and the Height 10%. Now switch to the Highlight Color pane. Set B to 94% and S to 91%. Again type 'noise.shc' into the File field and click Edit. Make the U-Frequency 0.1 and the V-Frequency 5. Click OK. Now drag this texture onto Path Object and Loft Object-Cuboid.1, changing the Projection to Cubic for both.

You should now have something that looks like the image at left.

Step 10: Now you can Group together everything you have created up to this point. If you like, you could rename this new object group 'Drawer'. Next make three more copies of this object group. Change the Y values of the first, second, and third copies to 314mm, 601mm, and 888mm respectively.

Step 11: Now you need to start making the case that goes around the outside of the drawers. First make a Rectangle Spline with dimensions of X=360mm Y=635mm. Double click the icon for this spline in the Object Manager and deselect the Close Spline option. Next, in the Coordinates Manager, change the P Direction value to 90 degrees and the Z Position to 316.5mm.

Now, looking from the top, you have a large 'C' shape, with a yellow dot at one end. This represents the first point of the spline, or point zero in the Structure Manager. Under the Tools menu, select Options=>Points. Select the point where the yellow dot was. Below is a list of coordinates to create the shape of the file cabinet case, starting with the point you just selected (you can add additional points by Option(Mac)/Ctrl(PC)+clicking on the spline).

Point	X Value	Y Value
0	-161	307
1	-161	317.5
2	-180	317.5
3	-180	-317.5
4	-160	-317.5
5	-160	-316.5
6	-170	-316.2
7	170	-316.2
8	160	-316.5
9	160	-317.5
10	180	-317.5
11	180	317.5
12	161	317.5
13	161	307

From the Objects menu, choose Spline Object=>Extrude Object. Change the Z value to 1320mm and click OK. Change the Y Position of this new Extrude Object to 370mm. You should now have a scene that looks like the picture above.

Step 12: Now you need to finish closing off the cabinet. First, under the Objects menu, choose 3D-Object=>Cuboid. Change the dimensions to X=362mm Y=30mm Z=637mm and click OK. In the Coordinates Manager, change the Y Position to 1020mm and the Z Position to 316.5mm.
The top of the cabinet should now look like the picture at left.

Step 13: Now make a Rectangle Spline with the Width=15mm and the Height=145mm. Double-click the icon for the spline in the Object Manager and make the spline Hermite and change the Interpolation to Adaptive. Similar to when you made the path for the handle, reset the Tangent values of all four points to zero. Next, looking from the front, double click the top-right point of the Rectangle (make sure you have the Points Tool selected to be able to do this).

Change the X Position to 4.5mm, and make the X Left Tangent 2mm. Next, Option+click (PC - Ctrl+click) the spline to the right of this point to add a fifth point. Double click this point. Make the X value 7.5mm, the Y value 69.5mm, and the Y Right Tangent 1mm. Under the Objects menu, choose Spline Object=>Extrude Object. Change the Z value to 320mm and then change to the Caps pane. Check the 'Close' box under Start and Finish and click OK. Switch back to the Model Tool (Tools=>Options=>Model) and go to the Coordinates Manager. Make the following changes: Y Position=-217.5mm, Z Position=4.5mm, H=-90 degrees.

Step 14: Now, create a Cuboid with dimensions of X=17mm Y=143mm Z=1mm. Change the X Position to 168.5mm, the Y Position to -218.5mm, and the Z Position to -2.5mm. Next, make a copy of this Cuboid and make the X value -168.5mm.
The bottom of your file cabinet should now look like the picture on the right.

Step 15: Use the Group Objects command to group all the new objects you have created since the Drawers (all objects in the Object Manager except for the four Drawer groups). Drag the icon for the cabinet texture (the same one you used for the drawer fronts) onto the new Object group you created and choose Cubic for the Projection.

Step 16: From the Objects menu, choose Scene Object=>Floor. In the Coordinates Manager, change its Z Position to 800mm (to put it behind the file cabinet) and change the P Direction to 90 degrees. In the Material Manager, create a New Material. Double click the icon, check the Luminance box, and click OK. Apply this texture to the Floor you just created.

Step 17: Under the Objects menu, choose Scene Object=>Light. Change the Shadow option to 'Hard' and click OK. To see the shadows, you have to have Soft & Hard Shadows activated in your Render Preferences (File=>Preferences=>Render). In the Coordinates Manager, change the X Position to 700mm, the Y Position to 2000mm, and the Z Position to -1000mm.

You should now have a scene that looks like the image on the left.

Step 18 (optional): In this step, you will create an image to use as a label for the drawers. In an image editing program (such as Adobe Photoshop) create a document (320x180 pixels). This will be what you see as a label, so design it however you want (I simply wrote 'Drawer' for this sample). When you have finished, save this file as a TIFF image (or other compatible image format) in the same location as the file cabinet model.

Back in CINEMA, go to the Material Manager and create a New Material. Make its S color value zero, and for the file select the image you just created. Click OK.

Now in one (or all) of the drawer object groups, find the object you renamed Label and apply this material to it. In the dialog that appears, change the Projection to Flat. Under the Size column, change X to 40mm, Y to 22.5mm and click OK.

That's It! You've finished the file cabinet. Just set up your Render Preferences to whatever you desire and render. For this, you may want to turn on Antialiasing and Reflection of All Objects. If you want to create individual labels for all the drawers, just follow the procedure above. If you plan on using this in another scene, just group everything together (you probably don't want to include the Light and the Floor) and Copy and Paste the object group into the desired scene.