Maxon announces availability of Cinema 4D R12

Maxon Computer has announced the immediate availability of CINEMA 4D release 12, the latest version of its acclaimed 3D software package. A world-leader in professional 3D production software suites Maxon’s latest R12 release of CINEMA 4D builds on more than two decades of 3D graphics development and boasts dozens of new features.

“Today’s release marks a significant milestone in the development of Maxon’s professional 3D software and is a testament to more than two decades of programming excellence,” remarked Harald Schneider, CEO and co-founder of Maxon Computer. “Our development team made every effort to bring customer requested features that are easy to use, stable powerful.”

Key New Features

• Powerful New Dynamics: Release 12 introduces a comprehensive and easy to use rigid body dynamics system based on the production-proven Bullet engine.
• Enhanced Rendering Features: Linear workflow and color profiles, IES lights, True Units of Measure, Render Queue and Picture Viewer. In particular C4D R12’s new Picture Viewer includes full-screen playback, a histogram display and navigator.
• New Character Tools – Inverse Kinematics (IK) system featuring new dynamics properties.
• New Deformers
• Python – Extensive support of powerful Python language now fully integrated into C4D R12
• OpenGL 3 and new Architectural Shaders and a parametric spline L-system

New Product LineUp

“The product line reorganization is a practical step that gives all customers, from hobbyist to studio professional, clear choices when deciding on the features they need to deliver high impact, creative results,” said Paul Babb, CEO of Maxon USA.

The new CINEMA 4D Editions include the following:

• CINEMA 4D Prime – New core professional 3D graphics package that includes all the basic modeling, animation and rendering functionality. Release 12 now includes Ambient Occlusion and many deformers formerly found in the MOCCA and MoGraph modules.
• CINEMA 4D Broadcast – Builds on Prime and offers a powerhouse of features and toolsets for broadcast design professionals. This edition includes functionality previously included in MoGraph module, GI rendering and features an extensive library of objects, materials and presets.
• CINEMA 4D Visualize – The professional solution for architects and designers. This version includes all the functionality of the previous Architecture and Engineering Editions, such as Advanced Render, Sketch and Toon, Net Render 3 module plus extensive object and material libraries for these professionals.
• CINEMA 4D Studion – This is the most comprehensive edition and includes everything from Broadcast and Visualize editions.
• BodyPaint 3D R12 – 3D Painting, Texturing and UV Editing package. BodyPaint 3D Release 12 benefits from all the new developments of its sister application, CINEMA 4D Prime, to offer a full complement of 3D painting and texturing tools unmatched by any other package on the market. New features in Release 12 include color profiles, the option to render Ambient Occlusion into a texture, and the Cineman connection to RenderMan including preview renders directly inside BodyPaint 3D. It also boasts updated exchanges with 3ds Max, Maya, Softimage and LightWave 3D

A product comparison chart is available here. System requirements for the Mac OS X platform include OS X 10.5.8 or higher on Intel-based Macs, 1024 MB of RAM and DVD ROM drive. Contact a Maxon distributor for pricing, availability and upgrade paths.