"Crystalize" style Abstract Tutorial

Well, I decided to make a tutorial out of my two "Crystalize" abstracts since people like them so much. Making those effects is not very hard. Its only playing around until u get what you want. But once u get the effect you feel like using it over and over combining with other things. I bet after this tutorial ends you will probably think this was so easy i could have done it without a tutorial. But enough with the talking, lets start making something.

1. Open C4D with a new stage.

2. Add a Sphere, Objects > Primitive > Sphere

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/525/tutsphereav3.gif

3. Make it editable by pressing C while selecting the sphere then select the "Use Point Tool"

http://img226.imageshack.us/img226/8167/tuteditpx7.gif

4. Right click on the stage > choose the magnet tool

http://img294.imageshack.us/img294/4...tmagneteq9.gif

5. Take one point and stretch it until you are satisfied. Try to make it look something like this

http://img456.imageshack.us/img456/4...etchtutmz8.gif

6. See these triangles here? They are bad

http://img116.imageshack.us/img116/4...riangletn9.gif

7. If you have triangles like this then right click on the stage > choose the knife tool

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/2310/tutknifekh0.gif

and cut them through like this

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/8382/tutcutpi8.gif

After you cut it you should have something like this, the triangles gone

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/9872/tutcutedhh0.gif

8. Now select the "Use Polygon tool"

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/2...polygonmh3.gif

9. Then Select all polygons by pressing Ctrl+A

http://img160.imageshack.us/img160/9...electeddj6.gif

10. Right click on the stage and select > Matrix extrude

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/8...tmatrixjc2.gif

11. Now look at the properties (i donno how you might have it but i have v9.5 of C4D so i see it on the right side of the stage) and put in the following number in respective places (you dont have to use the same numbers as i did. you can play around a bit till u have what you want)

http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/8176/tutpropsue2.gif

then click apply and you should have something like this

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/3...extrudelt7.gif

12. Now lets add the shatter effect.

http://img129.imageshack.us/img129/6...shattersw7.gif

13. Move the shatter effect icon under the sphere icon like this

http://img110.imageshack.us/img110/7509/tutmove1zu8.gif
http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/5769/tutmove2cv0.gif

14. Click on the shatter icon and put in the following properties

http://img171.imageshack.us/img171/9...hatproppz5.gif

15. After all this you should have something like this

http://img176.imageshack.us/img176/4...atterednj2.gif

We are almost there. Only lighting and Material left :).

16. Lets add a light. Add the omni light from the menu.

http://img114.imageshack.us/img114/9167/tutlightkm7.gif

17. Select the new added light and choose the following properties

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/9...ghtproppf9.gif

18. Time for some color! Add a new material

http://img118.imageshack.us/img118/5104/tutmatcd5.gif

19. Select the material and change the properties as follows

Select Luminance and Reflection from the basic properties

http://img49.imageshack.us/img49/4073/tutmatpropyl8.gif

select the color tab and select whatever color you want to use and add it to custom colors because we will use the same color for something else

Now select the luminance tab and select the custom color we added in the previous step and set luminance brightness to 5%.

http://img19.imageshack.us/img19/224...minancejm1.gif

Now add the material we created to the sphere.

http://img112.imageshack.us/img112/2...aterialre2.gif

20. Almost Done! Move around the light a little bit till you are satisfied with it. Render it and Viola! :eek:

http://img117.imageshack.us/img117/3901/tutfinalia0.png

i know its not the same as my actual piece but u can never get the same thing over and over.

Tip: To add a really cool camera effect hold shift and zoom out

Comments and questions welcomed. And plz post what you got. i wana see if this helped or not :D.

Nice tut. Man!!!!

I like the result!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by :.Sensoku.:

Nice tut. Man!!!!

I like the result!!!!

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TY :)

Nice tut, I have Ver. 10 so all the buttons were in different places, but I figured it out.

This is my first time actually using CD4, here's my outcome:

Meh, I need to work on the lighting.
http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/9...ractgo0.th.jpg

move around the light a little bit till u see more reflection in the pieces. then open the picture in photoshop and sharpen it. it will make the picture look more clearer and sharper.

very nice i love it, gotta make one

Registered because of this tut, very nice, have not loaded C3D in a long time. here is my 1st result
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...CrystalTut.jpg

My 2nd Render
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...rystalTut2.jpg

and below a 5min sig i made using a few filters ( will brush tomorrow )

I followed step by step but for some reason when i add the materials i get no color.....could i get some help please!

delete the material, and retry the steps, read everythign a bit slower, the tut is correct in its explination..

what C4D version you using ?

Very nice tutorial.. :) I tried it out and this is what I got.. Keep in mind, this is only the second time I've ever used Cinema 4D which means this is the second render I've ever done in C4D.. :)

http://i154.photobucket.com/albums/s...labstract1.jpg

wow, i love the outcome!

This might sound really retarded but I can't "magnetize" the sphere as in pulling the points..

holding shift and zooming out does nothing for me, i'm using version 10.

http://file015b.bebo.com/6/large/200...382697404l.jpg

my first render came out better than i expected! (im using bebo to show pictures cos my imageshack account is mucking up)

Fantastic tut'.
Here's my result.
http://i134.photobucket.com/albums/q...xplosion_2.png

how exactly do i move light around in cinema 4d?

wow, I luv it..

my results:
1
2
(damn resizing..)

LOVE THIS! KEEP IT UP ;D

How do you render it:(?

silent, go to another tut and see how THEY render it :)

Very nice basic tutorial. :)

Here's what I came up with. (All of it was done in C4D, none of it in Photoshop)
http://img206.imageshack.us/img206/7...shattervg7.png

http://tdk-3d.deviantart.com/art/Showtime-63383860 Thats my attempt :)

Nice tut...TFS